Qualifying Highlights | 2021 Russian Grand Prix

Confirmation, that's Verstappen's qualifying session over. Because he's got that engine penalty, he's at the back. Oh, as Giovinazzi spins and very nearly gets collected by Charles Leclerc. Coming out of Turn 16. There goes Giovinazzi, spinning around. Yeah. And you can just see how close that was. But Leclerc and all the right bits of the track compared to Giovinazzi. It's another Q1 knockout for Kimi Räikkönen. Only 16th fastest. Now Mick Schumacher across the line stays down in 17th. So poor qualifying for him as Alonso goes 7th fastest. And just ahead of Carlos Sainz and Hamilton, as expected, with those first purple sectors, first and second sectors, goes quickest overall. Yuki Tsunoda next across the line. He's still at risk. He's only 15th. Can Nikita Mazepin get his hat out of the bottom five? The answer is no. He's 19th and slowest because Verstappen didn't set a time. And that should be that. We have lost Kimi. We have lost Mick. We've lost Antonio, Nikita and Max, who was expected to be out in that bottom five because he didn't set a time and didn't need to. That is Charles Leclerc, who, like Max Verstappen, walking away from this qualifying session. And we won't see him setting a time. What's going to happen here? Yeah, the Williams, are you kidding me? Ah, no, it's a joke. Yeah. What the hell is he doing? Fernando Alonso goes third fastest. And George Russell now has got two more corners to try and ace to get that Williams up a couple of places and into Q3 once again. Out of the final corner comes George Russell and he does make it into the top ten. Pushes Sebastian Vettel out of it and gets another big round of applause from his mates down at Williams. Yuki Tsunoda will be next across the line. Can he put himself and his AlphaTauri into Q3 for the first time here in Formula 1? No, he stays exactly where he is. And Pierre Gasly, who's made a habit of Q3 so far this season, is going to be with him. P11. We're out. No way! Five hundredths. No way! Disappointing session, that, for the two AlphaTauris. And Carlos Sainz makes it through by five one hundredths of a second. 1.44.7 for Valtteri Bottas, but we could be very much in that crossover zone now as Lewis Hamilton goes seven tenths faster than his team-mate. He's found a lot more grip out there. Everyone is on the intermediate tyres as it stands. And Lance Stroll has just put in the best first sector time, but has lost about six tenths of a second to Hamilton through the middle sector. Perez crosses the line, fifth fastest. Stroll, third fastest behind Bottas. On days like this, never discount Lance Stroll from a very good qualifying. He seems to like it in the wet. Got his first pole, of course, in very similar conditions in Turkey in last time out when we went to Istanbul Park. I think Lando Norris would be a good bet as well. If he could get on a set of slicks, you know, he works the tyres. He was the first one to try it in Spa, I remember. And he gets himself up to P2, so why not? Soft tyres for George Russell. Get through here, keep the temperature in them. And that's the thing, is just don't let the temperature come out the surface. Right, here we go. George Russell, time lap on the slick tyres. First driver to go for a time lap as Lewis Hamilton comes into the pits and hits the wall. Now, it's only 60 kilometres an hour, but it's such a tight pit lane entrance. And Lewis Hamilton, even before they put the slick tyres on, has bashed the wall. Just hit the wall, man. Hit the wall. Drama for Lewis Hamilton for the second year running in qualifying here in Russia. Carlos Sainz, never been on pole before in his Formula 1 career. It is absolutely flying out there. Sainz goes on to pole position with a 1.42.5 Ferrari on pole here in Sochi. But who's got pace behind him? Lando Norris has got a middle sector to be proud of. Lewis Hamilton is not going to improve on the front row. He couldn't get the time he wanted. Ricciardo goes third fastest. Lando Norris crosses the line. Lando Norris is on pole for the first time in his Formula 1 career. Unless someone can deny him. Fernando Alonso is out there. He's trying his hardest. Lewis Hamilton stopped on the track. George Russell goes third fastest. What a lap from George Russell. Lewis Hamilton has spun on his final flying lap. Fernando Alonso crosses the line sixth fastest overall. But a race after they got their first 1.2 since Canada 2010. McLaren and Lando Norris are back winning qualifying and getting pole position. Okay. Pole position, mate. Pole position. Yes. Absolutely outstanding. You have to say Hamilton's got only himself to blame. He stuck it in the wall, in the pits, and that's cost him and Bottas a good starting position because they didn't have two laps. And he had to let everybody else pass when he was on his out lap and couldn't get temperature. What a dramatic end to qualifying that was. Just after the party celebrations had died down after Monza. Well, they can start to whoop and cheer with delight at McLaren again. Lando Norris recorded his best ever finish, didn't he, at Monza? And now he takes pole position. First career front row starts. Lando Norris, the 102nd driver to take a pole position in Formula 1.