After a chaotic triple-header kicked off the second half of the F1 season, teams gained a much-needed breather this past weekend. However, it’s time for them to return to action as this weekend sees the Russian GP take place.
The Sochi Autodrom will play host to Round 15 of this season, with intense battles set to continue on the 5.8km circuit.
What’s the schedule for the 2021 Russian Grand Prix?
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This year’s Russian Grand Prix will be the eighth edition of the race, which joined the F1 calendar in 2014. While the previous Italian Grand Prix hosted F1’s second-ever sprint qualifying race, a traditional race weekend will unfold in Sochi this weekend.
This means there will be three practice sessions, an hour of qualifying, and the main race taking place across three days. On-track action will begin on Friday, September 24, with two free practice sessions. FP1 will start at 11:30 AM local time and 8:30 AM GMT, while FP2 will start at 3:00 PM local time and 12:00 PM GMT.
September 25, which is a Saturday, begins with the third and final practice session of the weekend. FP3 will begin at 12:00 PM local time and 9:00 AM GMT. Following this session is the major attraction of the day: qualifying. The 60-minute session for pole position will begin at 3:00 PM local time and 12:00 PM GMT.
The weekend concludes on Sunday, September 26 with a 53-lap race which will begin at 3:00 PM local time and 9:00 AM GMT.
F1 fans in England can catch all the action unfold on Sky Sports, while American fans can do so on ESPN. For Indian fans, Star Sports will bring all the action on TV screens across the country. Apart from TV, fans can also watch track action through live streams on the F1 app or the Sky Sports website; Disney+ HotStar will do the same for Indian fans.
READ MORE: Russian GP Predictions: Can Lewis Hamilton Finally Clinch His 100th F1 Win at Sochi?
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Who won the Russian GP last year?
Valtteri Bottas achieved this feat last year in an eventful race. He capitalized on his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, receiving a 10-second penalty for practice start infringements to record his second win on this track.
The Finn‘s recent form puts him as a contender to record his first win in 2021. However, the battle for the top step of the podium looks likely to be between Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
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