Russian F1 Grand Prix 2019: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More

Ferrari will be seeking to make it four wins in a row this weekend, with the Scuderia in red-hot form ahead of the 2019 Formula One Russian Grand Prix.

After back-to-back successes for Charles Leclerc, Sebastian Vettel earned an overdue win last time out when he took advantage of a strategical misstep from the Prancing Horse to overtake his team-mate in Singapore.

While Lewis Hamilton is poised to win the world championship again—the Mercedes driver has a 65-point lead over his team-mate Valtteri Bottas with six races remaining—recent races have been exciting in isolation, with Ferrari and Red Bull offering much more significant competition to the Silver Arrows.

Those at the Sochi Autodrome on Sunday will hope for another fascinating encounter. Here are the key viewing details for the race and a preview of what's to come from Russia.

Date: Saturday, September 28

Time: 12:10 p.m. (BST), 7:10 a.m. (ET)

TV Info: Sky Sports F1 (UK), ESPN 2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN Player (U.S.)

For a full list of the drivers, visit the F1 website.

Preview

Overall, the 2019 season has been one to forget for Vettel, who has made a number of costly errors at critical points. In Singapore, the German finally got it together.

While he wasn't initially in a strong position to win early in the race, Ferrari's decision to bring him in before Leclerc worked in Vettel's favour, with the undercut tactic unexpectedly strong. It meant that when Leclerc later emerged from the pits, he was behind Vettel.

Here are the highlights from the race at Marina Bay Street Circuit:

It was the first time in more than a year that Vettel had stood on the top step of the podium, and after the race, he thanked his fans for sticking by him during some tough times, per Laureus:

While their inconsistency at the start of the season ultimately cost Ferrari a chance of winning the world title, the omens have been good for the Scuderia in the second half of the season.

Not only does the car appear more competitive, in Leclerc, they have one of the sport's most exciting young drivers. Had it not been for the error in strategy at Singapore, the Monegasque was on course for a third win in succession.

After the race, Leclerc spoke maturely about how the race win slipped away from him:

Andrew Benson of BBC Sport noted that Leclerc has been able to better the results of the rest of the field since the 10th round of the season:

Mercedes will surely seek to bounce back, though, and a competitor like Hamilton will want to finish the season on a high.

He's done well at Sochi previously, too, with his three wins in total unmatched by any other driver. A year ago, race leader Bottas let Hamilton overtake him to win in Russia, with the Briton taking a big step towards a fifth world title.

The Mercedes man also has the chance to set another F1 landmark in his distinguished racing career on Sunday:

After difficult races in Belgium and Italy, Max Verstappen appeared to rediscover some form at Singapore and finished third. The Dutchman was also quickest in second practice, suggesting his pace will be good this weekend.

However, Mercedes have typically dominated at this track, with Hamilton and Bottas the only winners since Russia was added back to the calendar in 2014.

So while the world champion has said he thinks Ferrari may be tough to beat for the remainder of the season, expect the Silver Arrows to bounce back on Sunday.

Prediction: 1. Hamilton, 2. Bottas, 3. Leclerc