'Verstappen is committed to a good result in Russia'

Max Verstappen dropped out in the first race of the championship in Austria. Things went better after that, until the Dutchman arrived in Italy and twice again failed to make it to the end due to engine problems. That was the second and third drop out in the season so far and with Sochi in mind, Verstappen will be keen to get a good result.

Reaching the end

At Formula1.com, Greg Stuart looks ahead to the upcoming race, which has proven to be a challenge for Red Bull Racing in the past. "Red Bull look well placed to break an unfortunate record in Russia this weekend, with the Milton Keynes squad having never finished on the rostrum in Sochi – the track’s high power-sensitivity having doubtless been a factor in that."

"Max Verstappen will be chomping at the bit to get a decent result under his belt after a pair of point-less races in Italy – while hot off his maiden podium at Mugello, Albon would love to follow it up with another one." In other words: There is a lot for Verstappen, Albon and Red Bull Racing as a team to achieve in Russia. Mercedes is likely to win, but where Ferrari was very strong last year, that competition has subsided. This highlights the chances for Red Bull, but Racing Point shouldn't be forgotten.

Help from the tires

What Red Bull Racing could help with is the choice of tires for this weekend. For the first time, Pirelli is using the softest variants, and given that Red Bull's car is generally better at tire management, this could create some interesting situations.

Stuart concludes: "The slower speed limit in the pit lane here (60km/h rather than the usual 80) and low degradation generally also means that one-stop strategies are preferred, meaning Red Bull’s best chance to disrupt Mercedes could be to pressure them into using up their tyres quicker than they’d like…"