Formula 1: Charles Leclerc takes pole for 2019 Russian Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc took his fourth consecutive pole position and his series-high sixth of the 2019 Formula 1 season for the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom.

Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc extended his Formula 1 pole position streak to four races, and he extended his lead atop the pole positions list in 2019 by taking his sixth pole position of the year for the season’s 16th race, the Russian Grand Prix, at Sochi Autodrom.

Leclerc took the pole position for this 53-lap race around the 18-turn, 3.634-mile (5.848-kilometer) Sochi Autodrom road course in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia by recording a top lap time of 91.628 seconds (142.777 miles per hour) in the third and final round of qualifying for this race.

Set to start alongside Leclerc for the third consecutive race is Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton in second place.

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But the 21-year-old Monegasque once again secured the pole position in dominant fashion, as Hamilton’s top lap time of 92.030 seconds (142.154 miles per hour) was 0.402 seconds (0.623 miles per hour) slower than that of Leclerc. For the second consecutive race, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel qualified in third place.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen qualified in fourth place, but he is set to start in ninth as a result of an five-position grid penalty due to an engine change. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, who qualified in fifth, is set to start alongside Vettel in fourth.

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr., Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, McLaren rookie Lando Norris, Haas’ Romain Grosjean and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the top 10 by qualifying in seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th place, respectively, in the third and final round of qualifying for this race.

Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly, SportPesa Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, Alfa Romeo Racing rookie Antonio Giovinazzi, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll were eliminated following the second round of qualifying after qualifying in 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th place, respectively.

Gasly, like Verstappen, is also set to incur a five-position grid penalty as a result of an engine change.

Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen and ROKiT Williams Racing teammates George Russell, a rookie, and Robert Kubica were eliminated following the first round of qualifying for the race after qualifying in 16th, 17th and 18th place, respectively.

Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon qualified in 19th place and was also eliminated following the first round of qualifying for the race, but he crashed out to end his session. He was set to be issued a five-position grid penalty anyway as a result of an engine change.

Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat did not participate in the qualifying session and was officially scored in 20th place as a result of it, as he was set to be issued a five-position grid penalty anyway as a result of an engine change.

Here are the full qualifying results for the 2019 Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom.

Qualifying Results
1st – Charles Leclerc
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
3rd – Sebastian Vettel
4th – Max Verstappen
5th – Valtteri Bottas
6th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
7th – Nico Hulkenberg
8th – Lando Norris
9th – Romain Grosjean
10th – Daniel Ricciardo
11th – Pierre Gasly
12th – Sergio Perez
13th – Antonio Giovinazzi
14th – Kevin Magnussen
15th – Lance Stroll
16th – Kimi Raikkonen
17th – George Russell
18th – Robert Kubica
19th – Alexander Albon
20th – Daniil Kvyat

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ESPN2’s live broadcast of the 2019 Formula 1 season’s 16th race, the Russian Grand Prix, is set to begin at 7:05 a.m. ET tomorrow morning from Sochi Autodrom.

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