F1 Russian GP: Norris beats Sainz to maiden pole at wet-dry Sochi
Lando Norris claimed pole for Formula 1’s 2021 Russian Grand Prix, as late changing conditions in wet-to-dry qualifying caught out Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, who had a small pitlane crash.


Norris will be joined on the front row at Sochi by Carlos Sainz Jr, with George Russell third for Williams and the Mercedes drivers fourth and seventh, with Hamilton ahead of practice pacesetter Valtteri Bottas.
After FP3 was cancelled by torrential rain in the morning at Sochi, qualifying was able to take place as the rain eased ahead of the session’s scheduled starting time.
In the first two segments, which Hamilton topped, the track remained wet enough for intermediates to be used throughout, but a dry line had just about emerged when Q3 began.
The shootout runners initially all headed out on the inters, with Hamilton posting the fastest time on that compound at 1m44.050s and Norris slotting in just behind as the drivers completed their banker laps.
Russell and Williams were the first to commit to slicks, but did not post times that threatened those set on inters on until right at the end of Q3.
By this point all the other top 10 runners had switched to the softs as well, but when Mercedes called Hamilton – who was set to improve his personal best on the inters before backing off to pit – and Bottas in, there was drama when the world champion tapped the wall coming through the tight pit entry lane inside the final corner.
Hamilton’s front wing had to be changed and his suspension checked, with Mercedes pushing him out of the way so Bottas’s tyres could be changed and the Finn wasn’t unduly held up.
But that left both Black Arrows drivers with little time to build the necessary tyre temperature and they could not match the improvements made by the drivers that had switched to slicks earlier.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Hamilton then spun at Turn 16 on his sole flier on the softs, which meant he was shuffled down by the top three.
Sainz initially claimed provisional pole with a 1m42.510s, but Norris beat him in the second and third sectors to claim a first F1 career pole on a 1m41.993s.
Russell finally found enough time to leap up from 10th to slot in ahead of his future Mercedes team-mate, with Daniel Ricciardo in the second McLaren taking fifth behind Hamilton.
Then came Fernando Alonso and Bottas, with Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon rounding out the top 10.
Ricciardo and Stroll have been called to see the stewards after qualifying to investigate an incident between the pair in Q1, when Stroll appeared to be held up at Turn 2.
At the end of Q2, Williams pitting Russell to take a fourth set of inters (since the start of qualifying) paid off as he was able to set a series of personal bests that vaulted him into the top 10 with his final lap in the middle segment.
This knocked out Sebastian Vettel, who was not on a flying lap when the chequered flag came out, as he missed the cut behind Sainz by 0.052s.
Then came the AlphaTauri pair Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, with the former equalling his worst ‘normal’ qualifying position of the season in 12th.
Nicholas Latifi had been given a fourth new engine of the season ahead of qualifying after a pneumatic problem was discovered on his previous power unit after Friday practice, which means he will join Charles Leclerc and Verstappen in starting at the rear of the field.

Nicholas Latifi, Williams FW43B
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
That meant that after progressing from Q1 along with Leclerc, Latifi only came out to complete two sectors early in the Q2 – and then again at the end of the session – and pitted without setting a time.
This means he will start the race ahead of Leclerc, who did not come out at all in Q2.
In Q1, Gasly headed a long queue of cars ready to hit the track as soon as the session began, the teams keen to get early times on the board in case the rain returned, with Alonso the only driver sent out on the full wets.
The times tumbled by six seconds as the track dried throughout the opening segment, which Verstappen did not take full part in considering he is also set to start at the back of the grid thanks to his engine change penalty.
The Red Bull driver emerged to complete two sectors on a single exploratory lap, at the end of which he returned to the pits and climbed out.
The session, which featured two spins – one for Perez late-on at Turn 2 and one for Antonio Giovinazzi coming out of Turn 16 just in front of Leclerc in the early stages – ended with the majority of the midfield runners pitting ahead of the closing minutes to take fresh inters.
This combined with the drying track to mean the times continued to get quicker, with all the eliminated runners – bar Giovinazzi who had backed out by this stage – setting personal bests on their final flying laps at the chequered flag.
Kimi Raikkonen was knocked out in 16th ahead of Mick Schumacher and Giovinazzi, with Nikita Mazepin the slowest of the runners to set a time – his personal best nearly four seconds slower than his Haas team-mate.
F1 Russian Grand Prix Grid
Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | |
McLaren | Mercedes | 1'41.993 | |
2 | |
Ferrari | Ferrari | 1'42.510 | 0.517 |
3 | |
Williams | Mercedes | 1'42.983 | 0.990 |
4 | |
Mercedes | Mercedes | 1'44.050 | 2.057 |
5 | |
McLaren | Mercedes | 1'44.156 | 2.163 |
6 | |
Alpine | Renault | 1'44.204 | 2.211 |
7 | |
Mercedes | Mercedes | 1'44.710 | 2.717 |
8 | |
Aston Martin | Mercedes | 1'44.956 | 2.963 |
9 | |
Red Bull | Honda | 1'45.337 | 3.344 |
10 | |
Alpine | Renault | 1'45.865 | 3.872 |
11 | |
Aston Martin | Mercedes | 1'46.573 | 4.580 |
12 | |
AlphaTauri | Honda | 1'46.641 | 4.648 |
13 | |
AlphaTauri | Honda | 1'46.751 | 4.758 |
14 | |
Williams | Mercedes | ||
15 | |
Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 1'49.586 | 7.593 |
16 | |
Haas | Ferrari | 1'49.830 | 7.837 |
17 | |
Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 1'51.023 | 9.030 |
18 | |
Haas | Ferrari | 1'53.764 | 11.771 |
19 | |
Ferrari | Ferrari | ||
20 | |
Red Bull | Honda | ||
View full results |
Related video

Pirelli: Better F1 rain tyres would make visibility worse
Grand Prix qualifying results: Norris takes Sochi F1 pole

Latest news
Why WTR Acura lacked pace to beat MSR in Daytona 24 showdown
Filipe Albuquerque admits that he knew it would be a tall order for Wayne Taylor Racing to overcome sister Acura squad Meyer Shank Racing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
Alonso's pushy trait a boost for me in 2023 F1 season, says Stroll
Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll says Fernando Alonso's pushy nature will be a boost to both him and the squad this year.
Porsche aims to “learn quick” from Daytona 24 Hours disappointment
Porsche’s director of factory racing Urs Kuratle says his team will gain valuable answers from its disappointing results in the Daytona 24 Hours.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.