Russian GP Schedule: Where to Watch, Timings and Live Stream

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?

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.

Formula One F1 – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia – Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in action during the race. Pool via REUTERS/Kirill Kudryavtsev

This means there will be three practice sessions, an hour of qualifying and the main race taking place across three days. On-track action begins on Friday, September 24 with two free practice sessions. FP1 starts at 11:30am local time and 8:30am GMT, while FP2 starts at 3:00pm local time and 12:00pm GMT.

September 25, which is a Saturday, begins with the third and final practice session of the weekend. FP3 begins at 12:00pm local time and 9:00am GMT. Following this session is the major attraction of the day: qualifying. The 60-minute session for pole position begins at 3:00pm local time and 12:00pm GMT.

The weekend concludes on Sunday, September 26 with a 53-lap race which begins at 3:00pm local time and 9:00am 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?

Who won the Russian GP last year?

Valtteri Bottas achieved this feat last year in an eventful race. He capitalised on his teammate, Lewis Hamilton receiving a 10-second penalty for practice start infringements to record his second win on this track.

Formula One F1 – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia – Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas celebrates with the trophy on the podium after winning the race. Pool via REUTERS/Bryn Lennon

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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