On the weekend where Hamilton could equal Schumacher’s all-time F1 win record, Mercedes will be defending their 100% win rate at Sochi and a British driver could start on the front row for the 600th time. Here are the milestones and the records which could be broken at the 2020 Russian Grand Prix!
THE MILESTONES:
This will be the 1,028th Formula 1 race. It’ll be the ninth Russian Grand Prix since the event was first held in 1913, and the seventh time the event has been held as a round of the F1 championship. This will also be the seventh F1 race at the Sochi Autodrom.
Kimi Raikkonen will equal Rubens Barrichello’s record tally of race starts in Formula 1 this weekend. Barrichello started 323 races in his career. The Brazilian entered 326 races, but failed to start three. The 2020 Russian Grand Prix will mark Raikkonen’s 325th entry and his 323rd race start.
Sebastian Vettel will make his 250th Grand Prix start this weekend.
THE RECORDS TO BREAK:
Lewis Hamilton will equal Michael Schumacher’s all-time win record if he wins the 2020 Russian Grand Prix. Schumacher won his 91st and final Grand Prix in China in 2006, but has held the record for most wins in F1 since winning his 52nd race at the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix. Read more: A History of F1’s All-Time Win Record.
Mercedes have won every running of the Russian Grand Prix since it joined the calendar. In fact, Benz won the two Russian Grands Prix held in 1913 and 1914, so technically Mercedes have never been beaten at a Grand Prix in the country. Any other team winning would therefore be the only other team than Mercedes to win the Russian Grand Prix.
A win for Mercedes would see them set a new record for most consecutive victories at a circuit, having won every race at Sochi Autodrom since it first held the Russian Grand Prix in 2014.
Lewis Hamilton could extend his record of Russian Grand Prix wins to five this weekend, or Valtteri Bottas could become only the second driver to have won at the Sochi Autodrom on multiple occasions. Any other driver winning would see them become the fourth driver to have won an F1 race at the track.
If Lewis Hamilton wins the 2020 Russian Grand Prix, he’ll become the first driver to have won the event in three consecutive seasons.
If both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas qualify on the front row for the 2020 Russian Grand Prix, this will be Mercedes’ eighth consecutive front row lock out. It will be the first time the team has locked out the front row for eight consecutive races since the eight races between the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix and the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix. They would also move closer to equalling their personal best tally of consecutive front row lock outs, which is nine – between the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix and the 2015 Australian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas or Charles Leclerc could equal Nico Rosberg’s record tally of two Russian Grand Prix poles this weekend.
Pole position for Charles Leclerc would make him the second driver to have taken pole position at the Russian Grand Prix in consecutive years. The only other driver to do so is Nico Rosberg.
Ferrari have had at least one driver fail to qualify in the top ten in all of the last five races. Should Sebastian Vettel and/or Charles Leclerc fail to reach Q3 at the 2020 Russian Grand Prix, this would be the first time that at least one Ferrari driver has failed to qualify in the top ten at six consecutive races since the seven races at the end of the 2009 season.
Valtteri Bottas currently holds the record for most fastest laps at the Russian Grand Prix, having set the Sunday pace on two occasions. He could extend the record this weekend, or his tally could be equalled by Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen or Lewis Hamilton.
A podium finish for Valtteri Bottas would see him equal Lewis Hamilton’s existing record of five Russian Grand Prix podium finishes. Hamilton himself could extend the record.
Both Germany and Britain could equal Finland’s record of six podium finishes for a nation at the Sochi Autodrom. Valtteri Bottas or Kimi Raikkonen could see Finland extend their record.
If Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris or George Russell start on the front row, it will be the 600th time that a British driver has started on the front row of the grid at a World Championship Formula 1 race.
If he scores twelve points, Valtteri Bottas will become the second driver to score 100 points at the Russian Grand Prix.
No driver has taken multiple fourth place finishes at the Russian Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen or Max Verstappen could be the first to do so in 2020.
Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez are the only drivers to have scored in every race at the Sochi Autodrom. Will they maintain their records this weekend? If not, Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas could join them as the drivers to have scored on the most occasions at the Russian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Esteban Ocon will all be hoping to maintain their 100% Q3 appearance rate at the Russian Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz could set a new record for most Q2 exits at the Russian Grand Prix. He currently shares the record of three with Nico Hulkenberg.
Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton are currently tied as the drivers who’ve contested the most laps at the Russian Grand Prix, each with 317 tours of the track. Either of them could set a new record this weekend, while Valtteri Bottas or Sergio Perez could overtake them.
Daniel Ricciardo and Romain Grosjean are currently tied for most DNFs at the Russian Grand Prix with three apiece. Either of them could extend the record, or Sebastian Vettel could equal their current tally.
Should Daniel Ricciardo, George Russell, Romain Grosjean or Sebastian Vettel retire, they will become the second driver to record consecutive DNFs at the Russian Grand Prix. The only driver to do so up to now is Nico Hulkenberg.
If Sergio Perez fails to win the 2020 Russian Grand Prix, he will surpass Nick Heidfeld as the driver to have started the second most races without winning. Heidfeld started 183 races with a best result of second, while Perez has started 183 races so far also with a best result of second place.