Warmer conditions than usual expected in Sochi

2017 Russian Grand Prix weather

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Warmer than usual conditions will greet the drivers in Sochi for this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix.

The Sochi Autodrom is hosting Formula One for the fourth time this year. It’s the second time the race has been held in April, having originally been a late-season fixture.

Although the Black Sea location gets a lot of sunshine the temperatures tend to be on the cool side. This year, however, it will be warmer than usual.

Air temperatures over the three days of activity at the track should consistently exceed 20C, potentially getting as high as 24C on race day. This would be 6C higher than last year’s peak.

This will have a bearing on track temperatures which last year were in the 34-42C range on race day. It’s not likely to transform the grand prix from being the one-stop race it usually is, but may have a bearing on how well the tyres hold up for some teams.

For more updates on the track conditions during each session keep an eye on F1 Fanatic Live and the F1 Fanatic Twitter account.

Location of Sochi Autodrom

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2017 Russian Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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8 comments on “Warmer conditions than usual expected in Sochi”

  1. This time around the ambient temperatures could well exceed 20 degrees Celsius, but as per usual April in that part of the world is relatively cool, so I’d move the Russian GP to any of the following months: June, July, or August as the probability of the temperatures being unfavorably cool/cold for F1 is much lower in any of those months than in late-April to early-May or near mid-October when this GP used to be run before moving to its current slot.

    1. 25C is pretty much average for midday for late April in Sochi. It’s in subtropics. Late July – early August would make it hottest race when it’s 35C-38C with peaks to 40C in the midday. Equator is much colder.

  2. this has been a good track for Williams in the past, and with the higher temps and low deg asphalt it might just put them in a great position this weekend. They could fight it our with RedBull for the places just outside the podium. Ofcourse, that’s if Stroll makes it past the tricky Turn 2.

  3. This could play into Ferrari’s as the warmer temp seems to help Ferrari and not Mercedes.

    1. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
      27th April 2017, 15:38

      @ayrtonsenna26 I hope it comes that way. Fingers crossed.

      1. Me too. Maybe Merc will panic and make the wrong tyre choice and then try to issue team orders and make th chaos worse.

  4. Sochi is the Russian Riviera,
    Temperatures are usually on par with that of Monaco, but there are fluctuations either way with temperatures and humidity and wind bearing. Primarily it’s the wind bearing that can have the highest impact on Sochi’s local temperatures, much colder continental air does move East but rarely South when the snow fields and cold air is retreating to far Eastern Siberia, rather than colder air from the mountains to the East. This is why last year the temperatures where down. In fact Sochi rarely see’s Easterly’s at all, for two main reasons, the Mountains and foothills to the East of the city and High pressure from the west pushes much warmer mediterrean air over the coastal region. This is why Sochi was originally chosen as Russia’s premier resort location, due to it’s almost constant warmth from late spring into late autumn. It rarely rains and when it does it’s more of drizel than full on rain showers. Average late spring temperature is around 24C and as summer moves in the average temperature rises to 27C. Temperatures mid summer last year peaked at 33C, with very warm nights between 21/24C, it can feel muggy at times due to the black sea creating high humidity. Given we are now entering late spring, the mid 20’s is normal for the region.

    The Ukraine is also quite similar, with the exception warm air is pushed from two locations, from the South from the Arabia penninsula and from the Southwest from the Meditterean (Hungary is yet another similar country with temperatures that people think aren’t normal when in fact they are, except when its much colder than it should be for later spring).

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