2020 F1 Russian Grand Prix qualifying results, full grid lineup
Lewis Hamilton will start the Russian Grand Prix from pole position, the 10th round of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship season, at Sochi – but it wasn’t pain sailing for the man trying to equal Michael Schumacher’s all-time F1 wins record on Sunday.
After a messy Q2 session, Hamilton will start at a strategic disadvantage to Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, who will start on the medium tyre tomorrow, as Lewis was forced to run the soft tyre for a last-gasp effort to scrape into Q3.
In the top-10 shootout, Hamilton set the benchmark on the first run at 1m31.391s, 0.793s faster than Bottas. Hamilton then went even faster on his second run, lowering the pole time to 1m31.304s, 0.652s quicker than Bottas who also improved on his second run.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen then produced a great lap to grab second from Bottas, half a second off Hamilton and a tenth clear of Bottas.
Sergio Perez will start from P4 for Racing Point, ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz (McLaren), Esteban Ocon (Renault), Lando Norris (McLaren), Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) and Alex Albon (Red Bull).
Qualifying 2 was disrupted by a big crash for Sebastian Vettel, who took the right-front corner off his Ferrari after spinning into the wall at Turn 4 and was almost hit by his close-following teammate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton’s first lap was deleted for exceeding track limits at the final corner, and was on his second run when the session was halted – leaving him at the bottom of the times with 2m15s remaining in the session. That forced Hamilton’s hand to switch to soft tyres to ensure he made the top-10, handing medium-tyred Bottas a strategic advantage for the race.
Ricciardo was quickest with a lap of 1m32.218s, 0.187s ahead of Bottas, while Hamilton only just made it to the startline in time on his crucial run, and went P4 behind Sainz.
Knocked out at this point were Leclerc (Ferrari), Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri), Lance Stroll (who had problem with his Racing Point), George Russell (Williams) and Vettel.
In Qualifying 1, Bottas topped the session with a lap of 1m32.656s, 0.327s ahead of Hamilton, who had to take a second push lap after his first was again DQ-ed for track limits.
Falling at the first hurdle were Romain Grosjean (Haas), Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Nicholas Latifi (Williams) and Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo, who ran wide at Turn 2 and spun on his final try).
F1 Russian Grand Prix qualifying grid results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Time | Gap | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lewis Hamilton |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 1'31.304 | 230.579 | |
| 2 |  Max Verstappen |  | Red Bull | Honda | 1'31.867 | 0.563 | 229.166 |
| 3 |  Valtteri Bottas | | Mercedes | Mercedes | 1'31.956 | 0.652 | 228.944 |
| 4 |  Sergio Perez |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 1'32.317 | 1.013 | 228.049 |
| 5 |  Daniel Ricciardo |  | Renault | Renault | 1'32.364 | 1.060 | 227.932 |
| 6 |  Carlos Sainz Jr. |  | McLaren | Renault | 1'32.550 | 1.246 | 227.474 |
| 7 |  Esteban Ocon |  | Renault | Renault | 1'32.624 | 1.320 | 227.293 |
| 8 | Lando Norris |  | McLaren | Renault | 1'32.847 | 1.543 | 226.747 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 1'33.000 | 1.696 | 226.374 |
| 10 |  Alex Albon |  | Red Bull | Honda | 1'33.008 | 1.704 | 226.354 |
| 11 |  Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1'33.239 | 1.935 | 225.793 |
| 12 |  Daniil Kvyat |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 1'33.249 | 1.945 | 225.769 |
| 13 |  Lance Stroll |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 1'33.364 | 2.060 | 225.491 |
| 14 | George Russell |  | Williams | Mercedes | 1'33.583 | 2.279 | 224.963 |
| 15 |  Sebastian Vettel |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1'33.609 | 2.305 | 224.901 |
| 16 | Romain Grosjean |  | Haas | Ferrari | 1'34.592 | 3.288 | 222.564 |
| 17 |  Antonio Giovinazzi |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 1'34.594 | 3.290 | 222.559 |
| 18 |  Kevin Magnussen |  | Haas | Ferrari | 1'34.681 | 3.377 | 222.355 |
| 19 | Nicholas Latifi |  | Williams | Mercedes | 1'35.066 | 3.762 | 221.454 |
| 20 | Kimi Raikkonen |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 1'35.267 | 3.963 | 220.987 |
| View full results | |||||||
F1 Russian Grand Prix qualifying Q3 results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 6 | 1'31.304 | 230.579 | ||
| 2 | Max Verstappen |  | Red Bull | Honda | 6 | 1'31.867 | 0.563 | 0.563 | 229.166 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | | Mercedes | Mercedes | 6 | 1'31.956 | 0.652 | 0.089 | 228.944 |
| 4 | Sergio Perez | | Racing Point | Mercedes | 6 | 1'32.317 | 1.013 | 0.361 | 228.049 |
| 5 | Daniel Ricciardo |  | Renault | Renault | 6 | 1'32.364 | 1.060 | 0.047 | 227.932 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz Jr. |  | McLaren | Renault | 6 | 1'32.550 | 1.246 | 0.186 | 227.474 |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon |  | Renault | Renault | 6 | 1'32.624 | 1.320 | 0.074 | 227.293 |
| 8 | Lando Norris |  | McLaren | Renault | 6 | 1'32.847 | 1.543 | 0.223 | 226.747 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 6 | 1'33.000 | 1.696 | 0.153 | 226.374 |
| 10 | Alex Albon | | Red Bull | Honda | 6 | 1'33.008 | 1.704 | 0.008 | 226.354 |
| View full results | |||||||||
F1 Russian Grand Prix qualifying Q2 results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Ricciardo | | Renault | Renault | 3 | 1'32.218 | 228.293 | ||
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 8 | 1'32.405 | 0.187 | 0.187 | 227.831 |
| 3 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | | McLaren | Renault | 6 | 1'32.757 | 0.539 | 0.352 | 226.967 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 8 | 1'32.835 | 0.617 | 0.078 | 226.776 |
| 5 | Sergio Perez |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 6 | 1'33.038 | 0.820 | 0.203 | 226.281 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | | McLaren | Renault | 7 | 1'33.081 | 0.863 | 0.043 | 226.177 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 8 | 1'33.139 | 0.921 | 0.058 | 226.036 |
| 8 | Alex Albon |  | Red Bull | Honda | 7 | 1'33.153 | 0.935 | 0.014 | 226.002 |
| 9 | Max Verstappen |  | Red Bull | Honda | 7 | 1'33.157 | 0.939 | 0.004 | 225.992 |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon |  | Renault | Renault | 8 | 1'33.196 | 0.978 | 0.039 | 225.898 |
| 11 | Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 7 | 1'33.239 | 1.021 | 0.043 | 225.793 |
| 12 | Daniil Kvyat | | AlphaTauri | Honda | 8 | 1'33.249 | 1.031 | 0.010 | 225.769 |
| 13 | Lance Stroll | | Racing Point | Mercedes | 5 | 1'33.364 | 1.146 | 0.115 | 225.491 |
| 14 | George Russell |  | Williams | Mercedes | 3 | 1'33.583 | 1.365 | 0.219 | 224.963 |
| 15 | Sebastian Vettel | | Ferrari | Ferrari | 5 | 1'33.609 | 1.391 | 0.026 | 224.901 |
| View full results | |||||||||
F1 Russian Grand Prix qualifying Q1 results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | km/h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valtteri Bottas |  | Mercedes | Mercedes | 5 | 1'32.656 | 227.214 | ||
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | | Mercedes | Mercedes | 5 | 1'32.983 | 0.327 | 0.327 | 226.415 |
| 3 | Daniil Kvyat | | AlphaTauri | Honda | 8 | 1'33.511 | 0.855 | 0.528 | 225.137 |
| 4 | Esteban Ocon | | Renault | Renault | 6 | 1'33.557 | 0.901 | 0.046 | 225.026 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | | Red Bull | Honda | 8 | 1'33.630 | 0.974 | 0.073 | 224.851 |
| 6 | Daniel Ricciardo |  | Renault | Renault | 6 | 1'33.650 | 0.994 | 0.020 | 224.802 |
| 7 | Sergio Perez |  | Racing Point | Mercedes | 3 | 1'33.704 | 1.048 | 0.054 | 224.673 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly |  | AlphaTauri | Honda | 7 | 1'33.734 | 1.078 | 0.030 | 224.601 |
| 9 | Lando Norris | | McLaren | Renault | 6 | 1'33.804 | 1.148 | 0.070 | 224.433 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | | Racing Point | Mercedes | 6 | 1'33.852 | 1.196 | 0.048 | 224.319 |
| 11 | Alex Albon | | Red Bull | Honda | 6 | 1'33.919 | 1.263 | 0.067 | 224.159 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz Jr. |  | McLaren | Renault | 3 | 1'33.967 | 1.311 | 0.048 | 224.044 |
| 13 | George Russell | | Williams | Mercedes | 8 | 1'34.020 | 1.364 | 0.053 | 223.918 |
| 14 | Charles Leclerc |  | Ferrari | Ferrari | 3 | 1'34.071 | 1.415 | 0.051 | 223.796 |
| 15 | Sebastian Vettel | | Ferrari | Ferrari | 6 | 1'34.134 | 1.478 | 0.063 | 223.647 |
| 16 | Romain Grosjean | | Haas | Ferrari | 7 | 1'34.592 | 1.936 | 0.458 | 222.564 |
| 17 | Antonio Giovinazzi |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 6 | 1'34.594 | 1.938 | 0.002 | 222.559 |
| 18 | Kevin Magnussen |  | Haas | Ferrari | 8 | 1'34.681 | 2.025 | 0.087 | 222.355 |
| 19 | Nicholas Latifi |  | Williams | Mercedes | 5 | 1'35.066 | 2.410 | 0.385 | 221.454 |
| 20 | Kimi Raikkonen |  | Alfa Romeo | Ferrari | 5 | 1'35.267 | 2.611 | 0.201 | 220.987 |
| View full results | |||||||||
Related video
Hamilton avoids penalty for Turn 2 rules breach
Soft tyres "necessary" for Hamilton in Q2 despite plea
Why Norris doesn’t expect Mr Nice Guy praise for much longer
Earning praise from rivals has been a welcome sign that Lando Norris is becoming established among Formula 1's elite. But the McLaren driver is confident that his team's upward curve can put him in the mix to contend for titles in the future, when he's hoping the compliments will be replaced by being deemed an equal adversary
What Ferrari still needs to improve to return to F1 title contention
After a disastrous 2020 in which it slumped to sixth in the F1 constructors' standings, Ferrari has rebounded strongly and is on course to finish third - despite regulations that forced it to carryover much of its forgettable SF1000 machine. Yet while it can be pleased with its improvement, there are still steps it must make if 2022 is to yield a return to winning ways
How F1 teams and personnel react in pressurised situations
OPINION: The pressure is firmly on Red Bull and Mercedes as Formula 1 2021 embarks on its final double-header. How the respective teams deal with that will be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the drivers' and constructors' championships, as Motorsport.com's technical consultant and ex-McLaren F1 engineer Tim Wright explains.
How getting sacked from Benetton made Mercedes' Allison
He’s had a hand in world championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Benetton, Renault and Mercedes, and was also a cog in the Schumacher-Ferrari axis. Having recently ‘moved upstairs’ as Mercedes chief technical officer, James Allison tells Stuart Codling about his career path and why being axed by Benetton was one of the best things that ever happened to him.
The remarkable qualities that propelled Kubica’s F1 comeback
It’s easy to look at Robert Kubica’s second Formula 1 career and feel a sense of sadness that he didn’t reach the heights for which he seemed destined. But as Ben Anderson discovered, performance and results are almost meaningless in this context – something more fundamental and incredible happened…
The humbling changes Ricciardo made to deliver for McLaren
From being lapped by his own teammate in Monaco to winning at Monza, it’s been a tumultuous first season at McLaren for Daniel Ricciardo. But, as he tells STUART CODLING, there’s more to the story of his turnaround than having a lovely summer holiday during Formula 1's summer break...
The potential benefits of losing the F1 constructors' title
As the battle continues to rage over the F1 2021 drivers' championship, teams up and down the grid are turning their attentions to the prize money attributed to each position in the constructors' standings. But F1's sliding scale rules governing wind tunnel and CFD use will soften the blow for those who miss out on the top places
The invisible enemy that's made Hamilton's title charge tougher
After winning his past few Formula 1 titles as a canter, Lewis Hamilton currently trails Max Verstappen by eight points heading into the final double-header of 2021. Although Red Bull has been his biggest on-track challenge, Hamilton feels that he has just as much to grapple with away from the circuit