Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

“‘Low grip’ has been pretty much a chorus from drivers at Sochi since the first Russian Grand Prix two years ago and not much had changed on day one this year. Lewis Hamilton was most outspoken, saying the tyres were ‘not very good’ and it was ‘like driving on ice’. 

"This accounted for the unusually high number of spins and off-track moments during Friday practice, and Jenson Button explained why it was so difficult. ‘The tyre goes from having a lot of grip and as soon as you push it over its limit you suddenly lose all the grip. It is not a gradual slide, at low speed it happens and also with the undulations of the circuit,’ he said. ’It makes it very difficult to catch a slide.”

Turn 13 is unlucky for some.

Nico Rosberg does precisely what Sergio Perez did and goes straight into the dirt.

He opts for a three-point turn to escape, rather than a clumsy full circle.

Not many times to get anyone in a flutter.

But Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are trundling out.

Sebastian Vettel seems to be on a long run - he's had the most laps with 11.

Image source, Rex Features

I knew that asking what would be on Kimi Raikkonen's mix-tape would be a starter...

Sergio Perez was looking to get some qualifying-style laps in, but he's come a cropper at Turn 13.

It's an odd one, as he just slows down and goes straight into the dirt. He then tries to do a full curcle to get the Force India back on track - but he is stopped by a wall.

F1 cars have the turning circle of steamroller.

Times are being clocked - Sergio Perez is quickest with 1:39.151. It's about 1.5 seconds shy of Lewis Hamilton's time yesterday.

As I type, Daniel Ricciardo goes top - 1:38.895.

Seb Vettel doesn't seem to be having any issues with the new gearbox, but is yet to have a lap in anger.

Image source, Rex Features

Obviously.

Everyone's been out in the first five minutes - apart from Daniil Kvyat and Kimi Raikkonen.

Jolyon Palmer sets the first time of note - 1:45.366.

Plenty of tyre heating up happening.

I'm sure Sochi is lovely.

But it does look like a giant Mickey Mouse threw up next to a race track.

Sebastian Vettel is straight on to super softs - with most others on the mediums.

So the German will be looking to do two things - 1) Make sure the new gearbox isn't a duff. 2) Have a go at a simulation qualifying lap.

It's the last session before qualifying - and it's under way.

Sebastian Vettel is straight out there.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

“Felipe Nasr has had a torrid season with Sauber so far. He's not at all happy with the feel of the car in the first three races, and convinced in his own mind that something fundamental was wrong, even if the team could not find it. He has a new chassis this weekend and he is in a much happier place, saying the car feels “much more together” than it has so far this season. The fact that he was finally ahead of team-mate Marcus Ericsson - as was the more common scenario in 2015 - will doubtless have helped the Brazilian’s mood.”

I wonder what would be on Kimi Raikkonen's mix-tape?

Image source, Rex Features

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra are on air with commentary from Sochi, you can also listen by using the Live Coverage tab on this page.

Coverage of qualifying will begin in the same place at 12:55 BST.

Here's the forecast for Sochi today. Overcast and warm with it cooling a couple of degrees for qualifying.

Get a more detailed forecast with Helen Willetts right here.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

“There was another highly impressive, under-the-radar performance from Kevin Magnussen in the Renault on Friday afternoon. Forced to give his car to newly signed test driver Sergey Sirtokin in the first session, the Dane hopped straight in for the second and ended up 0.5secs quicker than team-mate Jolyon Palmer, who had run all day. Palmer complained of not being able to find a balance.”

Here's hoping you drive with porpoise today, Romain.

Image source, Rex Features

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, EPA

“This season is just not coming together for Ferrari. Mercedes continue to insist that the red car are ‘right there’ with them on pace and, to be fair, there have been occasions in the previous races when it has looked like they might be, however much of a suspicion there is that Mercedes are talking their rivals up for whatever reason.

"But it didn’t look that way on Friday in Sochi. Nowhere on pace compared to Mercedes, Sebastian Vettel was on a faster lap only for the latest in a series of reliability problems to cause his car to stop out on track. On a track on which the low-abrasion surface will exacerbate the problems Ferrari always have getting their tyres up to temperature, it already looks as if the bottom step of the podium is the best they can hope for, all things being equal. A five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change will only make things harder.”

So, changes to the car ahoy. What do you make of the rules?

More importantly, what I'd like to know is what's the one thing you'd change about F1 cars?

Or would you bring something back?

It can be serious or silly. Silly is encouraged - as are drawings.

Image source, BBC Sport

It ain't sexy. But it's important.

F1's power brokers have settled on a set of rules for the 2017 to 2020 seasons.

I implore you to head over to Andrew Benson's full rundown of the nuts and bolts right here.

But here are some headlines:

• Costs for customer teams will reduce by €1m in 2017 and a further €3m in 2018.
• Restrictions on turbo-boost pressure will be introduced in 2017 and 2018. 
• The four manufacturers - Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda - are researching ways to improve the sound of the engines.
• The cars will be widened from 1800mm to 2000mm, with wider bodywork, tyres and front and rear wings, and more downforce created from the underfloor than this year.