With qualifying for the 2021 Russian Grand Prix hit by rain, it was McLaren’s Lando Norris who came out on top to claim pole position in Sochi, with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz joining him on the front row of the starting grid.
A poor session from Lewis Hamilton saw the seven-time champion bump the wall on entry into the pit lane, which compromised his final flying run, and thus he starts fourth.
Three cars were dropped to the back of the grid for power unit changes, including F1 title protagonist Max Verstappen who lines up in 20th position for the 2021 Russian GP as he also incurred a three place grid penalty for his part in the collision with Hamilton at the Italian GP.
Russian GP 2021 – Full starting grid
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 2 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari |
| 3 | George Russell | Williams |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 5 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine |
| 7 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes |
| 8 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 9 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine |
| 11 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri |
| 13 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri |
| 14 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo |
| 15 | Mick Schumacher | Haas |
| 16 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo |
| 17 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas |
| 18 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams |
| 19 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 20 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
Grid penalties
Max Verstappen = Three place grid penalty for causing a collision (Italian GP)
Max Verstappen = Required to start from the back of the starting grid – Additional power unit elements have been used
Charles Leclerc = Required to start from the back of the starting grid – Additional power unit elements have been used
Nicholas Latifi = Required to start from the back of the starting grid – Additional power unit elements have been used
