Russia 2018 - GP Preview - McLaren Renault

Fernando Alonso

“It feels like a long time since we last raced in Russia as the race was much earlier on the calendar last year. It also feels longer for me since I didn’t make the start due to reliability issues, so I’m looking forward to finally racing in Sochi again.

“Last weekend was definitely a boost for everyone. We have had at least one DNF over the last few races, so crossing the line with both cars was positive, and something we need to keep working on every race. It was great to get points too, and the aim is always to keep scoring at every possible opportunity.

“We know some of the coming races won’t be as favourable to us as Singapore, and there will be tracks that won’t suit our car as much. With every race we’re pushing hard, learning a lot and trying to maximise what we have. Sochi is a fun circuit with a very interesting and unique layout with its 90-degree corners, so let’s see how our car performs there.”

Stoffel Vandoorne

“After the last race, I hope we can continue to make progress in Russia and keep moving forward. Although I had a disappointing qualifying in Singapore, we once again showed that our race pace is stronger, so it’s important that on my side I can get the best result possible on Saturday to give us the best chance on Sunday.

“I felt very comfortable in the car, we had pace and I felt like we could keep pushing. Strategy and tyre wear will once again be very important during this race, and especially getting a good read on the durability of the Hypersoft tyres from Friday onwards.

“This track won’t be exactly the same for us in terms of performance as Singapore, as the layout is very different and it’s a challenging configuration. But I’m focussing on each weekend individually, race-by-race. Hopefully we can have a smooth Friday and start the weekend strong so we can make the most of every session.”

Gil de Ferran

“Although coming home with points from Singapore was a satisfying result and a much-needed step forward in performance after a challenging few races, we know there is a still a lot of work ahead of us.

“Sochi is a different circuit, a new challenge, and we look ahead to another race weekend where we know we will need to keep our heads down and fight hard. The first priority is to maintain the reliability we achieved in Singapore, which was a positive result, while focusing on maximising our performance.

“Lando will once again drive in FP1 in Russia, which will be a busy weekend for him, as he combines his F1 duties with his F2 championship campaign. Nevertheless, this will hopefully be another positive step in his development.”