Formula 1

Russian GP final practice and qualifying

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By: Geoff Creighton

Summary


	Hamilton fastest in Q1 and Q2, but Bottas snatches pole
	Out in Q2: Verstappen, Ricciardo, Gasly, Sainz, Hulkenberg - all five stay in the pits
	Out in Q1: Hartley, Alonso, Sirotkin, Vandoorne, Stroll
	Promoted: Play along with Pitstop Betting. Download the app today

Status: Stopped

11:57 Driver, Team
Bottas, Mercedes
Hamilton, Mercedes
Vettel, Ferrari
Raikkonen, Ferrari
Magnussen, Haas
Ocon, Force India
Leclerc, Sauber
Perez, Force India
Grosjean, Haas
Ericsson, Sauber

16:16 Here's our full qualifying report, as Bottas beats team-mate Hamilton to pole. Stay up to date with all the reaction to qualifying on Autosport and Motorsport.com this evening, and join us again tomorrow from midday BST for live coverage of the Russian Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas beats Lewis Hamilton to Russian Grand Prix F1 pole

Valtteri Bottas claimed his first Formula 1 pole position in almost three months in qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes lockout of the front row

Valtteri Bottas beats Lewis Hamilton to Russian Grand Prix F1 pole

16:13

16:13

16:12 "We are looking good, but again every time I say that I want to cross my fingers because momentum is important and it can change quickly," says Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

16:10

16:09 "What happened?" says Raikkonen. His engineer doesn't know: "You were half a second down on your previous lap."

16:07

16:07 "It was important to get as close as possible to them," says Vettel. "It should have been a bit closer but not enough to be a threat. I made a mistake in the final sector. I had to try, but it didn't work."

16:05 "I'm really happy," says Bottas. "It's only the first step this weekend, it's a massively long run to Turn 1 from the startline."

16:04

16:04 "I messed up in the last sector," says Vettel. "Turn 15. I think there were one and a half, two tenths, but not enough."

16:03

16:02 "Alright guys. Good job, that," says a cool and collected Bottas.

16:02 Q3 results: 1 Bottas; 2 Hamilton; 3 Vettel; 4 Raikkonen; 5 Magnussen; 6 Ocon; 7 Leclerc; 8 Perez; 9 Grosjean; 10 Ericsson.

16:01 Replays show Hamilton running massively wide at Turn 7. He dropped more than a second there, before aborting the lap.

16:01 Magnussen has beaten Ocon and Leclerc to claim fifth and best of the rest. Perez, Grosjean and Ericsson (who was somehow 3.8s off) make up the top 10.

16:00 Vettel does improve, but he can do no better than third, some four tenths off the front row.

16:00 Raikkonen doesn't improve, losing loads of time in the final sector.

16:00 It's a 1m31.387s from Bottas, and that should be pole position.

16:00 Chequered flag is out at the end of Q3.

16:00 Hamilton won't do it! He is over a second slower in S2.

15:59 Raikkonen is also quicker than Bottas in the first sector, but Vettel is slower.

15:59 Bottas improves in the first sector, but Hamilton is quicker once more, by over two tenths.

15:58 Bottas, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Ocon and Vettel start their flying laps.

15:58 Everyone - Ericsson included - is now out on track for one final run.

15:58 Bottas will be first to start his second flying lap here, ahead of Hamilton and Raikkonen. Vettel will leave it late again.

15:57 Raikkonen says he felt "faster on the previous set of tyres".

15:56

Has Vettel got anything to offer to the fight?

Has Vettel got anything to offer to the fight?

15:55 We should have two pole battles to close out this session - one between the Mercedes cars, separated by 0.004s, and one for the B-class pole (fifth place), which is also incredibly close.

15:54 "So basically you are two tenths from P5," says Magnussen's engineer. "I think there is quite a lot of margin in the last sector."

15:54 Bottas, sat on provisional pole, returns to his pit box.

15:53

15:53 Ocon is fifth, 0.006s ahead of Leclerc. Then it's Magnussen, Perez and Grosjean, while Ericsson is yet to run.

15:52 Vettel's first lap is 0.639s off the pace, Raikkonen is within a tenth of his Ferrari team-mate. A miracle is not happening for the Scuderia here.

15:52 And Hamilton, coming across the line, is 0.004s slower. Four thousandths!

15:52 Ocon sets the initial pace on 1m33.413s, before Bottas fires in a 1m31.528s.

15:52 But Bottas takes two tenths out of Hamilton in sector two!

15:51 Hamilton is again two tenths up on Bottas in the first sector. He's been quicker there all throughout the day.

15:51 Vettel will be among the last to log his first effort.

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