SOCHI, Russia -- Marcus Ericsson says the combination of the smooth asphalt of the Sochi Autodrom and Pirelli's new 2017 tyres have set up a dilemma about how teams approach qualifying on Saturday.
Russia's track has become synonymous with its smooth asphalt since joining the calendar in 2014, meaning tyre degradation is minimal. That has been further exaggerated this year with Pirelli's more durable rubber, with Friday practice showing teams continuing to improve over their short and long runs -- unlike most tracks, where the first or second lap will be the optimum qualifying lap before drivers encounter a performance drop-off.