SOCHI, Russia: Sebastian Vettel took pole position in qualifying for the Formula One Russian Grand Prix on Saturday with Ferrari seizing both spots on the front row of a grid for the first time since 2008. Vettel set a lap record of 1 minute 33.194 seconds around the 5.848-kilometre Sochi Autodrom with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen 0.059 seconds behind. Vettel’s 47th career pole is Ferrari’s first since the 2015 Singapore GP.
Mercedes had lacked the speed of their championship rivals throughout practice and Valtteri Bottas qualified third, nearly 1 tenth behind Vettel. Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton continued to struggle and was left fourth, more than half a second off the pace.
Vettel, who won in Australia along with Bahrain, has 68 points in the championship standings, while Chinese GP winner Hamilton is on 61 and Bottas on 38 ahead of Sunday’s race.
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), Felipe Massa (Williams), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Nico Huelkenberg (Renault), Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon (both Force India) completed the top 10.
Raikkonen and Vettel topped the Friday practice sessions between them and though Mercedes improved on Saturday, it is Ferrari who now enter Sunday’s race as strong favourites.
The Italian team will be boosted by Raikkonen’s strong performance,after three races well in the shadow of Vettel, but Mercedes have reason for concern.
Hamilton failed to match team-mate Bottas throughout practice and has now been out qualified by the Finn for the second race in succession.
Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso), Lance Stroll (Williams), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Fernando Alonso (McLaren) dropped out in second qualifying.
Sainz, however, will drop three places due to a penalty for causing a crash with Stroll in the Bahrain Grand Prix two weeks ago.
Jolyon Palmer (Renault), Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren), Romain Grosjean (Haas), Pascal Wehrlein, Marcus Ericsson (both Sauber) and Romain Grosjean (Haas) were all eliminated in Q1.
Vandoorne will move to the back of the starting pack on a 15-placegrid penalty imposed for supplier Honda installing new engine parts due to a failure in first practice.
The Belgian driver will use his fifth turbocharger and MGU-Hcomponent with each driver only permitted four before penalties are applied. — DPA
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