Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsMercedes

Mercedes' Lowe looking for clean Sochi weekend

Having won the first two editions of the Russian Grand Prix, Mercedes - and Lewis Hamilton - will be looking to remain undefeated this weekend in Sochi for the country's third F1 installment.

Mercedes technical director Paddy Lowe is confident of keeping the German squad's momentum going but, as usual, isn't discarding an eventual spanner to pop up in the works.

After hosting two races towards the end of F1 calendar, the Russian Grand Prix moves up the schedule as round four of the world championship. A change which may lead to a few climatic challenges.

"It's unusual to be returning to race just six months after the previous edition," he said.

"Such a significant calendar change could bring quite a different climatic profile too. This is our third trip to the Sochi Autodrom, so it will be interesting to see how the track has aged.

"In the first two seasons we saw a very smooth track surface. With that in mind, the allocation of the Medium, Soft and SuperSoft compounds for this year is quite a conservative choice."

Lowe believes that the track's long run down to the first braking zone could easily catch out drivers on the first lap. Mercedes is obviously keen to avoid any early drama as occurred in Bahrain and China, and pursue its supremacy at the top of the field.

Nico Rosberg will be looking to add a fourth win to his 2016 tally while team mate Lewis Hamilton, with the bit firmly between his teeth, will be pulling out all the stops in his attempt to return to the winner's circle.

"We're looking forward to being back in Russia and aiming to replicate our strong form in Sochi on previous occasions.

"After a less-than-satisfactory weekend in China from a reliability perspective, one of our priorities is to have a clean weekend on both sides of the garage.

"In any case, we look forward to putting on another exciting race for the sport's growing fan base in Russia."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.