Formula 1: Sochi starting lineup – Lewis Hamilton takes pole
By Asher Fair
Lewis Hamilton took the pole position for the 10th race of the 2020 Formula 1 season, the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took yet another pole position, giving him eight through the first 10 races of the 17-race 2020 Formula 1 season and a record 96 in his career. He took the pole position for the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom, a race he has won four times in six attempts and two years in a row.
Hamilton, who now has five pole positions in a row and eight in the last nine races, took the pole position for this 53-lap race around the 18-turn, 3.634-mile (5.848-kilometer) road course in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia by recording a track record lap time of 91.304 seconds (143.284 miles per hour) in the third and final round of qualifying for this race.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen prevented what would have been an eighth consecutive Mercedes front row lockout by qualifying in second place, but he was well off Hamilton’s pace. His top lap time was 91.867 seconds (142.406 miles per hour), 0.563 seconds (0.878 miles per hour) slower than that of Hamilton.
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Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas qualified in third place and is set to start alongside Racing Point’s Sergio Perez in fourth on the second row. The third and fourth rows are both set to feature one Renault driver and one McLaren driver. Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo qualified in fifth alongside McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in sixth. Renault’s Esteban Ocon qualified In seventh alongside McLaren’s Lando Norris in eighth.
AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Red Bull’s Alexander Albon were the slowest two drivers of the 10 who advanced to the third and final round of qualifying. They qualified in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
Eliminated after the second round of qualifying were Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat, Racing Point’s Lance Stroll, Williams’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. They qualified in 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th place, respectively. Vettel crashed out of the session.
Eliminated after the first round of qualifying were Haas’ Romain Grosjean, Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, Williams rookie Nicholas Latifi and Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen. They qualified in 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th place, respectively.
Russell is now an impressive 31 for 31 in in terms of outqualifying his teammates throughout his career.
Here is the full starting lineup for the 2020 Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrom.
Starting Lineup
1st – Lewis Hamilton
2nd – Max Verstappen
3rd – Valtteri Bottas
4th – Sergio Perez
5th – Daniel Ricciardo
6th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
7th – Esteban Ocon
8th – Lando Norris
9th – Pierre Gasly
10th – Alexander Albon
11th – Charles Leclerc
12th – Daniil Kvyat
13th – Lance Stroll
14th – George Russell
15th – Sebastian Vettel
16th – Romain Grosjean
17th – Antonio Giovinazzi
18th – Kevin Magnussen
19th – Nicholas Latifi
20th – Kimi Raikkonen
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Tune in to ESPN tomorrow morning at 7:10 a.m. ET for the live broadcast of the 2020 Russian Grand Prix from Sochi Autodrom.