In the lead-up to qualifying for the 2014 Russian Grand Prix it should be noted that four drives were in line for grid place penalties with Hulkenberg, Chilton, and Magnussen all suffering five place grid penalties for unscheduled gearbox changes. Maldonado was to receive a five place grid penalty for an engine change in Japan. With the start of the eighteen minute opening period it would be Grosjean out first with a rush of drivers coming out with the majority on the soft option tyre. Only the two McLaren's were on the medium tyre. Only five cars would be eliminated after this period as Chilton set a 1m:44.455 being beaten by Sutil with a 1m:42.573. Vergne would set a 1m:41.842 only to see Button on the medium tyre go quicker with a 1m:41.268.

Kvyat would go quicker with a time of 1m:41.088 while Hamilton would go even faster with a 1m:40.061. Neither of the Williams cars had yet to come out with five minutes of the session completed. Rosberg would go quicker with a 1m:39.292 with Hamilton second followed by Kvyat, Magnussen, Button, and Vergne. Valtteri Bottas was now out on the track running on the soft tyre as Magnussen pitted. Felipe Massa would bring out the second Williams as Vergne improved to be third with a 1m:41.064, But Alonso would go third with a 1m:40.544 and Kvyat fourth, 1m:40.645. Hamilton would also find time on his second run with a 1m:39.282 but Rosberg would go faster with a 1m:39.076. Magnussen was back out running on the soft tyre as team-mate Button pitted. Maldonado had stoped his car in the pitlane with another problem.

Valtteri and Felipe were on their first flying laps and Valtteri would go third with a 1m:39.795. Hamilton had gone fastest in sector one and two finishing with a 1m:38.759. Felipe would only set a 1m:47.360 with Felipe complaining of an engine issue. Magnussen was up to fourth, 1m:39.955 with Maldonado back on the track. Alonso was fifth followed by Kvyat, Hulkenberg, Vettel, Raikkonen, and Vergne tenth. Both Mercedes cars had pitted with under four minutes remaining. A 1m:39.589 from Valtteri as Felipe started another lap but his time was not looking good to see him out of the bottom five. Felipe would finish with a time only good enough for seventeenth, 1m:43.064. It was not looking good for Felipe as he continued to complain about his car to his engineer. Valtteri would again improve with a 1m:39.125 to be very close to Rosberg. Button had also improved with a 1m:39.560 as Felipe failed to get a time good enough to see him out of the top five.

Those not making the cut were Ericsson, Felipe, Kobayashi, Maldonado, and Chilton. The top ten were Hamilton, Rosberg, Valtteri, Button, Magnussen, Kvyat, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hulkenberg, and Vergne. Felipe would say "I don't understand why we didn't come into the garage and fix the problem." His engineer replies that they didn't have time to fix it. A major disappointment for Felipe and the Williams team.

With the start of the second period Perez would be out first with everyone expected to be on the soft tyre. It was reported by the Williams team that Felipe's issue was engine related which was being investigated. The majority of drivers were running on new sets of soft tyres as Perez set a 1m:40.163 to set the quickest time. Gutierrez would go second but Hulkenberg would take this spot with a 1m:40.652. Ricciardo was now second with Vergne now third. But Button would move to the top f the times with a 1m:39.393. Rosberg would go quicker with a 1m:38.979 to see Button second followed by Perez, Ricciardo, Vergne and Hulkenberg. Magnussen would go second with a 1m:39.022 as Hamilton went fastest in the first two sectors.

Valtteri would go qui9ckest with a 1m:38.971 but this would be brief as Hamilton set a 1m:38.338 to be quickest. Hamilton was over half a second quicker faster than Valtteri such was his dominance. Magnussen was now fourth followed by Button, Ricciardo, Perez, Vergne, Hulkenberg, and Raikkonen tenth. Rosberg would find time setting a 1m:38.606 to now be second with Valtteri now third. But Valtteri was also on a quicker lap but he would not improve his place having lost time in the final sector. Alonso was now seventh as both Mercedes cars pitted. Ricciardo would improve to be sixth, 1m:39.666. Vergne would move back into the top ten with a ninth setting a time of 1m:39.929. Kvyat was now sixth and Ricciardo dropped to seventh. Valtteri would go quickest in the first sector and a personal best in the second sector. But again he would fail to improve losing time in the final sector.

Raikkonen was on a quicker lap as team-mate Alonso improved with a 1m:39.786 but was only eighth. Raikkonen would finish his lap in ninth with Vergne now tenth. The period would end with Valtteri pitting. Kvyat was on a quicker lap setting a 1m:39.296 to move up to fifth. Those not making the cut were Vettel, Hulkenberg, Perez, Gutierrez, Sutil, and Grosjean. The top ten would be Hamilton followed by Rosberg, Valtteri, Magnussen, Kvyat, Button, Ricciardo, Alonso, Raikkonen, and Vergne tenth. Valtteri's times were encouraging but the final sector was certainly a struggle for him.