Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Alonso breaks down on way into pits at end of formation lap. He was struggling with hybrid charge before that.

Disaster for Fernando Alonso! 

His race is over already because his McLaren has come to a stop on the track. 

Alonso climbs out and chucks his seat buckle away in disgust.

Oh Nando.

Alex Withington: Kimi has been over shadowed by Vettel so far this year but looks much more competitive here. I think he might sneak it.

Fernando Alonso is loving life already.

"Try something else," he is told.

"I've already tried. Try yourself."

Away go the drivers for the formation lap.

The top 16 drivers are on ultrasofts with Pascal Wehrlein (17th), Marcus Ericsson (18th) and Stoffel Vandoorne (20th) on softs.

Image source, .

Sebastian Vettel starts on pole for the first time since the Singapore Grand Prix in 2015. 

He went on to win that race - his third for Ferrari.

Mere minutes to go until lights out...

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, .

The odds are on this being a one-stop race for nearly everyone. The super-smooth Sochi track surface gives the tyres an easy time and a one-stop is the projected fastest strategy, with a first stint on the ultra-softs of about 26 laps or so and then a swap to the super-softs for the duration. A two-stop with two stints on the ultra-soft is slower and means ceding track position. 

Alex Withington: So roles are reversed now, everyone expects Ferrari to win and Mercedes become the hunters. Should be interesting today.

Jeremiah Kariuki: If Hamilton keeps his head cool, he will be on the podium if not winning the race!  

National anthem time and there's some very colourfully dressed ladies and gentleman giving it real gusto. 

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Governing body the FIA said last year that it wanted convergence of engine performance this year and that it would check early in 2017 whether the various manufacturers’ engines were all within 0.3secs of each other in terms of power-effect on lap time. Everyone knows Honda is nowhere near that and that Ferrari and Mercedes are neck and neck so the main question was over Renault - and it was duly announced this weekend that these checks have been done and that the Renault is also in that ballpark. This has caused some amusement at the Renault-engined Red Bull teams. 

Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz, who qualified 11th but starts 14th because of his three-place penalty for colliding with Williams’ Lance Stroll in Bahrain, said: “I nearly put a comment on Twitter laughing at it And then (Force India's Sergio) Perez saying: ’Yes, it's true, it's true'. I nearly laughed at it. I think Max (Verstappen) also nearly laughed. “We've made progress, Renault has made progress. If not, (Nico) Hulkenberg would not be where he is, but we are definitely not closer than half a second compared to Mercedes, especially in qually. In the race it's not that bad, but in qually the Mercedes engine has half a second or more.”

Max Verstappen reports that the water leak issue is "now OK" but adds: "We go into the race and see what happens."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the problem being solved.

Max Verstappen got away from the pitlane OK so it looks like Red Bull have got to the bottom of the issue that had bothered many Red Bull mechanics a little earlier.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Jolyon Palmer has had a difficult weekend so far in Russia, continuing what has been a difficult season so far. The Englishman lost final  practice to an engine change and was trying to get out of the elimination zone in first qualifying when he misjudged the entry to Turn Four, clouted the inside kerb, and binned the car into the barriers. 

“I put it in the wall so it's quite difficult for me to point too many fingers at the team, he said. "When you haven't done any laps in a day it becomes a little bit more on the limit and you have to dig deep and explore new limits. Me losing the track time certainly contributed but it's my mistake.” 

Palmer has been some way from the pace of team-mate Nico Hulkenberg all season but he has often been a slow starter and is optimistic he can turn it around. “It’s not going my way but it's a long season," he said. "It wasn't going my way this time last season either."

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Best of the rest, albeit 1.6secs off pole, is Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. He was split from team-mate Max Verstappen, who admitted to a “very poor” Q3, by Felipe Massa’s Williams, and the Australian said he was expecting a tasty little race between the three of them. 

“At least before the weekend, I predicted [Williams] to be quick here,” said Ricciardo. “It’s been one of their stronger circuits the last few years, and Massa’s always been pretty handy around here. He got close, certainly, and split Max and myself. We could have a nice little battle between ourselves for a top five. Compared to a Williams, obviously I think we have the rear downforce in the car but they have the straight-line speed. Against the Williams, maybe we can be a bit nicer on the tyres. Track position will be pretty important, and it should be a good race between Massa, Verstappen and myself. We all live in the same building in Monaco!” 

Ricciardo clearly fancies his chances. “Maybe they can give the winner their apartment for the weekend,” he joked. “They both have pretty good-sized apartments."