Russian GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

RUSSIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix after team-mate Valtteri Bottas was told to move aside.

    Bottas had retained the net race lead behind late pitter Max Verstappen after starting from pole, when Hamilton closed onto the back of the Finn. Mercedes made the call for Bottas to allow Hamilton past, fearing a blister on his rear left tyre might allow title rival Sebastian Vettel to close in.

    Hamilton was released into the race lead when Verstappen came into the pits with 10 laps remaining and led Bottas across the line to take a comfortable Mercedes 1-2.

    The Brit’s eighth win of the season puts him 50 points ahead of Vettel, who finsihed third.

    Vettel had made a strong start early in the race to challenge Hamilton off the line, but the Mercedes pulled into Bottas’ slip stream to pull away from the Ferrari.

    Hamilton held onto the net second position until the lone pit stop. Bottas came into the pits on lap 12, with Vettel following the next lap and Hamilton having to wait until lap 14.

    Bottas had tried to hold Vettel up while Hamilton came into the pits, but the championship leader still came out behind the Ferrari. He quickly made to try to pass Vettel, but the German defended hard – his defensive move enough to be investigated by the stewards but it was deemed to have been legal.

    Hamilton eventually made a way through, running around the outside of turn 3 to give him the inside line for turn 4.

    Vettel couldn’t fight back, settling for third ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

    Verstappen, who was one of five drivers to take engine penalties and start from the back of the grid, enjoyed a stunning race to climb up to fifth, just ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.

    Charles Leclerc earned the best of the rest position, finishing seventh ahead of Kevin Magnussen and the Force Indias of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez.

    Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly were the only retirements. Both suffered spins on lap four, managing to return to the pits where they both retired with brake failures.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points
3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 15 Points
4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 12 Points
5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 10 Points
6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 8 Points
7. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / + 6 Points
8. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark / + 4 Points
9. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France / + 2 Points
10. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 1 Point
11. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
12. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany
13. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
14. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain
15. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
16. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium 
17. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain
18. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

RETIRED - Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France / Brakes
RETIRED - Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand / Brakes

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Formula 2 - Russia - Sprint Race - RESULTS

FORMULA 2 - RUSSIA - SPRINT RACE - RESULTS

1. George Russell / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 15 Points

2. Sergio Sette Camara / Carlin / Brazil / + 12 Points

3. Alexander Albon / DAMS / Thailand / + 10 Points

4. Nyck de Vries / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands / + 8 Points

5. Artem Markelov / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia / + 6 Points

6. Roberto Merhi / Campos Vexatec Racing / Spain / + 4 Points*

7. Nirei Fukuzumi / BWT Arden / Japan / + 2 Points

8. Dorian Boccolacci / MP Motorsport / France / + 10 Point

9. Antonio Fuoco / Charouz Racing System / Italy 

10. Maximilian Gunther / BWT Arden / Germany

11. Tadasuke Makino / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

12. Sean Gelael / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia

13. Louis Deletraz / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

14. Luca Ghiotto / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy

15. Arjun Maini / Trident / India**

RETIRED - Lando Norris / Carlin / Great Britain / Puncture

RETIRED - Jack Aitken / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / Spin

RETIRED - Niko Kari / MP Motorsport / Finland / Crash***+

RETIRED - Nicholas Latifi / DAMS / Canada / Collision Damage

RETIRED - Alessio Lorandi / Trident / Italy / Collision****

* - Notes Roberto Merhi is replacing Roy Nissany at Campos Vexatec Racing

** - Notes Maini had a 10-Second-Time-Penalty added to his final race time for colliding with Norris. This did not alter his race result

*** - Notes Niko Kari has stepped up to F2 with MP Motorsport, replacing Ralph Boschung

**** - Notes Lorandi was given a 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for the Feature Race in Abu Dhabi for causing a collision with Latifi

+ - Notes Kari was given a 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for the Feature Race in Abu Dhabi for exceeding track limits and gaining an advantage

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GP3 - Russia - Sprint Race - RESULTS

GP3 - RUSSIA - SPRINT RACE - RESULTS

1. David Beckmann / Trident / Germany / + 15 Points + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

2. Joey Mawson / Arden International / Australia / + 12 Points

3. Richard Verschoor / MP Motorsport / Netherlands / + 10 Points

4. Anthoine Hubert / ART Grand Prix / France / + 8 Points

5. Juan Manuel Correa / Jenzer Motorsport / USA / + 6 Points

6. Gabriel Aubry / Arden International / France / + 4 Points

7. Tatiana Calderon / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia / + 2 Points

8. Leonardo Pulcini / Campos Racing / Italy / + 1 Point

9. Ryan Tveter / Trident / USA 

10. Jannes Fittje / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

11. Pedro Piquet / Trident / Brazil

12. Devlin DeFrancesco / MP Motorsport / Canada

13. Sacha Fenestraz / Arden International / France*

14. Simo Laaksonen / Campos Racing / Finland

15. Diego Menchaca / Campos Racing / Mexico

16. Jake Hughes / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

17. Giuliano Alesi / Trident / France

18. Callum Ilott / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

RETIRED - Nikita Mazepin / ART Grand Prix / Russia / Crash

* - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

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Formula 2 - Russia - Feature Race - RESULTS

FORMULA 2 - RUSSIA - FEATURE RACE - RESULTS

1. Alexander Albon / DAMS / Thailand / + 25 Points

2. Nicholas Latifi / DAMS / Canada / + 18 Points

3. Nyck de Vries / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands / + 15 Points + 4 Points (Pole) + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

4. George Russell / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 12 Points

5. Sergio Sette Camara / Carlin / Brazil / + 10 Points 

6. Antonio Fuoco / Charouz Racing System / Italy / + 8 Points

7. Alessio Lorandi / Trident / Italy / + 6 Points

8. Nirei Fukuzumi / BWT Arden / Japan / + 4 Points

9. Roberto Merhi / Campos Vexatec Racing / Spain / + 2 Points*

10. Tadasuke Makino / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan / + 1 Point

11. Artem Markelov / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia

12. Louis Deletraz / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

13. Dorian Boccolacci / MP Motorsport / France

14. Jack Aitken / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

15. Arjun Maini / Trident / India

16. Maximilian Gunther / BWT Arden / Germany / DNF / Accident**

RETIRED - Niko Kari / MP Motorsport / Finland / Retired***

RETIRED - Lando Norris / Carlin / Great Britain / Tyre

RETIRED - Luca Ghiotto / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy / Collision Damage

DID NOT START - Sean Gelael / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia / Mechanical

* - Notes Roberto Merhi is replacing Roy Nissany at Campos Vexatec Racing

** - Notes Gunther completed at least 90% of the race and was qualified as finishing despite his retirement

*** - Notes Niko Kari has stepped up to F2 with MP Motorsport, replacing Ralph Boschung

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Russian GP: Qualifying - RE-CAP & RESULTS

RUSSIAN GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Valtteri Bottas took Pole Position ahead of the Russian GP while multiple driver received penalties for engine component changes and unscheduled gearbox replacements.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP:

1. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

2. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

6. Esteban Ocon / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

7. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

8. Sergio Perez / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

9. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

10. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

11. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

12. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

13. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

14. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

15. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium+

16. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain*

17. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France*

18. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia*+

19. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands*+#

20. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand*

* - (Alonso, Gasly, Ricciardo, Verstappen & Hartley) Drivers to start race from back of the grid due to multiple engine component changes

+ - (Vandoorne, Ricciardo & Verstappen) 5-Place-Grid-Penalty for each driver due to unscheduled gearbox changes

# - (Verstappen) 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for failing to slow under Yellow Flags

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Russian GP: Free Practice #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

RUSSIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton once again topped the time sheets in the final free practice session ahead of qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

    Ferrari set the pace early in the session before Hamilton jumped to the top of the order half way through the hour long session. Team-mate Valtteri Bottas joined him at the top of the order, though Bottas was still 0.254s slower than Hamilton’s best time of than Hamilton’s best time of the morning, a 1m33.067s.

    Vettel dropped back to third, but was preparing to head back out in the closing minutes of the session. Ferrari cut it close, sending the German out with just seconds remaining. But it appeared the team miscalculated how long it would take him to get down the pit lane, with Vettel hitting a red light at the end. He was forced to get out of his car there and push it back to the pits, having just missed the cut off point by a fraction of a second.

    The Ferrari ended the morning 0.6s slower than Hamilton, with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen a further 0.021s back.

    Max Verstappen took fifth quickest, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Charles Leclerc.

    Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Perez rounded out the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:33.067 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:33.321 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:33.667 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:33.688 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
5. Max Verstappen - 1:33.937 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
6. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:34.394 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
7. Charles Leclerc - 1:34.628 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
8. Esteban Ocon - 1:34.809 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
9. Kevin Magnussen - 1:34.820 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
10. Sergio Perez - 1:34.916 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
11. Carlos Sainz - 1:34.988 / Renault-Renault / Mexico
12. Pierre Gasly - 1:35.125 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
13. Romain Grosjean - 1:35.185 / Haas-Ferrari / France
14. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:35.213 / Renault-Renault / Germany
15. Marcus Ericsson - 1:35.370 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
16. Brendon Hartley - 1:36.033 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
17. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:36.071 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
18. Lance Stroll - 1:36.274 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
19. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:36.597 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
20. Fernando Alonso - 1:36.992 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

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GP3 - Russia - Feature Race - RESULTS

GP3 - RUSSIA - FEATURE RACE - RESULTS

1. Leonardo Pulcini / Campos Racing / Italy / + 25 Points + 4 Points (Pole)

2. Nikita Mazepin / ART Grand Prix / Russia / + 18 Points + 2 Points (Fastest Lap)

3. Anthoine Hubert / ART Grand Prix / France / + 15 Points

4. Richard Verschoor / MP Motorsport / Netherlands / + 12 Points

5. David Beckmann / Trident / Germany / + 10 Points

6. Simo Laaksonen / Campos Racing / Finland / + 8 Points

7. Jake Hughes / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain / + 6 Points

8. Joey Mawson / Arden International / Australia / + 4 Points

9. Juan Manuel Correa / Jenzer Motorsport / USA / + 2 Points

10. Tatiana Calderon / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia / + 1 Point

11. Gabriel Aubry / Arden International / France

12. Jannes Fittje / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

13. Callum Ilott / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain 

14. Giuliano Alesi / Trident / France

15. Pedro Piquet / Trident / Brazil

16. Sacha Fenestraz / Arden International / France*

17. Devlin DeFrancesco / MP Motorsport / Canada

18. Ryan Tveter / Trident / USA / DNF**

RETIRED - Diego Menchaca / Campos Racing / Mexico / Mechanical

* - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

** - Notes Tveter completed at least 90% of the race distance and was qualified as finishing the race, despite his retirement

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

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GP3 - Russia - Qualifying - RESULTS

GP3 - RUSSIA - QUALIFYING - RESULTS

1. Leonardo Pulcini / Campos Racing / Italy

2. Callum Ilott / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

3. Giuliano Alesi / Trident / France

4. Anthoine Hubert / ART Grand Prix / France

5. Ryan Tveter / Trident / USA

6. Simo Laaksonen / Campos Racing / Finland

7. Richard Verschoor / MP Motorsport / Netherlands

8. Nikita Mazepin / ART Grand Prix / Russia*

9. Joey Mawson / Arden International / Australia

10. Jake Hughes / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

11. Pedro Piquet / Trident / Brazil

12. Juan Manuel Correa / Jenzer Motorsport / USA

13. Sacha Fenestraz / Arden International / France**

14. Tatiana Calderon / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia

15. David Beckmann / Trident / Germany

16. Devlin DeFrancesco / MP Motorsport / Canada

17. Gabriel Aubry / Arden International / France

18. Diego Menchaca / Campos Racing / Mexico

19. Jannes Fittje / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

* - Notes Mazepin originally took pole position but had his time deleted after he was found to have exceeded track limits. His second best time was put in place, placing him in 8th for the start of the Feature Race.

** - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

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Formula 2 - Russia - Qualifying - RESULTS

FORMULA 2 - RUSSIA - QUALIFYING - RESULTS 

1. Nyck de Vries / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands

2. Lando Norris / Carlin / Great Britain

3. George Russell / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

4. Nicholas Latifi / DAMS / Canada

5. Alexander Albon / DAMS / Thailand

6. Luca Ghiotto / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy

7. Tadasuke Makino / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan

8. Sergio Sette Camara / Carlin / Brazil

9. Jack Aitken / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

10. Maximilian Gunther / BWT Arden / Germany

11. Antonio Fuoco / Charouz Racing System / Italy

12. Roberto Merhi / Campos Vexatec Racing / Spain*

13. Alessio Lorandi / Trident / Italy

14. Louis Deletraz / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland

15. Sean Gelael / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia

16. Niko Kari / MP Motorsport / Finland**

17. Nirei Fukuzumi / BWT Arden / Japan

18. Dorian Boccolacci / MP Motorsport / France

19. Artem Markelov / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia

20. Arjun Maini / Trident / India

* - Notes Roberto Merhi is replacing Roy Nissany at Campos Vexatec Racing

** - Notes Niko Kari has stepped up to F2 with MP Motorsport, replacing Ralph Boschung

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Russian GP: Free Practice #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

RUSSIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2 in the second free practice session ahead of qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

    The championship leader managed a 1m33.385s around the Sochi circuit, finishing 0.2s ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

    Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo finished third and fourth quickest, roughly 0.45s off Hamilton’s best time.

    Sebastian Vettel set the pace early in the session, but fell down the order as others found improvements. The Ferrari driver managed a 1m33.928s lap before spinning under braking 20 minutes before the chequered flag. He ended FP2 fifth quickest, half a second quicker than team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

    Sergio Perez claimed the best of the rest spot in sixth, ahead of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, with Marcus Ericsson completing the top 10.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:33.385 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Valtteri Bottas - 1:33.584 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
3. Max Verstappen - 1:33.827 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
4. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:33.844 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
5. Sebastian Vettel - 1:33.928 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:34.388 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
7. Sergio Perez - 1:35.122 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
8. Pierre Gasly - 1:35.137 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
9. Esteban Ocon - 1:35.147 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France
10. Marcus Ericsson - 1:35.295 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
11. Kevin Magnussen - 1:35.331 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
12. Carlos Sainz - 1:35.341 / Renault-Renault / Spain
13. Charles Leclerc - 1:35.432 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
14. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:35.568 / Renault-Renault / Germany
15. Romain Grosjean - 1:35.911 / Haas-Ferrari / France
16. Brendon Hartley - 1:36.024 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
17. Fernando Alonso - 1:36.074 / McLaren-Renault / Spain
18. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:36.617 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:36.861 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
20. Lance Stroll - 1:37.001 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

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Formula 2 - Russia - Free Practice - TIMES

FORMULA 2 - RUSSIA - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. Lando Norris - 1:48.231 / Carlin / Great Britain
2. Nyck de Vries - 1:48.403 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Netherlands
3. George Russell - 1:48.635 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain
4. Sergio Sette Camara - 1:48.748 / Carlin / Brazil
5. Nicholas Latifi - 1:48.834 / DAMS / Canada
6. Tadasuke Makino - 1:48.837 / RUSSIAN TIME / Japan
7. Jack Aitken - 1:48.878 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain
8. Alexander Albon - 1:48.890 / DAMS / Thailand
9. Luca Ghiotto - 1:48.977 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Italy
10. Antonio Fuoco - 1:49.108 / Charouz Racing System / Italy
11. Maximilian Gunther - 1:49.243 / BWT Arden / Germany
12. Sean Gelael - 1:49.259 / PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing / Indonesia
13. Niko Kari - 1:49.352 / MP Motorsport / Finland*
14. Artem Markelov - 1:49.474 / RUSSIAN TIME / Russia
15. Louis Deletraz - 1:49.533 / Charouz Racing System / Switzerland
16. Nirei Fukuzumi - 1:49.562 / BWT Arden / Japan 
17. Alessio Lorandi - 1:49.615 / Trident / Italy
18. Dorian Boccolacci - 1:49.681 / MP Motorsport / France
19. Roberto Merhi - 1:50.130 / Campos Vexatec Racing / Spain**
20. Arjun Maini - 1:56.424 / Trident / India

* - Notes Niko Kari has stepped up to F2 with MP Motorsport, replacing Ralph Boschung
** - Notes Roberto Merhi is replacing Roy Nissany at Campos Vexatec Racing

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Russian GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

RUSSIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    The first free practice session of the Russian GP weekend, saw Vettel take the top time with a 1:34.488.

    Vettel was just ahead of Max Verstappen, who came 2nd on the time-sheets with a 1:34.538. Hamilton was 3rd quickest, ahead of Bottas and Ricciardo who completed the top 5.

    Daniel Ricciardo suffered from mechanical woes during the session and the team even opted to change the floor of his car. His quickest time of the session was a 1:35.524.

    There were 4 reserve drivers in the session and 2 of them have already signed a contract for next year to be in the 2019 Championship. 

    The first driver in the order was Antonio Giovinazzi, who just recently was announced to partner Kimi Raikkonen at Sauber in 2019. He replaces Marcus Ericsson, who will stay on at the team as reserve/3rd driver. Giovinazzi finished 10th in the session with a 1:36.712.

    Lando Norris replaced Fernando Alonso, while next year he replaces Stoffel Vandoorne full time at McLaren. The young Formula 2 driver, finished in 13th with a quickest time of 1:37.022.

    Artem Markelov filled in for Carlos Sainz at Renault for the session but it's unknown if the Russian Formula 2 driver will be in F1 next year since Renault have already confirmed their 2019 line-up, consisting of Hulkenberg and Ricciardo. There's a chance he could take a seat at Williams, but with Vandoorne and Ocon needing seats, it's not a sure thing. Markelov finished in 15th with a 1:37.183 while Hulkenberg, despite having mechanical issues toward the end of the session, finished in 9th with a 1:36.274.

    The last reserve running in the session was Nicholas Latifi, replacing Perez at Force India. Even though it's looking more and more likely that Lance Stroll will take over for Ocon in 2019, it's not yet set in stone. Latifi has already done multiple practice session with Force India this year and currently drives for DAMS in Formula 2. He finished the session in 17th with a 1:37.206.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:34.488 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

2. Max Verstappen - 1:34.538 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:34.818 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:34.999 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

5. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:35.524 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

6. Esteban Ocon - 1:35.663 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / France

7. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:35.696 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:36.196 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:36.274 / Renault-Renault / Germany

10. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:36.712 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

11. Romain Grosjean - 1:36.816 / Haas-Ferrari / France

12. Pierre Gasly - 1:36.944 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

13. Lando Norris - 1:37.022 / McLaren-Renault / Great Britain*

14. Charles Leclerc - 1:37.054 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

15. Artem Markelov - 1:37.183 / Renault-Renault / Russia*

16. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:37.187 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

17. Nicholas Latifi - 1:37.206 / Racing Point Force India-Mercedes / Canada*

18. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:37.225 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

19. Brendon Hartley - 1:37.944 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

20. Lance Stroll - 1:39.137 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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GP3 - Russia - Free Practice - TIMES

GP3 - RUSSIA - FREE PRACTICE - TIMES

1. Anthoine Hubert - 1:53.146 / ART Grand Prix / France

2. Jake Hughes - 1:53.427 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

3. Nikita Mazepin - 1:53.466 / ART Grand Prix / Russia

4. Giuliano Alesi - 1:53.530 / Trident / France

5. Pedro Piquet - 1:53.691 / Trident / Brazil

6. Ryan Tveter - 1:53.786 / Trident / USA
7. Tatiana Calderon - 1:53.860 / Jenzer Motorsport / Columbia

8. Leonardo Pulcini - 1:53.884 / Campos Racing / Italy

9. Joey Mawson - 1:53.958 / Arden International / Australia

10. Richard Verschoor - 1:54.038 / MP Motorsport / Netherlands

11. David Beckmann - 1:54.066 / Trident / Germany

12. Sacha Fenestraz - 1:54.096 / Arden International / France*

13. Juan Manuel Correa - 1:54.306 / Jenzer Motorsport / USA 

14. Devlin DeFrancesco - 1:54.500 / MP Motorsport / Canada

15. Simo Laaksonen - 1:54.544 / Campos Racing / Finland

16. Gabriel Aubry - 1:54.579 / Arden International / France

17. Diego Menchaca - 1:54.593 / Campos Racing / Mexico

18. Callum Ilott - 1:54.899 / ART Grand Prix / Great Britain

19. Jannes Fittje - 1:55.338 / Jenzer Motorsport / Germany

* - Notes Fenestraz is replacing Julien Falchero at Arden International for the rest of the 2018 season

NOTE: Only 19 drivers participated as Niko Kari has stepped up to Formula 2 for the rest of the 2018 season

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes

ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “Sochi is a pretty unique circuit, it’s very flat and open. In some ways it feels like driving flat out in a car park, but it’s a surprisingly enjoyable lap. Apart from the long straight, there’s a lot going on and it’s a layout that keeps you thinking. It’s definitely grown on me since we started racing there. The track surface has also improved over the last few years. When we first went there the track was very slippery but the grip levels have improved as the track has rubbered in, making it a more enjoyable circuit to drive. It’s not a track I’ve had an amazing result at and it doesn’t really play to our strengths, but this is racing, so anything can happen. I guess I need to go out and find Max a decent 21st Birthday present, (laughs) or maybe I will just dedicate my race win to him.”

Max Verstappen - “This year’s Russian Grand Prix will be a special one for me. It is my 21st birthday on Sunday, so hopefully I can make it one to remember. I think I celebrated my 18th there also, so it won’t be new to have my birthday in Sochi. I feel Russia is an up and coming Grand Prix as it still feels quite new to me. As well as being in the Olympic Park the track has a unique layout. The views from parts of the track and the hotels are really nice. On one side you have the mountains and on the other, the sea. It’s not the best track for our car so it’s vital to get the set-up right for specific corners, we know we will lose time on the long straights so cornering is key.”

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “I look forward to being back in Russia. The Sochi Autodrom is quite a difficult track with low grip making it a challenge to get the tyres and car to work well on this specific type of surface. In terms of driving, the most complex part of the circuit is the last sector, which is quite technical. It is important to have a good car set-up and balance to make sure that you can get a good lap time. After a strong last weekend, it will be interesting to see what we can do at the next Grand Prix. I can’t wait to be back in the car.”

Charles Leclerc - “It will be interesting to drive at Sochi for the first time. It is a new track for me, but I have driven it in the simulator in the past so I am fairly familiar with its layout. The corners on this circuit are all quite consistent and similar. For me, it will be all about getting into the rhythm of the track and being up to speed as soon as possible.”

RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hülkenberg - "I enjoy travelling to Russia. It’s an interesting place with plenty going on and lots of things to do. Sochi is still a fairly new venue to the Formula 1 calendar, but it is an enjoyable circuit to drive, and the Russian atmosphere is always quite good."

Carlos Sainz - "Sochi is quite a long lap with three different sectors. The first is mainly full throttle with a long straight followed by a never-ending left-hander. The second sector flows well and is taken fairly fast with another long flat-out section leading into sector three, which is quite slow. The most special thing about the track is probably the long turn three, which puts the neck to work."

RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA

Pierre Gasly - “I raced in Sochi in GP2 twice, coming second in the feature race in 2015, but it was a while ago, so it’s three years since I last drove there. I also raced at the Moscow Raceway circuit in Renault 2-litre and 3.5. That gave me the chance to be a bit of a tourist, visiting Red Square and some of the other sites and it’s pretty impressive. That’s one of the nice side effects of doing this job, that you get to see parts of the world you might not otherwise.

    Sochi is a relatively new venue and an unusual place, as it was home to the winter Olympics. The atmosphere around the outside of the circuit is strange, as there’s nothing much around it except the former Olympic village. Many of the corners are quite similar in nature, but the final part of the lap especially is pretty technical. Will the Sochi circuit suit us? That’s hard to tell as recent races have not always gone as we expected. It would be satisfying to get a good result here, not just in itself, but to give us a boost before going to Suzuka the following week for Honda’s home race.”

Brendon Hartley - “I’ve only ever been to Russia for a marketing event and that involved being there for less than 24 hours, so the weekend will be an interesting experience for me. Therefore, this will be another new track for me and last week I drove it in the simulator. It’s fair to say, our Singapore performance was not what we wanted so we will be working hard back in the factory to try and find ways of moving forward. It’s a case of hitting the re-set button, while building on the positive aspects with the aim of looking for points in Sochi.”

RACING POINT FORCE INDIA FORMULA ONE TEAM

Sergio Perez - “I was very disappointed with the result in Singapore, but dealing with difficult days is part of the job. I have turned the page already and I am looking forward to Sochi, where I am sure the outcome will be very different. I can’t wait to get back in the car and get the points the team deserves.

    The Russian Grand Prix brings up some really great memories from three years ago, when I finished on the podium. It was an unexpected result, in a way, and I remember the struggle at the end of the race because I had nothing left of my tyres. It was a fantastic day for us. I quite like Sochi: the event is getting bigger and better every year and they try really hard to put on a good race.

    The track has a street circuit feel, even though it’s quite a quick and flowing lap. It is hard to overtake and qualifying is very important. Turn three is the most memorable corner of the track. It is very demanding on the front right tyre and it reminds me of turn eight in Istanbul. It’s a great corner from inside the car: you really feel its energy from entry to exit.

    I am feeling positive about this weekend and I think we’ll be competitive. Singapore did not bring us the result we expected but the performance and balance of the car were very good. If we can carry that pace forward to Sochi, we should expect a strong result. I think the new upgrades still have some potential to unlock and hopefully we will be able to do so in Russia.”

Esteban Ocon - “We had a terrible weekend in Singapore, leaving empty-handed despite having a great car and the pace to score well, so I am determined to bounce back immediately in Russia. We have made some improvements with our upgrades so I think we will be competitive once again in Sochi. We can score points with both cars and we will work hard to achieve this.

    I enjoy the Sochi track: it’s going to be the third time I will have raced there. I had a very successful weekend there in GP3 and last year it was the place where I made it into Q3 for the first time in Formula One. Those are some good memories and hopefully we will have more of them when we return.

    The track is quite fun to drive, especially the final sector, which is my favourite. There are a lot of left-right changes of direction and 90-degrees corners, which I really enjoy. The weather can be a bit uncertain at this time of year, but I think we can be strong if it’s wet or dry. The target is to be in the top ten in both qualifying and the race, and hopefully we can be the best of the rest.”

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "It is pretty cool to compete in the Olympic village. It definitely feels like we are in Russia and it is very beautiful scenery with the mountains, snow and sea. What they have done to the place with the infrastructure is incredible and they have done a top job. The track is great and enjoyable to drive. Last year in qualifying I nearly got to Q3, but I didn't get to do the warm-up lap I wanted, and around there it is quite important to get the tyre working properly. I am sure it will be a great weekend for the team, especially as this will be Sergey's first home race."

Sergey Sirotkin - "My home race is always good, but as with anything in life, there are ups and downs. It’s obviously a big pleasure to race in front of my home crowd. I get a lot of support from all over the country, but at the same time it will be a very busy weekend for me. There will be a lot of work to do, much more than compared with other weekends, so it’s going to be very intense. It won’t be easy to manage my time and energy, whilst still being able to perform at my best. That said, it’s still a weekend I’m looking forward to, but I know it’s going to be tough!"

HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “Sochi should be a good track for us. It’s key to get the tyres to work in Russia, and that’s something we haven’t done very well in the past. I’m sure this year we’re going to be much better. I’m very much looking forward to getting there and enjoying it.

    I do quite like the fast turn three. It’s a very high-speed corner, flat out, then just going into turn four, coming out of the corner, then braking straight away for turn four. I think the corners flow into each other quite nicely. It’s a good track to drive.”

Kevin Magnussen - “I think Sochi is a pretty good track. It’s not a low-speed track as such, but it’s not a high-speed track either. It’s got very wide, medium-speed corners.

    It’s a good track with some challenging corners. I’d say it has unique shaped corners, with some good opportunities for overtaking. I like turns six, seven and eight as they’re high speed. Turn three is a bit hard for your neck, it goes on and on. It can be a little bit tiring on your neck.”

    In 2016 I had a good first lap. Quite a few people messed up and lost things like front wings and so on. I made up lots of positions with that. I then had a really good race after that to finish seventh. It’s quite a fun track, and good for overtaking and racing. I think we should have a good race there.”

McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “It feels like a long time since we last raced in Russia as the race was much earlier on the calendar last year. It also feels longer for me since I didn’t make the start due to reliability issues, so I’m looking forward to finally racing in Sochi again.

    Last weekend was definitely a boost for everyone. We have had at least one DNF over the last few races, so crossing the line with both cars was positive, and something we need to keep working on every race. It was great to get points too, and the aim is always to keep scoring at every possible opportunity.

    We know some of the coming races won’t be as favourable to us as Singapore, and there will be tracks that won’t suit our car as much. With every race we’re pushing hard, learning a lot and trying to maximize what we have. Sochi is a fun circuit with a very interesting and unique layout with its 90-degree corners, so let’s see how our car performs there.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “After the last race, I hope we can continue to make progress in Russia and keep moving forward. Although I had a disappointing qualifying in Singapore, we once again showed that our race pace is stronger, so it’s important that on my side I can get the best result possible on Saturday to give us the best chance on Sunday.

    I felt very comfortable in the car, we had pace and I felt like we could keep pushing. Strategy and tyre wear will once again be very important during this race, and especially getting a good read on the durability of the Hypersoft tyres from Friday onwards.

    This track won’t be exactly the same for us in terms of performance as Singapore, as the layout is very different and it’s a challenging configuration. But I’m focusing on each weekend individually, race-by-race. Hopefully we can have a smooth Friday and start the weekend strong so we can make the most of every session.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

No copyright infringement intended - Quotes belong to Drivers

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