The 2014 Russian Grand Prix would see the Williams Martini team visit the new Sochi Circuit with the team drivers having to learn this new track. It was a day where the sun was shining as the first Friday practice session got underway. First out would be Alonso followed by the majority of the field with the Mercedes cars last to come out. For the Williams team Felipe Massa had come out first followed by team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Marussia would only be running a single car for Chilton with the accident of Jules Bianchi still in everyone's minds. Many drivers were running logos on their helmets showing their thoughts are with Bianchi. Pirelli had brought their medium and soft tyres for this weekend.

The two Mercedes cars would come out and both would start their first timed laps with Rosberg setting a 1m:49.932 to be quickest from Hamilton with a 1m:54.426. Rosberg would improve with a 1m:46.835 as other drivers returned to the track. Chilton would set a 1m:52.664 as Hamilton went fastest with a 1m:45.120. Ricciardo was now third with a 1m:49.473 while Rosberg had improved with a 1m:45.186. Both Williams drivers were out on the track with fifteen minutes of the session completed. More drivers would be setting times with Valtteri moving into third with a 1m:46.316 but Ricciardo moved ahead with a 1m:46.169. Alonso was now fifth followed by Vettel, Vergne, Raikkonen, and Hulkenberg tenth. Felipe would move into fifth with a 1m:46.552 but Valtteri would again move into third with a time of 1m:45.153. But this would become fourth as Alonso went fastest with a 1m:44.226.

But Rosberg would again be fastest with a 1m:44.125 only to see Button move ahead with a 1m:44.012. Alonso was now third with a 1m:44.226 followed by Valtteri, Kvyat, Magnussen, Hamilton, Felipe, Vergne, and Ricciardo tenth. Hamilton had pitted earlier to have his car checked with Rosberg now also coming in. Magnussen was now up to fourth with a time of 1m:44.267 but this would become fifth as Valtteri went fastest with a 1m:43.542. Alonso was now second as Button went quickest with a 1m:43.053. Valtteri was now second and Felipe eighth with Felipe now pitting after his first run. The drivers had again the use of an extra set of the prime tyres which could be used for the first thirty minutes. Button would improve with a 1m:42.507 remaining quickest over one second ahead of Valtteri.

The track would start to clear as drivers came back in to return their first set of tyres. With thirty minutes completed the order was Button from Valtteri, Alonso, Kvyat, Rosberg, Magnussen, Vergne, Perez, Felipe and Hamilton in tenth. The track was empty for a short period with Vettel being the first to return to the track still on the medium tyre. The Caterham's of Ericsson and Merhi took to the track for the first time with Sutil and Grosjean also coming out. Vergne and Rosberg would also come out for their second runs with both Williams drivers waiting in their pits as the track improved. Kvyat and Magnussen also came out along with Perez and Hamilton. Button would also come back out with the track now very busy with forty minutes remaining. Rosberg would improve to now be second with a 1m:42.670. Vergne would improve to be third, 1m:43.327, with both Williams cars till in their pits.

Hamilton was now third, 1m:42.971, to be behind Button and Rosberg. Rosberg would again improve with a 1m:42.311 to be quickest over Button and Hamilton. Vettel had pitted but Ricciardo had yet to return as Hamilton set a 1m:42.376 to move into second. For the Williams team reports would come back saying that Valtteri had suffered a tyre blanket failure which had damaged one of his next set of tyres. This would see his session come to an end while for Felipe he was able to get back out, currently in thirteenth. Button and Magnussen were now third and fourth followed by Kvyat and Vergne. Valtteri was now seventh with twenty eight minutes remaining. Rosberg had pitted along with Button. Button had spun at Turn eight with no harm to his car. Raikkonen was now seventh with a time of 1m:43.493 with the track now clearing with just four cars out on the track, including both Ferrari's, Felipe, and Chilton.

Felipe was now tenth with a time of 1m:43.741 with Alonso improving with a 1m:42.724 to now be fourth. Ricciardo was currently fifteenth and back out on the track. Chilton had pitted while both Torro Rosso cars would return to the track with twenty minutes remaining. Valtteri and Felipe were now ninth and tenth with Felipe back in his pit as Button returned to the track. Rosberg would also come out while for Ricciardo he would remain in fifteenth. Hamilton and Vettel had also come back out as the final fifteen minutes of the session commenced. More drivers were coming back out including Alonso, Perez, and both Lotus cars. Ricciardo would improve to be twelfth with a 1m:44.276. Raikkonen was back out with just Chilton and the Williams pair still in the pits. Vergne would pit briefly with ten minutes remaining with Rosberg pitting with eight minutes remaining. Valtteri had commented on the track by saying "Some good technical parts, really interesting track. I think it should suit our car and it's good fun to drive."

Felipe would return to the track leaving just Valtteri still in his pit. Both Raikkonen and Grosjean would pit with Grosjean complaining that he had no power. Grosjean's stop would be brief as Vergne took to the pits. Felipe was on used medium tyres as Perez improved to be sixth with a 1m:43.129. As the session drew to a close drivers were making quick stops and with the end of the session the order was Rosberg from Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Magnussen, Perez, Kvyat, Raikkonen, Vergne, and Valtteri tenth. Felipe would finish in eleventh with Ricciardo and Vettel twelfth and fourteenth. Felipe would complete a practice pit stop upon his return to the pits. For the Williams team it was a positive start to the weekend on a circuit that will only get quicker as the sessions progress. But for Valtteri it still must have been frustrating to have the tyre warmer issue cut short his session.

Pos Driver           	Team		       	Time     Laps
1 Nico Rosberg 		Mercedes 	 	1m42.311s
2 Lewis Hamilton 	Mercedes 	 	1m42.376s 25 
3 Jenson Button 	McLaren/Mercedes 	1m42.507s 28 
4 Fernando Alonso 	Ferrari 	 	1m42.720s 27 
5 Kevin Magnussen 	McLaren/Mercedes 	1m43.026s 28 
6 Sergio Perez 		Force India/Mercedes 	1m43.129s 26 
7 Daniil Kvyat 		Toro Rosso/Renault 	1m43.164s 29 
8 Kimi Raikkonen 	Ferrari 		1m43.212s 23 
9 Jean-Eric Vergne 	Toro Rosso/Renault 	1m43.327s 24 
10 Valtteri Bottas 	Williams/Mercedes 	1m43.542s 9 
11 Felipe Massa 	Williams/Mercedes 	1m43.741s 22 
12 Daniel Ricciardo 	Red Bull/Renault 	1m43.821s 25 
13 Nico Hulkenberg 	Force India/Mercedes 	1m43.976s 21 
14 Sebastian Vettel 	Red Bull/Renault 	1m44.506s 30 
15 Adrian Sutil 	Sauber/Ferrari 		1m44.625s 26 
16 Pastor Maldonado 	Lotus/Renault 		1m44.876s 26 
17 Sergey Sirotkin 	Sauber/Ferrari 		1m45.032s 22 
18 Romain Grosjean 	Lotus/Renault 		1m45.190s 25 
19 Roberto Merhi 	Caterham/Renault 	1m46.782s 18 
20 Marcus Ericsson 	Caterham/Renault 	1m46.922s 18 
21 Max Chilton 		Marussia/Ferrari 	1m47.284s 26