Russian F1 Grand Prix 2014: Start Time, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
Jules Bianchi's horrific crash at the last race in Japan means there will be something of a sombre atmosphere at this weekend's inaugural Russian Grand Prix.
The French Marussia driver suffered a diffuse axonal injury in a high-speed collision at Suzuka last weekend, which left him in intensive care.
Understandably, the prevailing thoughts of the Formula One world are with the 25-year-old but there is still a race to be run in Sochi on Sunday and key championship points to be gained.
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Lewis Hamilton is currently 10 points clear of his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg with just four races of the season remaining.
TV Schedule
| Date | Session | Start Time (BST/ET) | BBC1 Start (UK) | NBCSN Start (US) |
| October 11 | Qualifying | noon/7 a.m | 11:15 a.m. BST | 7 a.m. ET |
| October 12 | Race | noon/7 a.m | 11 a.m. BST | 6:30 a.m. ET |
Lineup
| Driver | Team | Driver | Team |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren |
| Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso |
| Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | Romain Grosjean | Lotus |
| Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso |
| Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | Adrian Sutil | Sauber |
| Valtteri Bottas | Williams | Marcus Ericsson | Caterham |
| Jenson Button | McLaren | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus |
| Nico Hulkenberg | Force India | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber |
| Felipe Massa | Williams | Max Chilton | Marussia |
| Sergio Perez | Force India | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham |
| Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari |
New Circuit Uncertainty
A new grand prix and a new circuit, Sunday will see the first race for all the drivers at the Sochi Autodrom in the 2014 Winter Olympic Park.
While all those on the grid will have had Friday's practices and Saturday's qualifying to familiarise themselves with the track, Sunday's race will still be something of an unknown quantity.
The 53-lap race is set to be a real challenge for all the drivers and a new spectacle for the fans. Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel—who drove the track in August, although not in an F1 car—is expecting a tough test, per Sky Sports' William Esler:
"Having driven the full circuit for the first time in the Infiniti Q50, it’s an interesting layout with a good mix of high speed corners and technical sections. It’s going to be a huge challenge in a Formula 1 car for sure and I’m really looking forward to coming back in October.
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The form driver going into the race is most certainly Hamilton, who has won each of the last three and dominated his teammate last time out, pulling off an outstanding overtaking manoeuvre during the race and making it stick to seal the victory, per BBCF1:
However, reliability issues have plagued both Mercedes drivers this year and with the lead at just 10 points—and the spectre of the season-ending double points race—the championship could still go either way.
The unfamiliarity of the track will add another element of tension to the race, but if the two Mercedes are on the front row of the grid once again, it is likely to be a thrilling contest.
Vettel's Red Bull Days Drawing to a Close
It was revealed last weekend that four-time world champion Vettel was leaving Red Bull to join Ferrari at the end of the season, making the Russian Grand Prix one of his last with Christian Horner's team:
The German dominated the championship in the four years preceding 2014 but has now decided to move away from the manufacturer at which he has become one of the most successful drivers of all time.
He has been some way off the pace this year—he is 127 points behind Hamilton—and more significantly has been out-performed by teammate Daniel Ricciardo, although he has been on the podium in the last two races.
Whether his move to Ferrari will return him to the top of the tree remains to be seen but it does signal the end of Fernando Alonso's time with the Italian team, per the BBC's Andrew Benson:
The most likely destination for the Spaniard is a return to McLaren, which in turn would see a driver shake-up at the British team.
It's set to be all change in the coming months on the grid, but for now, the likes of Vettel and Alonso will be looking to finish off well with their current teams and they will be targeting Sochi as a place to perform.
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