Mercedes comfortably out-paced Ferrari in the final practice session for the Russian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton led a one-two for the team, six-tenths of a second faster than championship rival Sebastian Vettel, and setting a new track record for Sochi with a lap of 1’33.067.
Ferrari looked in better shape at the beginning of the session when both drivers improved on their best time from yesterday shortly after joining the track. But Vettel wasn’t happy with the balance of the car on his final run.“Straight from the first lap I had more understeer,” he reported on the radio after his final runs. “Poor balance.
“The car was never together. It was better the first run. Especially the last sector, falling away from me the rear. At the end too nervous, the mid-corner was too much understeer
overall grip, mostly the rears.”
It was an eventful end to the session for Vettel. First he had a near-miss when he rejoined the track from the pits and passed close by Daniel Ricciardo, who was running along the pit lane exit.
Then Ferrari sent Vettel out for another run too late for him to rejoin the track, meaning he had to abandon his Ferrari at the pit lane exit. Team mate Kimi Raikkonen also failed to leave the pits for his practice start before the session ended.
The Red Bull pair, who will take grid penalties after qualifying, were fifth and sixth fastest. Charles Leclerc, looking much happier with his Sauber than he was yesterday, led the midfielders, though the times behind him were as tight as ever.
Two other teams lapped a tenth of a second off the Sauber: Esteban Ocon for Force India and Kevin Magnussen for Haas. Sergio Perez completed the top 10. A further two teams appeared on the fringes of the top 10: Pierre Gasly’s Toro Rosso and Carlos Sainz Jnr in the Renault.
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| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Best lap | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’33.067 | 13 | |
| 2 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’33.321 | 0.254 | 16 |
| 3 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’33.667 | 0.600 | 14 |
| 4 | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’33.688 | 0.621 | 11 |
| 5 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’33.937 | 0.870 | 11 |
| 6 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’34.394 | 1.327 | 14 |
| 7 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’34.628 | 1.561 | 15 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 1’34.809 | 1.742 | 16 |
| 9 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’34.820 | 1.753 | 15 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 1’34.916 | 1.849 | 14 |
| 11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Renault | 1’34.988 | 1.921 | 13 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’35.125 | 2.058 | 21 |
| 13 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 1’35.185 | 2.118 | 18 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1’35.213 | 2.146 | 12 |
| 15 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’35.370 | 2.303 | 16 |
| 16 | 28 | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’36.033 | 2.966 | 22 |
| 17 | 35 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams-Mercedes | 1’36.071 | 3.004 | 16 |
| 18 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 1’36.274 | 3.207 | 20 |
| 19 | 2 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Renault | 1’36.597 | 3.530 | 14 |
| 20 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Renault | 1’36.992 | 3.925 | 21 |
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Third practice visual gaps
Lewis Hamilton – 1’33.067
+0.254 Valtteri Bottas – 1’33.321
+0.600 Sebastian Vettel – 1’33.667
+0.621 Kimi Raikkonen – 1’33.688
+0.870 Max Verstappen – 1’33.937
+1.327 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’34.394
+1.561 Charles Leclerc – 1’34.628
+1.742 Esteban Ocon – 1’34.809
+1.753 Kevin Magnussen – 1’34.820
+1.849 Sergio Perez – 1’34.916
+1.921 Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’34.988
+2.058 Pierre Gasly – 1’35.125
+2.118 Romain Grosjean – 1’35.185
+2.146 Nico Hulkenberg – 1’35.213
+2.303 Marcus Ericsson – 1’35.370
+2.966 Brendon Hartley – 1’36.033
+3.004 Sergey Sirotkin – 1’36.071
+3.207 Lance Stroll – 1’36.274
+3.530 Stoffel Vandoorne – 1’36.597
+3.925 Fernando Alonso – 1’36.992
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
Combined practice times
| Pos | Driver | Car | FP1 | FP2 | FP3 | Fri/Sat diff | Total laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’34.818 | 1’33.385 | 1’33.067 | -0.318 | 71 |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’34.999 | 1’33.584 | 1’33.321 | -0.263 | 77 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’34.488 | 1’33.928 | 1’33.667 | -0.261 | 66 |
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’35.696 | 1’34.388 | 1’33.688 | -0.7 | 61 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’34.538 | 1’33.827 | 1’33.937 | +0.11 | 65 |
| 6 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’35.524 | 1’33.844 | 1’34.394 | +0.55 | 62 |
| 7 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’37.054 | 1’35.432 | 1’34.628 | -0.804 | 71 |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 1’35.663 | 1’35.147 | 1’34.809 | -0.338 | 73 |
| 9 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’36.196 | 1’35.331 | 1’34.820 | -0.511 | 69 |
| 10 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 1’35.122 | 1’34.916 | -0.206 | 44 | |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Renault | 1’35.341 | 1’34.988 | -0.353 | 50 | |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’36.944 | 1’35.137 | 1’35.125 | -0.012 | 74 |
| 13 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 1’36.816 | 1’35.911 | 1’35.185 | -0.726 | 76 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1’36.274 | 1’35.568 | 1’35.213 | -0.355 | 65 |
| 15 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’35.295 | 1’35.370 | +0.075 | 51 | |
| 16 | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’37.944 | 1’36.024 | 1’36.033 | +0.009 | 79 |
| 17 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams-Mercedes | 1’37.225 | 1’36.861 | 1’36.071 | -0.79 | 80 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Renault | 1’36.074 | 1’36.992 | +0.918 | 55 | |
| 19 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 1’39.137 | 1’37.001 | 1’36.274 | -0.727 | 68 |
| 20 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Renault | 1’37.187 | 1’36.617 | 1’36.597 | -0.02 | 72 |
| 21 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’36.712 | 22 | |||
| 22 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Renault | 1’37.022 | 25 | |||
| 23 | Artem Markelov | Renault | 1’37.183 | 22 | |||
| 24 | Nicholas Latifi | Force India-Mercedes | 1’37.206 | 24 |
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2018 Russian Grand Prix
- 2018 Russian Grand Prix team radio highlights
- Top ten pictures from the 2018 Russian Grand Prix
- 2018 Russian Grand Prix Star Performers
- Toro Rosso drivers suspect brake failure behind double retirement
- Verstappen did 2018’s best recovery drive yet – in eight laps
Jere (@jerejj)
29th September 2018, 11:22
Last season’s pole time finally got beaten albeit by little over a tenth only.
Joao (@johnmilk)
29th September 2018, 11:49
Just leaving the tyre info here
qazuhb
29th September 2018, 12:33
Thank you very much!
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
29th September 2018, 12:00
I think we can write off any excitement over the driver’s championship now.
John H (@john-h)
29th September 2018, 12:08
Just one single engine component needs to fail, and it’s right back on. I wouldn’t rule out anything yet.
Martin
29th September 2018, 12:17
Unless it fails on Vettel car.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
29th September 2018, 12:28
Yup. Especially since Mercedes has a pace advantage. If Ferrari had half a second advantage they would have a shot.
But with their overall organisation no chance.
ob1 (@ob1)
29th September 2018, 12:22
So do you reckon the Ferraris are still sandbagging?
David (@davisp)
29th September 2018, 12:42
Do we know how the ferraris did against the merc in their race simulation stints? Pole was a disadvantage for Vettel last year. They could focus on the race and try to overtake the Mercedes on the start straight after the lights go out.
If Vettel manages to qualify in P2 today, my money is on him.
Nikki (@nikkit)
29th September 2018, 12:43
Bit of an odd decision by Ferrari to try and send their drivers out seconds before the end of the session. Vettel not even reaching the end of the pit lane before the light went red.
Trying to get all the daft out of their system before Qualifying?
dusty (@dusty)
29th September 2018, 12:59
Despite Ferrari’s clear advantage, I think there is a good chance Lewis will make another miracle and take pole position today. You probably think it’s impossible, but I really believe there is a chance.