26/04/2017
NEWS STORY
Although no official lap records have been broken this year, the opening three tracks having been on the calendar in 2004 and 2005 when most of the existing records were set, Sochi is one of several tracks this year where that should change.
Currently, the official lap record is held by Nico Rosberg, who posted a 1:39.034 lap - equivalent to 132.015 mph (212.457 k/mph) - during last year's race.
In anticipation of the increased speeds this year, improvements have been made to the TecPro barriers at Turns 2, 4 and 13, while speed bumps 50mm high and painted fluorescent orange will be placed 3m from the track edges either side of the kerb on the apex of the start of Turn 3 (the exit of Turn 2).
The first of two DRS zones has its detection point 138m before Turn 1, with activation in line with the corner apex, while zone two's detection is 72m before T10, with activation 230m after the corner.
Mika Salo, who drove for Tyrrell, Arrows, BAR, Ferrari, Sauber and Toyota over the course of his F1 career, is the Driver Steward for the event which has only ever been won by a Mercedes driver, in each case going on to win the title.