Russian Grand Prix: Race Recap

Event: Russian Grand Prix – Sunday September 27
Location: Sochi Autodrom, Russia
Layout: 5.848-kilometer (3.634-mile), 18-turn circuit
Weather: Sunny
Air Temps: 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 degrees Fahrenheit)
Track Temps: 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit)
Race Winner: Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes
Team Result: Kevin Magnussen – Started 18th / Finished 12th (Running, completed 52/53 laps)
Romain Grosjean – Started 16th / Finished 17th (Running, completed 52/53 laps)

Recap

Haas F1 Team completed the 2020 Russian Grand Prix with Kevin Magnussen 12th, and Romain Grosjean 17th, at the Sochi Autodrom on Sunday.

Magnussen took up 18th place on the grid on Pirelli’s P Zero Yellow medium tires and made a sensational start to surge up the order on a chaotic opening lap. He gained a whopping nine positions to take ninth spot and rose as high as sixth as he extended his opening stint. Magnussen came in on lap 20 of 53 to equip his VF-20 with hard tires and re-emerged in 14th position. He battled with drivers on off-set strategies while simultaneously preserving his rubber for the remaining 33 laps, which ran in green conditions, to classify in 12th position.

Grosjean started the race from 16th, also on medium tires, and followed Magnussen through to make strides across the opening sequence of corners. Grosjean held 10th spot and came in on lap 18 for a set of the hard rubber – emerging 15th. After running off at turn two he pitted for a second time on lap 44 for another set of medium tires, eventually taking the checkered in 17th place.

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas claimed victory for the ninth time in his career, ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, and World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Haas F1 Team maintains ninth in the Constructors’ Championship with one point.

Haas F1 Team will be back in action for the Eifel Grand Prix, at the Nürburgring, from October 9 to 11. 

Romain Grosjean, Driver No. 8, Haas F1 Team

“We managed to get through the first lap quite well, with both cars running up into the points, after that I was hanging in there. With all the problems we’ve had since Friday, with the car not being so good, sadly they appeared again today. Yesterday, on new tires and low fuel, we could get away with it, but today it was a handful to drive. I could feel from the first few laps that there was something not right, I had no rear-end. I pushed with every tool I had onboard. Let’s hope we can analyze everything and be better for the next race.”

Kevin Magnussen, Driver No. 20, Haas F1 Team

“We absolutely did the best we could today. On a day like this the team deserves points, we maximized the car completely. We weren’t quick enough at all to be up there - in and around the top 10, our pace should have been down the back. We were in the running for points for almost all the race, so it was a really good job from everyone. Even though there’s nothing really to celebrate I think we still can be really satisfied with the job we’ve done today and the progress we’re making, both operationally and on the set-up of the car.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

“It was a quite stressful afternoon. We started off after the restart in good positions, we tried to stay there, and for a while we achieved it. Obviously, we had some issues, because the car didn’t get any quicker overnight, but the guys kept up for a while pretty well. The troubles started when the virtual safety car came out. Kevin (Magnussen) lost quite a bit of time under there – he was then attacked by Giovinazzi, and Giovinazzi was successful. Romain (Grosjean) was not happy with his car, but I think that was broadcasted very well, so I don’t need to say more on that one.”