Summary

  • Race live on 5 Live and Sport website Sunday at 12:10 BST

  • Leclerc takes fourth pole in a row, Hamilton 2nd

  • Albon crashes heavily, Kvyat did not take part

Live Reporting

Niamh Lewis and Matt Warwick

  1. Muscle memory

    The things you have to do to make your mark as a young F1 driver...

    Alex AlbonReuters

  2. Clint - the last bastion in cool?

    We are all about creating a supportive working environment at the BBC, so in a bid to help lend weight to Andrew Benson's argument that Clint Eastwood was the last bastion in cool, we innocently set about looking for an image to back up his argument.

    Unfortunately, the search unearthed a truly unsettling array of images from an inexplicable photo shoot involving Clint in California back in 1956.

    You can only imagine that they were trying to paint a then 26-year-old Eastwood (old enough to know better) as a James Dean wannabe. What they actually achieved was pretty far wide of the mark...we'll let you be the judge.

    Universal's talent workshop included a regular course in body conditioning. American actor Clint Eastwood is surrounded by Jane Howard, Myrna Hansen and Dani CrayneGetty Images
    Actor Clint Eastwood works out with dumbbells at home on June 1, 1956 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images
    Actor Clint Eastwood talks on a pay phone outside his home on June 1, 1956 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaGetty Images

  3. You never forget your first

    Valtteri Bottas reflects on his first win at Sochi in 2017 - your eyes may or may not get damp.

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  4. Leclerc quickest in final practice

    Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    Charles LeclercReuters

    Charles Leclerc set an impressive pace as he led a Ferrari one-two in final practice at the Russian Grand Prix.

    The 21-year-old was 0.316 seconds clear of team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who was just 0.01secs ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

    Valtteri Bottas was fourth in the second Mercedes, 0.225secs behind team-mate Hamilton, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fifth after a big spin.

    The Dutchman’s off at Turn 13, in which he just grazed the barriers, meant he did not complete a qualifying simulation lap.

    His team-mate Alexander Albon was struggling, only 0.2secs off Verstappen but using the soft tyres while the team leader’s best time was set on the medium as a result of his spin.

    Haas driver Romain Grosjean split the Red Bulls in sixth place, with Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, McLaren’s Lando Norris and the second Haas of Kevin Magnussen completing the top 10.

  5. Happy birthday to the flying Finn

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  6. Get Involved

    Roxy: Do Jack, Jolyon and Andrew need some way of displaying what's cool and what isn't? Some sort of wall maybe?

    Like Top Gear?

  7. Race (qualifying) face

    Max's message is simple: "More of the same please!"

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  8. "It looks pretty tight" says Christian Horner.

    Although maybe not for Mercedes: "I think their party is more like an afternoon tea now compared to what Ferrari have up to their sleeves. You can't write them off, Ferrari are definitely the benchmark now."

    On Verstappen's brush with the wall Horner said: "It was the lightest of touches, but we will investigate it."

  9. Part of the 5 live chat... Jolyon Palmer said he has never seen Star Wars, and neither have I. He has dressed up like it though.

    jolyon palmer star warsGetty Images
  10. chequered flag

    Charles Leclerc quickest in final practice
    Breaking

    Need I say more?

    The time gaps are:

    1. Leclerc 1:32.733
    2. Vettel +0.316
    3. Hamilton +0.396
    4. Bottas +0.621
    5. Verstappen 1.494

    Let's see what happens in qualifying.

  11. Keeping it in the family

    Red Bull team manager Jonathan Wheatley chats with former F1 driver Jean Alesi and his son, F2 driver Giuliano Alesi, in the paddock before final practice.

    Red Bull team manager Jonathan Wheatley chats with former F1 driver Jean Alesi and his son, F2 driver Giuliano Alesi, in the paddock before final practiceGetty Images

  12. Get Involved

    Tracey Pankhurst: I have F1 Top Trumps, is that cool!?

    No.

  13. Max Verstappen goes over a sausage kerb at Turn Two and flies into the air. He carried on to Turn 13, and spun into the wall, but only lightly touches it.

    "Max, have you hit anything?" his engineer says.

    "Urhhhh, I think I scratched the outside?" Verstappen replies.

  14. Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    When I think cool, I think Clint Eastwood, I don't think Star Wars trading cards.

  15. Why can Vettel not find that 0.3 sec to close the gap to his team-mate Leclerc? Or am I getting to ahead of myself for qualifying (13:00 BST).

    Leclerc's laptime is 1:32.733 and Vettel is + 0.316.

  16. Face of the future

    Robert ShwartzmanGetty Images

    Am I getting old (OK, older) or are these F3 drivers starting to look uncomfortably young?

    This is the baby face of Russia's newly crowned F3 champion Robert Shwartzman during a press conference at Sochi after today's race.

    His second-place finish clinched the title for the Prema Powerteam driver, who is also a member of the Ferrari driver academy.

    NB: I was wondering whether Robert was missing school to attend the race weekend, but I am reliably informed by the world-wide web that he turned 20 earlier this month.

  17. Get Involved

    Uzi9cm: Regarding new rules... Do away with the compulsory running of two compounds of tyres. If a car runs better on softs why force them to use the medium. Two races per weekend. It works well in many other motorsports.

  18. Pink and smoky.

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  19. Lewis Hamilton is creeping closer to Charles Leclerc's lap times. He's now only 0.396 sec away.

    Both are on soft tyres.

  20. Daniil Kvyat's Toro Rosso finally returns back to the pits - sans driver.

    Claire is currently trying to get to the bottom of that (see post from 10:33 BST)

    Daniil Kvyat's Toro Rosso finally returns back to the pitsReuters