Russian GP qualifying: Lewis Hamilton beats Max Verstappen after Sebastian Vettel’s accident

1:41

Lewis Hamilton slipped into the third part of qualifying in Russia after a Sebastian Vettel-sparked red flag put his hopes in doubt.

Lewis Hamilton achieved a spectacular pole position for the Russian GP despite a post-qualifying investigation and an early start scare, while Max Verstappen beat Valtteri Bottas to a surprising front row start in an epic shootout.

“It was horrible!” Hamilton admitted that he chased his Saturday records, having avoided a penalty after being summoned to the stewards for an alleged infringement of the track limits early in the session, and having been on the verge of losing the fight for the pole after Sebsatian Vettel’s accident.

Hamilton, who can match Michael Schumacher’s tally of 91 Formula 1 wins this weekend, managed to get to the final shootout with the skin of his teeth, starting just one major lap in Q2 with a second to spare after Vettel’s big Ferrari bypass led to a red flag.

But then he dusted himself off to dominate.

1:21

Lewis Hamilton’s lap from pole is in doubt after an incident in Q1 that required the six-time world champion to see the stewards.

In Q3, Hamilton outscored Bottas, who has had the lead for much of the weekend, before improving again on his final lap, putting more than half a second between himself and his Mercedes teammate.

Bottas was out of color when it mattered most, as Verstappen then passed him with one of his best laps: the Red Bull star 0.563s slower than the pole-sitter, but crucially in the front row for the first time since F1 2020. Second round.

However, Verstappen and Bottas may have an advantage over Hamilton early in the race as both drivers are ready to start on the more durable medium tire compared to the championship leader on the softest.

1:24

Sebastian Vettel falls out of qualifying in Russia after cutting the curb at turn four.

Sergio Pérez secured fourth for Racing Point in a frenzied shootout, ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz in the McLaren, with Alex Albon just tenth in the other Red Bull.

None of the Ferraris made it to Q3. Leclerc, who made contact with Vettel’s front wing after his spin and the Q2 bypass, simply missed it, while Vettel never seemed likely to make any progress even before his crash at turn four.

Russian GP qualifying result
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
4. Sergio Pérez, Racing Point
5. Daniel Ricciardo, Renault
6. Carlos Sainz, McLaren
7. Esteban Ocon, Renault
8. Lando Norris, McLaren
9. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
10. Alex Albon, Red Bull

How Hamilton escaped dramatic qualifying on pole

Hamilton is pole 95 of his career, though it was by no means an easy trip getting there on Saturday.

Hamilton finally generated controversy on his opening lap of the afternoon, running wide into turn two and erasing his time, before failing to get back on track in the right way.

That’s why he had to face the stewards, along with Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, and Williams’ Nicholas Latifi. No further action was taken.

So if Hamilton deviated, indirectly, it would get him into more trouble in Q2.

2:38

Lewis Hamilton explains why his pole position was not so straightforward, as he looks to level off Michael Schumacher’s 90 Grand Prix victories in Sochi.

After breaking the limits of the track at the final corner on his first lap in that segment on medium tires, Hamilton’s time was eliminated and Mercedes opted to swap him out for new rubber for a final lap at the end of Q2.

Hamilton was comfortably ahead of a time that would see him progress, but, as he made his way through the final sector, Vettel had a big crash on his lap causing a red flag for the session. Leclerc ran over Vettel’s front wing and barely avoided a serious accident.

That incident stopped the Q2 clock with just two minutes and 15 seconds remaining, meaning the drivers, including Hamilton, who was in 15th place and without a time on the board, would have to exit the pits and head to the starting line before. The stopwatch struck zero to begin its fundamental flying laps.

1:32

Valtteri Bottas was disappointed by finishing third in qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix.

Hamilton, who installed new soft tires when Mercedes had to change strategy, found himself at the end of a long line in the pit-lane and there would have been more panic from inside Merc’s cab and garage, as after that will urge you to overtake. cars in what would have to be a very fast lap, Hamilton opened at turn two.

“You have to go, you have to go!” A normally calm Mercedes engineer, Pete Bonnington, urged as Hamilton looked to give himself space at the last corner. He somehow made it to the line to start his lap on time, for just 1.25, according to Sky F1’s David Croft.

Although his fastest lap was severely disrupted thanks to that fast starting lap, Hamilton managed to smoothly reach the final penalty shoot-out in fourth, then quickly produced his most dominant form of the weekend.

2:16

Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson discusses the qualifying battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

He was 0.7 seconds faster than Bottas on his first lap, and while the Finn made a big improvement on his next effort, Hamilton was also faster.

Verstappen also deserves big credit for his brilliant lap, beating Bottas by a tenth.

Meanwhile, Perez uniquely and excellently delivered on Racing Point, who lost Lance Stroll in Q2 after a problem, with the Mexican beating Ricciardo, who has been fast all weekend.

George Russell was also a star in the standings, clinching his sixth Q2 of the season at the Williams and ensuring that he has never been beaten on a Saturday in his nearly two-season F1 career.