While not a power track, Sochi's Olympic Park Autodrom does include two high-speed sections where it's vital to maximise top speed, for performance considerations but also to facilitate overtaking.
For all the talk about Ferrari's top speed might, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were not among the top speed contenders in qualifying on Saturday.
Leclerc, despite his outstanding rum to pole position, clocked in 14th through the speed trap, some 8 km/h down on the fastest car in a straight line, Lance Stroll's Mercedes-powered Racing Point.
The relative top speed underperformance by the Ferrari pair perhaps reflects the qualities of the SF90's latest aero package, which has obviously brought more downforce to the SF90, and therefore a bit more drag, but also the benefit of a better handling car in the tighter sections of the track.
Lewis Hamilton, who finished runner-up to Leclerc in qualifying, claimed that Ferrari "have some crazy speeds on the straights". Yet, the reigning world champion was just half a kilometer slower than Leclerc down the main straight.
So Mattia Binotto is likely right when he says that there is more to Ferrari's recent turnaround than just the engine…
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Maria Teresa de Filippis - motorsport's first female F1 Grand Prix driver - was born…
Daniel Ricciardo has never been short of admiration for Max Verstappen, but the retired Australian…
David Coulthard admires Lando Norris’s ability to thread a Formula 1 car through treacherous conditions…
Toto Wolff is still refusing to let Kimi Antonelli’s remarkable rise invite comparisons with Ayrton…
Laurent Mekies has made it clear that Red Bull will not dictate Racing Bulls’ driver…
Fernando Alonso has not had too many reasons to smile about his Aston Martin this…