Team Summary:
The opening Friday practice for the 2021 Russian GP would commence with a mix of drivers coming out using primarily the hard and medium tyre. Being the odd one out on the soft tyre Leclerc would set a 1m:38.626 followed by Gasly, Vettel and Ocon. But Perez would set a 1m:38.601 to move ahead followed by Leclerc and Sainz. After their first runs the Williams drivers were 17th and 18th but both would improve to be 12th and 14th. This would become 13th and 15th while at the front we had Hamilton quickest only to see Leclerc move ahead with a 1m:36.708 followed by Hamilton, Bottas, Ocon, Sainz, Vettel, Perez, Gasly, Ricciardo and Norris tenth.

Vettel was now fourth and Norris fifth. Bottas was now able to go quickest with a 1m:36.412 followed by Hamilton and Leclerc. The Williams drivers were now 16th and 17th with fifteen minutes of the session completed. Norris would move up to fourth followed by Alonso, Ocon, Verstappen, Vettel, Sainz and Gasly tenth. This would see the Williams drivers drop to be 17th and 18th. But Verstappen would move ahead of Bottas using the soft tyre setting a 1m:36.055. Several more drivers were now running on the soft tyre including both Mercedes cars. Bottas was now quickest with a 1m:34.427 followed now by Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen.

Both Williams cars were also running on the soft tyre and after their first laps were 13th and 17th. Verstappen was now fourth followed by Vettel, Ocon, Gasly, Norris, Alonso and Ricciardo tenth. Sainz would move up to sixth with twenty five minutes remaining in the session. Verstappen was out on a run with a new set of soft tyre and would set a 1m:34.654 to be third. The track would become quite busy as we had a large number of cars running including both Williams with under ten minutes remaining. Drivers were now completing longer runs on a mix of tyres.

The session would come to a close with Bottas remaining quickest from Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc, Vettel, Gasly, Sainz, Norris, Perez and Alonso tenth. For Williams their session would see them finish in 17th and 18th. Are we seeing another difficult 2021 Sochi event repeating that of 2020. See how they go in FP2.

George Russell:
George would be one of the final cars to come out using the hard tyre. He would set a 1m:41.036 to be 15th then 16th. A 1m:39.636 would see George 14th dropping to 16th. George would pit after a six lap run. George on the soft tyre would set a 1m:38.103 to be 13th on his next run. This would become 16th as he pitted after a six lap run. In his pit he would drop to 17th. His next run was on the hard tyre as both Williams drivers continued their programme. After a nine lap run he would pit with the end of the session.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would be first out for Williams using the medium tyre. A 1m:41.337 and Nicholas was initially eighth. He would drop to 17th then with a 1m:39.404 would see Nicholas 12th then 14th. He would pit after a five lap run. In the pits he would drop to 15th. Nicholas would return on the soft tyre and would set a 1m:38.680 followed by a 1m:38.155 to be 16th. he would drop to 17th. He would pit after a six lap run. With fifteen minutes remaining Nicholas would return on a set of medium tyres currently 18th. He would pit after a nine lap run finishing his session.