Image source, Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton, winner of the inaugural Russian GP last year, has once again been a busy man between races, popping along to Paris fashion week, as he reveals in his latest BBC Sport column. The Briton also gives his thoughts on the Sochi circuit, and perhaps hints at a possible career after racing...

"Sometimes I think when I retire I will start designing tracks myself and give Hermann Tilke some competition - I've raced and I know what drivers like in circuits,"he writes.

"I feel that quite often the new generation of tracks don't grasp the true essence of F1. I know there are restrictions to do with safety and so on but the circuits often feel too calculated."

Just woken up? Then what better way to start the day than with a bit of Formula 1 on the tv? 

Coverage of first practice is live on BBC Two from 07:55 BST and if you have got to get in the car or on the train to travel to work then fear not, because it is also live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra too.

You can also watch and/or listen online at the top of this page.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

“Mercedes were as stunned as anyone when they were going through the struggles in Singapore that left them well over a second a lap off the pace. Since then, they have looked at what went wrong and concluded they think they understand it - a combination of a track where they had their least competitive showing in 2014, and failing to operate the tyres correctly. The soft and super-soft tyres are the choice in Russia, as they were in Singapore. And the asphalt is low abrasion, as it was in Singapore. 

“Nico Rosberg admitted that the team would be alive to any signs that the situation might repeat itself, but expressed an understated confidence that they would be OK. ‘We need to be careful because this is a unique weekend and the asphalt is very different to anywhere else - it is very smooth, and we know we do not go as well on the soft and super-soft, as we saw in Singapore. We think we understand what happened in Singapore but Sochi is not Singapore.’ By the end of Friday’s running, as Williams driver Valtteri Bottas pointed out, it should be clear where Mercedes are, as long as it stays dry, which is far from a foregone conclusion,as it happens.”

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

“Lewis Hamilton is inching towards a third world title that could, if results go his way, be won as early as the next race in the US in two weeks’ time. Whenever it happens, it seems inconceivable that this is not how the season will end. 

"Even more inconceivable is that Mercedes will not win a second consecutive constructors’ title - they need to score only three points more than Ferrari in Russia this weekend to achieve it. 

"On the balance of the season, that should be easy. But we only have to look two events into the past to know that there is no such thing as a sure thing in Formula 1. 

"This weekend, the teams will race on the same two types of tyre as they did in Singapore, when Mercedes were nowhere and Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel romped to victory. It couldn’t happen again, could it?” 

Hello and welcome to our coverage of practice for the Russian Grand Prix, round 15 of the 2015 season.

A title can be won this weekend, with Mercedes able to clinch the constructors' championship.

However, they know that if they are to secure it, they will have to do a bit more than simply turn up on Sunday...

Image source, Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton continued his stride towards the F1 drivers' title with a comfortable victory in Japan last-time out, but he knows it won't be quite so simple this weekend.

Mercedes have been a dominant force at almost every circuit this season but struggled in Singapore.

With the Russian Grand Prix track surface sharing similar characteristics to Marina Bay, could a slip-up in Sochi be on the cards?