Why Ferrari's Singapore success doesn't guarantee Russian repeat

Russian GP

Why Ferrari's Singapore success doesn't guarantee Russian repeat

Sochi is a whole different challenge.

Matthew Scott

Wednesday 25 September 2019 10:26

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has warned that the updated SF90 will not necessarily be the star performer in the Russian Grand Prix, despite coming off the back of another successful weekend in Singapore.

The Scuderia shocked their rivals by taking pole position and victory at the Marina Bay Circuit, which had not been expected to suit the car.

It followed victories in Belgium and Italy, as Ferrari's 2019 campaign finally hits the heights that had been expected in pre-season.

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But Binotto says the Sochi Autodrom layout, and anticipated interruption from the skies, means Ferrari cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

Binotto said: "After taking three wins in a row, we are keen to get to Russia to see and check how our latest updates will work on what is yet again a different type of track.

"Sochi features long straights and a very smooth surface where, once again it is not that easy to get the most out of the tyres. The circuit also requires a completely different set-up and aero configuration to that for Singapore. Having a well-balanced car will be a key factor.

"The forecast for Sochi is for changeable weather, so it will be important to be prepared for every eventuality."

Charles Leclerc has taken pole position at all three races and praised the work done at Maranello to make the rapid SF90 an all-round performer.

"Arriving in Russia with three positive weekends behind us feels great," he said.

"We have made good progress on our car, especially in terms of our performance on high downforce tracks, and seem to be more competitive on tracks with various layouts now.

"I look forward to getting back in the car on Friday to see how it goes at this circuit and time will tell whether we can be as strong here as we have been lately."