When is the Russian Grand Prix? Start time, TV channel

Jo Harrison

This article is about the 2018 Russian Grand Prix. You can click here for details and information about the 2019 Russian Grand Prix and how to watch it live on TV or via live stream.

Lewis Hamilton bids to ram home his world title advantage when F1’s roadshow rocks up in Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix this weekend.

The British ace now leads imploding Sebastian Vettel by a yawning 40 points after Ferrari endured another strategic nightmare in Singapore earlier this month.

Here is a guide to all you need to now about the upcoming weekend at Sochi – including details of how to watch the race on TV and the latest betting odds.

Russian Grand Prix
Russian Grand Prix

What time does the Russian Grand Prix start?

The start times for the Russian Grand Prix are as follows:

Practice 1: Friday September 28, 1100 local time (0900 BST)

Practice 2: Friday September 28, 1500 local time (1300 BST)

Practice 3: Saturday September 29, 1200 local time (1000 BST)

Qualifying: Saturday September 29, 1500 local time (1300 BST)

Race: Sunday September 30, 1410 local time (1210 BST)

Where does the Russian Grand Prix take place?

The Sochi Autodrom initially formed part of the venue used for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, but the tropical beach holiday resort on the Black Sea coast is now considered a Formula One hub.

The 55,000-capacity venue was designed by renowned German architect Hermann Tilke and a single lap takes in 1.7km of public roads, featuring 12 right-handed corners and six left-handers that combines both high-speed and technical sections.

Maximum speeds of 320km/h can be reached on the straight between Turns 1 and 2 with the average lap speed around the 215km/h mark.

The 5.853-kilometre track, which runs clockwise, is the third-longest circuit on the F1 calendar behind Spa and Silverstone and will take in sites that were used during the 2014 Winter Games.

Daniil Kvyat has been honoured with the T4 Grandstand – which can see action at Turns 2, 3, 4 and 5 – being named after the Russian, who made history at the 2014 Australian GP when he became the youngest points scorer in F1 history.

Sunday’s race will be run over 53 laps of the circuit.

Where can I watch the Russian Grand Prix on TV?

Russian Grand Prix weekend – including the race proper – will be screened live in the UK by pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sports on its dedicated Sky Sports F1 channel. Highlights will be aired by free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4.

Subscribers to F1’s own app can hear radio commentary on the race proper from the BBC and access live data around each session.

PlanetF1 will carry live timing and expert commentary on every session of the race weekend along with all the latest news from the track.

The Russian Grand Prix will be shown live on TV by the following outlets in other key markets:

United States: ESPN (English), Univision (Spanish)

Canada: RDS (French), TSN (English)

Australia: Fox Sports

France: Canal +

Italy: Sky Sport F1

Germany: RTL

Spain: Movistar F1

What is the weather forecast for the Russian Grand Prix?

Friday September 28: 21C, sunny.
Saturday September 29: 23C, sunny.
Sunday September 30: 23C, mostly sunny.

Which drivers have won the Russian Grand Prix?

Past winners of the race since its inception in 2014 are:
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2016 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2017 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Track Lap Record: 1:39.094 by Nico Rosberg (Mercedes, 2016)

What are the odds for the Russian Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton is favourite to win the Russian Grand Prix.

11/10 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

5/4 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

7/1 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

35/1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

50/1 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

(Prices correct at 1900 BST on Monday September 24)

What are the latest F1 Championship standings?

The leaders in the race for the driver and constructor titles are as follows:

Drivers’ Championship

Lewis Hamilton – 281 points

Sebastian Vettel – 241 points

Kimi Raikkonen – 174 points

Valtteri Bottas – 171 points

Max Verstappen – 148 points

Daniel Ricciardo – 126 points

Constructors’ Championship

Mercedes – 452 points

Ferrari – 415 points

Red Bull – 274 points

Full F1 championship standings are here

Tyre compounds for the Russian Grand Prix

F1 tyre manufacturer Pirelli will bring three compounds to Sochi – the yellow soft tyre, the purple ultrasoft tyre and the pink hypsersoft tyre.

Another race, another bold Ferrari tyre strategy
Another race, another bold Ferrari tyre strategy