2015 Russian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Hamilton leads with 252 points, 48 ahead of Rosberg. Vettel is eight further points behind in third — his second-place finish in Japan moving him back ahead of Rosberg.

Previous race

Hamilton won in Japan, passing Rosberg at the start after Rosberg — who had qualified from pole — lost power due to an engine temperature problem. Vettel finished third. Hamilton said it was important to him to “strike back” after his retirement in Singapore.

Between-race developments

Roberto Merhi returns to Manor Marussia for this round and for Abu Dhabi, in accordance with Alexander Rossi’s five-race contract.

Fernando Alonso starts the Russian weekend knowing he will begin from the back of the grid due to multiple engine penalties. Honda have provided him with an upgraded internal combustion engine, using the team’s final four in-season development tokens, which Alonso runs in the first practice session before switching back to the older specification. Jenson Button must continue with the older-spec Honda at this race; only one upgraded unit is available.

Tyres

Pirelli supplies the soft compound as the prime tyre and the super-soft as the option — a step softer than in 2014, when lower-than-expected tyre degradation allowed Rosberg to complete 52 of 53 laps on the medium compound.

Practice

All three practice sessions are disrupted and limited in running. A diesel spill on track prevents cars from going out in the first session until late in the hour; the first laps are completed on intermediate tyres before the track dries enough for slicks. Hülkenberg leads the session in the limited running available. Hamilton spins on his final timed lap to settle for seventh. Ericsson stops with an engine problem.

Heavy rain restricts the second session to just eight drivers setting timed laps, with only fourteen cars taking to the track at all. Massa sets the fastest time at 2:00.458 in the wet conditions. Both Lotus and Manor do not run at all. Alonso runs the most laps of any driver, completing twelve.

The third session is stopped after a massive crash by Carlos Sainz Jr. at turn thirteen. The Spaniard loses control, hits a wall, and crashes into the safety barriers, burying the nose of his car and causing the guardrail to collapse on impact. The session is not resumed; Sainz is transported to hospital but is uninjured. Rosberg had set the fastest time at 1:38.561 before the crash, more than seven-tenths ahead of Bottas in second.