2021 Russian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The 2021 Russian Grand Prix combined a breakthrough qualifying performance, a tense battle for victory and a late weather twist. Lando Norris came close to his first Formula 1 win, but worsening rain handed the opportunity to Lewis Hamilton, who became the first driver to reach 100 Grand Prix victories.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 26 September 2021
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+03:00)
Circuit: Sochi Autodrom
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.848 km
2020 winner: Valtteri Bottas

Pole position
Driver	Lando Norris	McLaren
Time	1:41.993
Fastest lap
Driver	Lando Norris	McLaren
Time	1:37.423 on lap 39
Podium
First	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Second	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Third	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
24 September 2021	Practice 1	11:30 – 12:30
24 September 2021	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:00
25 September 2021	Practice 3	12:00 – 13:00 (cancelled)
25 September 2021	Qualifying	15:00 – 16:00
26 September 2021	Race	15:00

All times are local (UTC+03:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Verstappen led Hamilton by five points after their Monza collision, but a grid penalty and a planned power-unit change made Russia a recovery weekend for the Red Bull Racing driver. Mercedes had a strong record at Sochi, yet the weather and a mixed-up grid created opportunities for the midfield as well as the championship contenders.

Race entries

Kimi Räikkönen returned to Alfa Romeo Racing after missing the Dutch and Italian rounds. All 20 regular drivers were back in their usual seats, with no race substitutes.

Free Practice

Valtteri Bottas topped FP1 with a 1:34.427, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (+0.211s) and Max Verstappen. Bottas led a Mercedes one-two in the opening session, while Norris had a minor incident on his return to the pit lane.

Valtteri Bottas topped FP2 with a 1:33.593, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (+0.044s) and Pierre Gasly. Mercedes again occupied the leading two positions in FP2. Giovinazzi’s crash brought out a red flag, and Gasly damaged his front wing late in the session.

FP3 was cancelled because of adverse weather. No classification or lap times were recorded for the session.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Russian Grand Prix FP1, 24 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:34.427	25
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.211s	23
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.227s	13
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.690s	22
5	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.354s	23
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.367s	24
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.384s	25
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.532s	24
9	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.761s	22
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.798s	21
11	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.809s	25
12	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+2.095s	21
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.368s	23
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+2.450s	23
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.525s	20
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+3.367s	26
17	63	George Russell	Williams	+3.586s	23
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+3.728s	21
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+4.159s	22
20	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+4.550s	23

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Russian Grand Prix FP2, 24 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:33.593	19
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.044s	22
3	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.252s	22
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.561s	17
5	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.809s	23
6	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+1.028s	20
7	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.085s	22
8	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.169s	21
9	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.244s	22
10	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.332s	24
11	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.345s	22
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.459s	23
13	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.501s	19
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.585s	14
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.741s	21
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.818s	19
17	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+2.037s	12
18	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+2.361s	23
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.506s	19
20	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.637s	20

Free Practice 3 Classification

2021 Russian Grand Prix FP3, 25 September 2021

FP3 was cancelled because heavy rain prevented safe running. No classification was issued.

Qualifying

Lando Norris claimed his first Formula 1 pole position by judging the change to slick tyres on a drying track superbly. His 1:41.993 put McLaren ahead of Carlos Sainz and George Russell, creating an unexpected leading trio for the race.

Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth after touching the pit-entry wall while changing tyres, delaying his final run. Daniel Ricciardo took fifth and Fernando Alonso sixth. Verstappen did not set a time because his penalties already committed him to the rear of the grid, while several other drivers also faced substantial drops for component changes.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Russian Grand Prix Qualifying, 25 September 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:47.238	1:45.827	1:41.993	23
2	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:47.924	1:46.521	1:42.510	25
3	63	George Russell	Williams	1:48.303	1:46.435	1:42.983	26
4	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:45.992	1:45.129	1:44.050	24
5	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:48.345	1:46.361	1:44.156	23
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:47.877	1:45.514	1:44.204	25
7	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:46.396	1:45.306	1:44.710	24
8	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:48.322	1:46.360	1:44.956	23
9	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:46.455	1:45.834	1:45.337	24
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:48.099	1:46.070	1:45.865	25
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:47.205	1:46.573	—	18
12	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:47.828	1:46.641	—	18
13	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:48.854	1:46.751	—	20
14	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:48.252	No time	—	12
15	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:48.470	No time	—	10
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:49.586	—	—	10
17	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1:49.830	—	—	10
18	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:51.023	—	—	9
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:53.764	—	—	10
20	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	No time	—	—	2

Valtteri Bottas received a 15-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

Nicholas Latifi was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

Charles Leclerc was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

Antonio Giovinazzi received a five-place grid penalty for unscheduled gearbox change. The penalty was nullified by penalties incurred by other drivers. As a result, he made a net gain of one place from his qualifying position.

Max Verstappen received a three-place grid penalty for causing a collision at the previous round. He was later required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements. Verstappen neglected to set a qualifying time because of his penalties. However, the penalties did not affect his last position.

As qualifying was held on a wet track, the 107% rule was not in force.

What happened in the 2021 Russian Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton claimed his 100th Grand Prix victory after late rain transformed the Russian Grand Prix. Lando Norris had controlled much of the race and resisted Hamilton’s challenge, but the decision to remain on slick tyres as the conditions worsened cost the McLaren driver a likely maiden win.

Carlos Sainz took the lead from Norris on the long run to the opening braking zone. Norris stayed close and later passed the Ferrari to regain first, while Hamilton recovered from a difficult start. Behind them, Max Verstappen began working forward from the back of the grid.

Norris kept his pace under control and emerged from the pit-stop sequence with the lead. Hamilton closed steadily, setting up a direct contest between the McLaren driver seeking his first win and the Mercedes driver chasing a landmark hundredth.

Rain initially fell on only parts of the circuit, making the tyre decision particularly difficult. Some drivers stopped for intermediates while others tried to preserve track position. Hamilton eventually followed Mercedes‘ call to change tyres; Norris stayed out as the rain became heavier.

The slick tyres could no longer cope. Norris slid off and lost the lead, while Hamilton’s intermediates allowed him to continue at competitive speed. Norris finally stopped but had fallen to seventh, a painful conclusion to an otherwise outstanding weekend.

Verstappen benefited from his own switch to intermediates and completed a major recovery to second. Sainz finished third, followed by Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas, whose late tyre change also helped him recover positions. Fernando Alonso took sixth ahead of Norris, who retained the fastest-lap bonus point.

Kimi Räikkönen marked his return with eighth, followed by Sergio Perez and George Russell. Several drivers who had remained on slicks lost substantial ground in the final laps. Hamilton’s victory returned him to the championship lead, but Verstappen’s second place limited the damage from a weekend that had begun at the back.

For Norris, the result offered little immediate consolation despite his pole and race-leading pace. For Hamilton, the combination of perseverance, strategy and a timely tyre call delivered a milestone no Formula 1 driver had previously reached.

2021 Russian Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Russian Grand Prix was held on 26 September 2021, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	53	1:30:41.001	25
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	53	+53.271s	18
3	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	53	+62.475s	15
4	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	53	+65.607s	12
5	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	53	+67.533s	10
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	53	+81.321s	8
7	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	53	+87.224s	7
8	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	53	+88.955s	4
9	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	53	+90.076s	2
10	63	George Russell	Williams	53	+100.551s	1
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	53	+116.198s	0
12	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	52	+1 lap	0
13	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	52	+1 lap	0
14	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	52	+1 lap	0
15	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	52	+1 lap	0
16	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	52	+1 lap	0
17	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	52	+1 lap	0
18	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	51	+2 laps	0
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	47	Accident damage	0
Ret	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	32	Oil leak	0

Lando Norris earned the additional point for fastest lap.

Lance Stroll received a post-race ten-second time penalty for causing a collision with Pierre Gasly. His final position was not affected by the penalty.

Nicholas Latifi was classified, as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.

2021 Russian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	39	16:09:38	1:37.423	216.096
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	43	16:16:10	1:37.575	215.760
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	31	15:57:00	1:38.216	214.352
4	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	35	16:03:46	1:38.279	214.214
5	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	28	15:51:45	1:38.396	213.959
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	44	16:18:28	1:38.686	213.331
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	45	16:20:14	1:38.994	212.667
8	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	39	16:10:55	1:39.058	212.530
9	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	24	15:45:03	1:39.124	212.388
10	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	45	16:20:03	1:39.215	212.193
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	44	16:18:43	1:39.251	212.116
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	40	16:11:42	1:39.294	212.024
13	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	42	16:15:49	1:39.960	210.612
14	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	42	16:15:44	1:40.000	210.528
15	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	22	15:42:27	1:40.276	209.948
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	34	16:01:56	1:40.289	209.921
17	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	35	16:03:28	1:40.464	209.555
18	63	George Russell	Williams	40	16:11:57	1:40.596	209.280
19	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	34	16:01:54	1:40.598	209.276
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	24	15:45:43	1:41.713	206.982

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Russian Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	246.5
2	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	244.5
3	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	151
4	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	139
5	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	120
6	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	112.5
7	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	104
8	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	95
9	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	66
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	58
11	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	45
12	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	35
13	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	24
14	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	18
15	George Russell	GBR	Williams	16
16	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	7
17	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	6
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	1
19	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
20	Robert Kubica	POL	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
21	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	397.5
2	Red Bull Racing	364.5
3	McLaren	234
4	Ferrari	216.5
5	Alpine	103
6	AlphaTauri	84
7	Aston Martin	59
8	Williams	23
9	Alfa Romeo Racing	7
10	Haas	0