THE BIG PICTURE: Constructors' title sealed. Drivers' title virtually sealed. The only excitement left is the fight for second and whether Team Whining Babies will be back next year.

EVENT: Better than last year, but still has a ways to go. Now, if only we can keep Putin away.

QUALIFYING: It was Rosberg's turn for Hammer-Time, Bottas shines again, Force India foreshadows Sunday, Massa falters at Sochi again, and Alonso just doesn't care anymore.

RACE: A lot racier ... at least behind the leaders ... than last year.

TRACK: Turn 3 was the site of massive crashes all weekend, not just in F1, but in the support groups. Perhaps a re-look at the configuration and/or runoff area is advisable.

START: Rosberg held on (not that it mattered), Hulkenberg immediately ends half of Force India's hopes, and Verstappen and Ericsson are innocent victims.

HAMILTON: Lewis, the trophy is essentially yours.

ROSBERG: Start thinking about 2016, Nico. Oh, and second place in this year's championship.

MERCEDES: Certainly not a surprise, but still quite an accomplishment.

VETTEL: And now Sebastian is in second place. Who would have ever thought that back in March?

RAIKKONEN: We're okay with pushing hard and being ultra aggressive on the last lap for a podium spot. But for Kimi to keep insisting he did absolutely nothing wrong, even implying it's Bottas' fault, is highly delusional.

FERRARI: Imagine what Ferrari might do next year.

PEREZ: Talk about the perfect result just before the North American swing on both sides of the southern border. Sergio just sold a lot of tickets for Circuit of the Americas and Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

MASSA: Great recovery from qualifying.

BOTTAS: So much for fellow countrymen sticking together.

NASR: Finally, back in the groove for the rookie.

BUTTON: Wow, points...

ALONSO: Wow, no points...

KVYAT: Finally got those points at home.

RED BULL: So now Team Whining Babies may end up with Renault after all. They have become the poster child for future MBA programs on how not to deal with business partners.

SAINZ: A gallant effort for Carlos after the horrendous crash in practice. However, should he have really been in the car when he admitted afterwards to dizziness before and at the start of the race?

GROSJEAN: You got to love official score sheets. The reason for Romain's DNF is listed as "Spun Out." Well, yeah, technically that's true. But, it completely ignores the fact that he hit the wall at a tremendous rate of speed, smashing the car to smithereens.

FIA: Does anyone else think lighting up the Safety Car boards on the first lap comes a bit too early in the lap? There sure were some mighty close calls as the whole field suddenly had to slow. Same thing happened in the GP2 race.

ROSSI: Another GP2 victory. Perhaps, Alexander should get a chance at F1...

VANDOORNE: Speaking of chances, Stoffel, the runaway GP2 champion, definitely deserves a chance at F1.

WORD OF THE WEEKEND: Mercedes.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 2 -- The second consecutive constructors' championship for Mercedes, both clinched at Sochi, with Lewis Hamilton winning his second consecutive Russian GP. And the number of points Hamilton needs to gain in Texas to eliminate his teammate.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Russia nearly became the first country behind the Iron Curtain to host a F1 race when the Grand Prix of the Soviet Union was announced for the 1983 calendar at a circuit in Moscow. However, it never came to be and Hungary got the honors as the first communist country to host a race in 1986.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Echoed by every driver who gets nerfed into the wall on the last lap, Valtteri Bottas said, "What the f--- did he do?"

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Echoed by every driver who has ever had a massive crash, Romain Grosjean said, "I think tomorrow morning it will be a bit hard to get out of bed."

SCHEDULE: How much will the USGP be hurt by the new Mexican GP, which is selling tickets like crazy, since they are only approximately 1,000 miles apart?

Copyright © 2015 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.