Formula 1

F1 Russian Grand Prix 2017: Starting grid and lineup

Ferrari managed a front-row lockout for the first time this season in the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix.

Apr 30, 2017, 11:00 AM UTC

Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images

The battle between Ferrari and Mercedes for the 2017 Formula One crown is heating up more than anybody ever expected. When Sebastian Vettel took the first race of the season, many thought it was a mistake from Mercedes that made things competitive.

But with Vettel winning again at the Chinese Grand Prix and now having taken pole position for the upcoming Russian Grand Prix, things are getting very interesting.

Sunday’s race from the Sochi Autodrom will have Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari locking out the front row, with Hamilton and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas lining up in third and fourth, respectively. The race will be broadcast on NBCSN in the United States, with a live stream via NBC Sports Live running at the same time, beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Start times are all over the place for those who want to watch Formula One in the United States, but a bright and early time for Sochi’s race should be doable for most.

Saturday’s qualifying session was a good one, with Mercedes looking dominant up until the final sector, and primarily the final corner. Both Bottas and Hamilton lost time on the final corner, which means overall they might have better luck taking Ferrari on in a race situation.

After the Ferrari and Mercedes teams, the rest of the top 10 is fairly predictable. Daniel Ricciardo qualified in fifth and was split between his teammate Max Verstappen at seventh by Felipe Massa of Williams in sixth. The Renault of Nio Hulkenberg was next in eighth while the Mercedes-powered Force India cars continue to impress, occupying spots nine and ten on the grid.

Lance Stroll of Williams has still yet to finish a race in his rookie season, and he was eliminated in the second qualifying session after a poor final sector on his run. A frustrated-as-usual Fernando Alonso qualified in 15th for McLaren-Honda, while the American-owned Haas team stranded Romain Grosjean in the bottom of the back. Kevin Magnussen managed to make it into the second session, qualifying 14th.

Below is the full lineup and starting grid for Sunday’s race, and below that is all the information you need to watch the Russian Grand Prix in the United States.