2021 Russian GP Qualifying : Lando Norris takes first career Pole ahead of Sainz and Russell

McLaren’s Lando Norris clinches 2021 Russian Grand Prix pole position ahead of Ferrari man Carlos Sainz in P2 and Mr. Saturday Geroge Russell in P3.

After helping in team’s first one-two finish in over a decade at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix last time out, McLaren’s Lando Norris drove exceptionally under damp conditions at the Sochi Autodrom to claim first ever Formula One Pole position and McLaren’s first pole since 2012 season.

During post-qualifying interview LANDO said he took risk of trying hard in the mixed weather conditions and he is happy that it paid off :

“It feels amazing. I don’t know what to say. You never think you’re going to get a pole until you actually do it, but here we are. I have to thank the team so much.

“It’s not really what we expected but we made the most of the opportunity!”

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was on provisional pole going into the final laps of Q3. But the seven-time champion then hit the pit wall as he came in to change for slicks, before failing to improve as he spun on his last lap and claiming P4.

Monza race winner Daniel Ricciardo was fifth for McLaren, ahead of the Alpine of Fernando Alonso in P6, as the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas claimed P7 – an upset for Mercedes, who took a one-two in every session and segment leading up to Q3.

Lance Stroll comes home in P8 for Aston Martin, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in P9 and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon in P10.

George Russell always delivers in Qualifying for Williams, He done it once again in mixed weather conditions at Sochi. The Brit looked happy man and he said, “It’s crazy [P3]. The team have done a great job, getting the strategy right and putting the right tyres on at the right time. “Congratulations to Lando and to Carlos. We’re really looking forward to tomorrow’s race. We have nothing to lose”

Carlos Sainz will lineup along his ex-teammate Lando Norris at the front of grid in tomorrow’s race. The Spaniard is very happy with his best qualifying efforts in short Ferrari career so far. He said, “Right after Q2 I could see that the slicks [tyres] could come into play. I put in a pretty strong lap. This weekend we’ve been looking a bit stronger. We will put on a fight [in the race] and try to have some fun”.

Latifi Joins Leclerc and Verstappen at the back of the grid

Meanwhile, with a back-of-the-grid start for Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen opted not to set a lap in qualifying. He’ll be joined at the back of the pack on Sunday by Charles leclerc and Nicholas Latifi, who will both be hit with penalties for changing power units.

Vettel Misses out Q3 once again with a P11 finish after the German lapped just 0.052s shy of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in P10.  He was joined in the knock-out zone by the AlphaTauris of Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda in P12 and P13, Gasly expressing his displeasure on team radio after feeling he’d been blocked at one point – before going on to criticise his team for failing to put him out on new intermediates. Latifi finishes in P14 ahead of Charles Leclerc in P15.