F1: Russian Grand Prix – live!

Lap 9/53: Lovely, Vettel sets a new fastest lap. He’s not letting up, with Leclerc almost 2secs behind his Ferrari team-mate. Räikkönen, meanwhile, has a drive-through penalty for that false start on the grid at the race start.

Lap 8/53: Leclerc and Vettel are having a ding-dong down the team radio. The German seems growingly reluctant to swap places with his Ferrari team-mate, while Leclerc says he has abided instructions without the favour being returned. He seems pretty up tight. It will be interesting how this saga plays out. And down in the battle for seventh, Max Verstappen edges past Sergio Pérez.

Lap 6/53: “Sebastian will let you by next lap,” say Ferrari down the team radio to Leclerc. Very interesting. Early tactics from Ferrari. Vettel appears pretty happy with that but seems to want a couple of laps. Meanwhile, Räikkönen is under investigation, seemingly for that jump start on the grid, which will likely result in a penalty.

Lap 4/53: We’re back racing, with the safety car trotting off the track. Vettel leads his Ferrari colleague Leclerc, with Hamilton in third. Renault are relatively happy that Ricciardo got off scot-free – a puncture aside – from that first-lap clash with Grosjean. Meanwhile, a new nose goes on for Giovinazzi’s Alfa Romeo. Leclerc is certainly sticking close to Vettel, who is going at it full throttle. Ferrari inform Leclerc they are planning a swap later on.

Lap 3/53: A spectacular launch by Vettel helps the Ferrari fly to the front of the pack at his team-mate Leclerc’s expense. That was exactly what the 21-year-old will have feared. Still, it’s a Ferrari one-two. Meanwhile, a jump start Kimi Räikkönen on his 307th race start. Replays show Giovinazzi was involved in that collision between Ricciardo and Grosjean. Three into one doesn’t go and it’s Grosjean that comes off the worst. New tyres on for Ricciardo.

Lap 2/53: Well, well, well! We have a safety car out on track. Grosjean tangled with Ricciardo, who heads for the pits to sort out that puncture. A lively start in Sochi. “Everyone OK?” asks third-placed Hamilton, before being informed that it is Grosjean whose race has ended prematurely. The sorry Haas is carried away.

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, appears all smiles before they zoom off the grid – but it is Ferrari that get a brilliant start, with Sebastian Vettel flying past Lewis Hamilton and taking the lead into the first corner. Charles Leclerc drops down to second. A dream start for Ferrari. Sainz is up to fourth. Meanwhile, a puncture for Daniel Ricciardo and Romain Grosjean is out.

Max Verstappen is in the mood for overtaking. “The faster the better, of course in a clean way, but after that we just have to do our own race and see how competitive we are against the cars ahead,” the Red Bull says. Valtteri Bottas says start on the medium tyres could help Mercedes get on to the podium. “It is a bit warmer than expected so hopefully Ferrari will struggle with the soft tyres.”

The sun is shining Sochi. It is around 22C, nearer 34C out on the track. Down on the grid, Christian Horner, the Red Bull chief, says: “We have got to get a good start. You can overtake here, the two DRS straights are powerful so were going to try and get on the back of the Ferraris and Mercedes as quick as we can.” As for a difficult weekend for Albon, who starts from the pits, he says: “Forget yesterday, today is a new day. I still think he can be top six by the end of the day.” Max Verstappen begins from ninth after a penalty.

This a landmark race for Räikkönen. This is his 307th race start, which lifts him up to third in the all-time standings, one ahead of Michael Schumacher and behind only Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello. The Alfa Romeo begins down in 15th in Sochi. “We’ve had meetings about next year and I think there are good things coming,” he said. “I’m confident that we’ll keep improving. We have a great group of people and we’re working well.”

1 Leclerc 2 Hamilton
3 Vettel 4 Bottas
5 Sainz 6 Hülkenberg
7 Norris 8 Grosjean
9 Verstappen 10 Ricciardo
11 Pérez 12 Giovinazzi
13 Magnussen 14 Stroll
15 Räikkönen 16 Gasly
17 Russell 18 Kubica
19 Kvyat 20 Albon*

*Albon will start from the pit lane owing to a change of floor

It is four poles on the bounce for Charles Leclerc. The last person to achieve that feat was Lewis Hamilton, who starts alongside the prodigious 21-year-old on the grid, three years ago. The last Ferrari to do so? Michael Schumacher, which is why it is impossible to ignore comparisons between the two. “I don’t want to think about those stats for now,” he said. But, on recent evidence, he is going to have to get used to it. Leclerc continues to push Sebastian Vettel, who started the season as Ferrari’s lead driver, into the shade, with this weekend in Sochi the ninth successive time he has outdone his team-mate in qualifying. As for Mercedes and Hamilton, who remains 65 points clear of Valtteri Bottas in the drivers’ championship, the task is clear. “I’ve got to figure a way to get by that Ferrari,” he said. I can’t do it on the straights. They have too many horses. It is going to have to be like a chess game and every move has to be perfect to have any window of opportunity to swing past.” Max Verstappen was fourth fastest but was slapped with a five-place grid penalty because of an engine change. His Red Bull team-mate, Alex Albon, faced the same sanction but his punishment was academic given he crashed into the barriers during Q1. Albon will start from the pit lane, while Red Bull have also changed bits and pieces in the engine and gearbox. Meanwhile Daniil Kvyat starts from 19th in front of a home crowd.

Lights out: 12.10pm (BST)