Russian Grand Prix – Qualifying: Hamilton Barely Ahead, Vettel in the Wall

During Q1, we observed a lot of drivers using stylistic maneuvers as the track was very slippery due to the appearance of large clouds over Sochi. Even Lewis Hamilton got caught and saw his first lap canceled for exceeding track limits at the second corner of the lap. This did not prevent him from calmly climbing back to the second position, behind his teammate Valtteri Bottas.

But the battle to advance to Q2 was intense, with many drivers waiting until the very last moment to try to improve their position. Thus, while Esteban Ocon was in the danger zone, in 16th position, the Frenchman managed to climb up the grid.

At Ferrari, things are not improving as both drivers barely made it through in 14th and 15th positions. Simply put, except for Nicholas Latifi’s Williams with a Mercedes engine, the six drivers powered by Ferrari occupied the last places of the session. However, Romain Grosjean, in 16th, later remarked that it was the best car he had had over the weekend. Conversely, Kimi Räikkönen couldn’t defend his chances to the end due to a spin during his final attempt.

The Q1 eliminations are as follows: Grosjean, Giovinazzi, Magnussen, Latifi, Räikkönen

At the beginning of Q2, Mercedes and Max Verstappen opted for a strategic choice by taking medium tires while all other drivers had to switch to soft tires. But once again, Lewis Hamilton was caught out by track limits and saw his first lap invalidated.

But the Brit was not at the end of his troubles as he was unable to complete his lap due to a red flag caused by Sebastian Vettel’s big off-track excursion. The German spun and was thrown into the protective barriers. Charles Leclerc was coming right behind but managed to avoid hitting his teammate. The red flag was thus waved with only 2 minutes 15 on the clock, causing all drivers to rush into the pit lane for the resumption of the session.

Lewis Hamilton was then forced to take soft tires to avoid any risk. But it was still very close as he started his lap in the very last second allowed. It was enough for him to secure the fourth fastest time of the session. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc was once again eliminated, finishing in eleventh place.

The eliminated are finally Q2: Leclerc, Kvyat, Stroll, Russell, and Vettel.

On the occasion of the first Q3 attempt, it was Lewis Hamilton who sent a strong signal, getting within four thousandths of the absolute track record and relegating Valtteri Bottas to almost eight-tenths behind. The Briton was not planning to stop there: that is why he aimed to do even better during the second lap, which allowed him to erase his teammate’s record.

On the other hand, Max Verstappen managed a very good second attempt, which allowed him to slip between the two Mercedes drivers. It’s Sergio Perez who will join the Finn on the second row. The latter can console himself by thinking about the slipstream he might have at the start tomorrow.

See Alex Albon in tenth place, more than 1.2 seconds behind his teammate and especially behind Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri, which looks quite unfortunate while Daniel Ricciardo has not realized the potential seen since the beginning of the weekend.