Russian Grand Prix Race Recap

Haas F1 Team inched four points closer to fourth-place Renault in the constructors’ standings as driver Kevin Magnussen delivered a solid eighth-place finish in the Russian Grand Prix Sunday at Sochi Autodrom. Teammate Romain Grosjean finished just outside the points in 11th.

The American squad remains fifth in the constructors’ ranks, but cut the gap to Renault to 11 points after Magnussen secured his ninth points-paying drive in this year’s FIA Formula One World Championship. Haas F1 Team also extended its advantage over sixth-place McLaren to 22 points.

Magnussen began the 53-lap race around the 5.848-kilometer (3.634-mile), 18-turn circuit in the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics from fifth in the 20-car field. He retained the spot through the always dicey opening lap, but on the second tour, Charles Leclerc wheeled his Sauber past Magnussen in the sweeping turn three. Grosjean, meanwhile, held steady in ninth.

The always strong Max Verstappen, who had started 19th as a grid penalty put him near the back, was roaring his way toward the front. On just the third lap, he powered his Red Bull by Grosjean to take ninth and then grabbed sixth from Magnussen on lap six.

This put the Haas F1 Team drivers in seventh and 10th, respectively, with the Force India duo of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez in between in eighth and ninth place.

Both Magnussen and Grosjean started on the Pirelli P Zero Pink hypersoft tire, which is the fastest tire in Pirelli’s lineup, but comes with a very limited lifespan in terms of performance.

This was on display on lap eight when Grosjean lost two positions – 10th to Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and then 11th to Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who joined teammate Verstappen at the back of the grid due to a penalty and was emulating his drive forward.

Haas F1 Team’s decision to pit Grosjean at the end of the lap was an easy one. Grosjean swapped the hypersofts he used in qualifying and subsequently started the race with for a new set of Yellow softs that would carry him to the finish. This dropped him to 16th.

Magnussen was on the same pit strategy as his teammate. He made his scheduled stop on lap nine, jettisoning the hypersoft rubber for new softs. Magnussen returned to the track in 13th.

As pit stops cycled through, Magnussen and Grosjean climbed back to their eventual finishing positions of eighth and 11th, respectively, with the Force India duo of Ocon and Perez staying between the Haas F1 Team pilots.

Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix from his second-place starting spot to earn his milestone 70th career Formula One victory, his series-leading eighth this season and his third in a row. Hamilton beat his Mercedes teammate, polesitter Valtteri Bottas, by 2.545 seconds to take his third victory at Sochi and maintain Mercedes’ dominance at the track, as no other team has won the Russian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s win, combined with Sebastian Vettel’s third-place finish, allowed Hamilton to extend his lead in the championship standings to 50 points over Vettel, with the Scuderia Ferrari driver being Hamilton’s closest pursuer in this year’s title chase.

Magnussen is seventh in the driver’s championship with 53 points and Grosjean is 14th with 27 points.

Only five races remain, with the next event being the Japanese Grand Prix Oct. 7 at Suzuka Circuit.