Formula One™: 2016 Russian GP - Qualifying Report

Max Davies - F1 Editor (@maxdaviespr)
May 1, 2016
3 min read

Nico Rosberg claimed pole position for the Russian Grand Prix and looks set to extend his comfortable lead in the Formula 1™ World Championship standings after closest rival Lewis Hamilton suffered a torrid afternoon. With his second ERS failure in as many race, the defending champion lines up 10th after failing to set a competitive time during the final Q3 session.

Friday and Saturday morning free practice sessions had seen the two Mercedes drivers evenly matched on pace heading into qualifying and the scene was set for a mouth-watering head-to head battle in the final 15 minute session until the Briton developed more technical difficulties with the Mercedes engine towards the end of Q2.

With a quick diagnosis that the issue was similar to the failure he encountered last time out in China, Hamilton was soon consigned to the garage permanently. As a result of the failure, there still remains the possibility he will be demoted further down the grid come the race if components with the W07 machine have to be replaced and a penalty is awarded by the race stewards.

Consequently, Rosberg was practically handed pole on a plate and ended Q3 unchallenged, with a massive seven tenths of a second gap to Sebastian Vettel. The Ferrari man will however line up seventh after his 5-place grid penalty – a result of a faulty gearbox and it requiring to be replaced by the Ferrari mechanics.

As a result, Williams’ Valtteri Bottas was elevated into second position ahead of fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen, with team mate Felipe Massa consolidating the British team’s upturn in form with fifth, which subsequently becomes fourth.

Daniel Ricciardo rises to fifth position in the leading Red Bull and Sergio Perez also gained a position in a season-best sixth for Force India – a direct result of Vettel’s penalty.

National favourite Daniil Kvyat was an impressive eighth in the second Red Bull with the young hot shot Max Verstappen snapping at his heels in the Toro Rosso.

Carlos Sainz was unable to match the pace of his team mate Verstappen and will line his Torro Rosso up in in 11th position ahead of a resurgent McLaren Honda with Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso split by the second Force India of Nico Hulkenburg in thirteenth.

After a somewhat below-par performance in China the Haas pairing of Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez showed a little more form as they took 15th and 16th respectively.

Still looking for their first decent race weekend, Renault's form continued to disappoint with neither Kevin Magnussen nor Jolyon Palmer progressing past Q1 - the teammates lining up 17th and 18th just ahead of Sauber’s pairing of Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson in 19th and 22nd position. Manor’s Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto will start between them in 20th and 21st.

Full qualifying results for round 4 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship (F1), the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom. 1. Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 35.417s 2. Sebastian Vettel GER Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 36.123s * 3. Valtteri Bottas FIN Williams-Mercedes 1m 36.536s 4. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 36.663s 5. Felipe Massa BRZ Williams-Mercedes 1m 37.016s 6. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Red Bull-Renault 1m 37.125s 7. Sergio Perez MEX Force India-Mercedes 1m 37.212s 8. Daniil Kvyat RUS Red Bull-Renault 1m 37.459s 9. Max Verstappen NED Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 37.583s 10. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-Mercedes no time Q3 11. Carlos Sainz Jr ESP Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 37.652s 12. Jenson Button GBR McLaren-Honda 1m 37.701s 13. Nico Hulkenberg GER Force India-Mercedes 1m 37.771s 14. Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren-Honda 1m 37.807s 15. Romain Grosjean FRA Haas-Ferrari 1m 38.055s 16. Esteban Gutierrez MEX Haas-Ferrari 1m 38.115s 17. Kevin Magnussen DEN Renault-Renault 1m 38.914s 18. Jolyon Palmer GBR Renault-Renault 1m 39.009s 19. Felipe Nasr BRA Sauber-Ferrari 1m 39.018s 20. Pascal Wehrlein GER Manor-Mercedes 1m 39.399s 21. Rio Haryanto INA Manor-Mercedes 1m 39.463s 22. Marcus Ericsson SWE Sauber-Ferrari 1m 39.519s all times unofficial * denotes driver due to take 5-place grid penalty (gearbox change)