Russian Grand Prix 2024
Racing dates back to ancient civilization. For every means of transport that humans created, they easily built an amazing sport around it. Just think of horse racing, cycling, and canoe polo. And with auto racing gaining huge popularity in recent times, it’s no surprise that the Russian Grand Prix is up for discussion.
The first-ever attempt at professional motorsport in Russia came in 1913. The race was held in Saint Petersburg and saw Russian drivers dominate the first and second positions. The race would repeat itself in 1914 but became suspended at the outbreak of the Great War.
Unfortunately, the races did not resume anytime soon.
Russian F1 races were first proposed in 1983, deep into the Cold War era. But unsurprisingly, bureaucratic factors will prevent F1 from continuing with plans to have a pro race in the Soviet Union.
Several attempts to host a Russia Grand Prix also came to the fore in the early 2000s. However, these plans didn’t become a reality until 2010, when Formula One authorities announced a Russian Grand Prix would debut in 2014.
Coincidentally, the choice of Sochi as the circuit location for the first F1 Russian Grand Prix came alongside Sochi being the host city for the Winter Olympics in 2014.
Since 2014, Mercedes have dominated the race on Russian soil, winning it. Interestingly, Mercedes—under its former constructor, Benz— had also won the race in the pre-World War One, the year when the race was held in St. Petersburg.
Like many Formula 1 races, there’s always a variety in the official names to the competitions. The Russian F1 was named the Russian Grand Prix until 2016. However, with VTB Group assuming the role of title partner in 2017, the race became known as the VTB Russian Grand Prix.
Today, the Russian Grand Prix serves as one of the most anticipated races in the Formula One World Championship.
Bet on Russian Grand Prix 2024
Russian Grand Prix Track: Sochi Autodrom
Since the Russian Grand Prix resumed in 2014, the Sochi Autodrom has remained the official circuit for the race. The Sochi Autodrom lies at the center of the Olympic Park in the resort city of Sochi, Russia.
The Autodrom evolved from street roads built to link different parts of the Olympic Park during the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was designed by Hermann Tilke and remained the fourth-longest Formula 1 circuit.
The Sochi Autodrom covers a circuit length of about 5.848km. The entire race circuit spans 53 laps and a total race distance of almost 310km. The record for this circuit was set by Lewis Hamilton of the Mercedes in 2019 when he entered a lap in 1:35.761.
Russia’s circuit has all the trappings of an Olympic-style venue, similar to circuits at Beijing and Sydney. This attraction explains the popularity of the F1 Russian GP on the World Championship Calendar. Drivers and spectators also favor the F1 race in Sochi as the summer conditions, when the race takes place, are just perfect.
F1 Russian Grand Prix Schedule
The 2022 Russian Grand Prix is bound to be the experience of a lifetime. Typically occurring over race weekends, the race is packed full of activity across a long line of sessions. The race is to hold between the 22th of September and the 25th of September 2022.
Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2022 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix. All details in the schedule reflect the Russian Grand Prix start time UK (GMT).
Practice 1
The first free practice session usually comes up on Friday morning, and the 2022 Russian GP is no exception. Practice 1 starts at 8:30 am and ends at 9:30 am, all on the 22th of September. The practice sessions allow drivers to acquaint themselves with the circuit and their automobiles.
Practice 2
Practice 2 starts just a few hours after the first free practice session. It officially kicks off at noon and ends one hour after at 1 pm.
Practice 3
The final practice session holds on the 22th of September and starts at 9 am till 10 am.
Qualifying
The Russian Grand Prix qualifying session serves to screen out drivers who won’t make the main race. The qualifying rounds are split into three, across which 20 final drivers emerge. This round holds between 12 noon and 2 pm on the 25th of September.
Main Race
The Russian F1 start time for the main race is noon on the 25th of September. The 53 lap race is expected to span over two hours and ends officially at 2 pm.
Spectators and fans at the venue can catch all the best action at the T2 Grandstand Vitaly Petrov. Others across the world can tune in to F1 TV or ESPN for all the live-action.
Russian F1 Grand Prix Drivers & Teams
The F1 Russian GP revolves around its drivers. These drivers are drawn from a pack of highly experienced individuals.
Georgy Suvorin recorded the first win at the Russian Grand Prix in 1913 when he defeated fellow Russian compatriot Ivan Ivanov and Frenchman Rene Nothombe.
Over the years, drivers and teams at the Formula One World Championships have evolved. The sport now boasts of greater speed and reasonably secure asphalts.
However, there’s been an unbreakable dominance in the F1 Russian Grand Prix results from every year since 2014. Lewis Hamilton, who won the Russian Grand Prix at inception, has since won three more titles in Russia. His Mercedes teammate, Valterri Bottas, also has two titles to his name.
Despite the dominance, there’s still a solid presence of other top drivers at the Russian F1. Below is a list of Russian F1 drivers and their teams in alphabetical order:
| Teams | Drivers | Driver number | Nationality |
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton Valtteri Bottas |
#44 #75 |
British Finnish |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz |
#16 #55 |
Monégasque Spaniard |
| Mclaren | Lando Norris Daniel Ricciardo |
#4 #3 |
British Australian |
| Red Bull Racing | Max Verstappen Sergio Perez |
#33 #11 |
Dutch Mexican |
| Aston Martin | Lance Stroll Sebastian Vettel |
#18 #5 |
Canadian German |
| Alpine | Esteban Ocon Fernando Alonso |
#31 #14 |
French Spaniard |
| Haas F1 Team | Mick Schumacher Nikita Mazepin |
#47 #9 |
German Russian |
| Williams | George Russell Nicholas Latifi |
#63 #6 |
British Canadian |
| Alphatauri | Pierre Gasly Yuki Tsunoda |
#10 #22 |
French Japanese |
| Alfa Romeo Racing | Kimi Räikkönen Antonio Giovinazzi |
#7 #99 |
Finnish Italian |
Russian Grand Prix Odds
Are you looking to place a bet on who emerges top on the Russian F1 track?
Well, there are highly trusted betting odds on each driver that you can take advantage of. The odds are usually based on player records and performance at qualifying rounds.
The betting odds are usually available a few days to the main race at Sochi Autodrom. The betting odds also come with their spice of variety. You get betting odds on the driver to win, drivers to finish top three, drivers to finish top six, and drivers to finish in the top 10.
Qualifying Bets
There are limited qualifying bets at the Russian Grand Prix like most Formula One races. However, bettors get a chance to stake for the fastest driver in the competition’s three qualifying rounds.
Race Betting
Betting on the main race cuts across several betting choices. Here are some of the top stakes to place in Sochi:
- Bets on the team to take the most points. Mercedes has a long-standing record; they get to be favorites yearly.
- Bets on the winner of the Russian Grand Prix
- Bets on a podium finish
- Bets on the fastest lap
- Bets on Safety Car Intervention
Betting on Russian F1 Grand Prix
Bettors in the UK are welcome to place bets on different Russian Grand Prix results. Below are the best bookmakers for UK bettors looking for high-paying bookies on Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix:
- Bet 365
- 888 Sport
- Unibet
- William Hill
- Coral
- Bwin
Final Thoughts
The Russian Grand Prix is enjoyable by every standard. But then, you can enjoy the most of your Formula One experience by cashing out on your favorite drivers and teams. Follow the action from the World Championship today and place a bet on your choice Russian GP driver to win big.
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