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Russian GP: Ferrari locks out front row in qualifying

Russia - Championship leader Sebastian Vettel grabbed pole position on Saturday ahead of Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen for the Russian Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion led the way ahead of Raikkonen with another Finn, Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes, third fastest with less than tenth of a second separating the top three.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest for Mercedes.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

It was Vettel's first pole this year, his second for Ferrari and the 47th of his career - and, perhaps more significantly, Ferrari's first front row lockout for 127 races since the 2008 French Grand Prix.

A delighted Vettel screamed "yes, yes, yes" as the news of his pole was relayed to him on his slowdown lap.

Vettel's success also brought to an end Mercedes' run of 18 straight pole positions dating back to last year's Monaco Grand Prix.

As it happened: 2017 Russian GP - Qualifying

It's all red

Vettel, leading the way from Raikkonen, took his first pole position since Singapore in 2015. His time of 1min33:194 was 0.059sec faster than Raikkonen's and 0.095sec than Valtteri Bottas in third.

Bottas' Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth; more than half a second adrift of Vettel.

Vettel's pole position ended a run of 18 poles for Mercedes.

Mercedes has won all three races in Sochi since the Russian GP joined the calendar in 2014, with Hamilton taking two of them.

Jolyon Palmer endured a miserable day, qualifying 16th after he lost control on a curb and crashed into the barrier. That was scant reward for his Renault mechanics, who earlier rushed to change the engine on Palmer's car when the previous power unit failed in the third practice.

Russian Grand Prix qualifying times: Q1 - Q2

Q2

1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1min33.264 (Q) 
2. Kimi Rikknen (FIN/Ferrari) 1min33.663 (Q) 
3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1min33.760 (Q) 
4. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1min34.038 (Q) 
5. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams-Mercedes) 1min35.049 (Q) 
6. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-TAG Heuer) 1min35.221 (Q) 
7. Nico Hlkenberg (GER/Renault) 1min35.328 (Q) 
8. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull-TAG Heuer) 1min35.483 (Q) 
9. Sergio Prez (MEX/Force India-Mercedes) 1min35.513 (Q) 
10. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India-Mercedes) 1min35.729 (Q)

Eliminated:

11. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso-Renault) 1min35.948 
12. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 1min35.964 
13. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso-Renault) 1min35.968 
14. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1min36.017 
15. Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren-Honda) 1min36.660

Q1

1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1min34.041 (Q) 
2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1min34.409 (Q) 
3. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1min34.493 (Q) 
4. Kimi Rikknen (FIN/Ferrari) 1min34.953 (Q) 
5. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-TAG Heuer) 1min35.301 (Q) 
6. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India-Mercedes) 1min35.372 (Q) 
7. Nico Hlkenberg (GER/Renault) 1min35.507 (Q) 
8. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull-TAG Heuer) 1min35.560 (Q) 
9. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso-Renault) 1min35.827 (Q) 
10. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams-Mercedes) 1min35.828 (Q) 
11. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso-Renault) 1min35.984 (Q) 
12. Sergio Prez (MEX/Force India-Mercedes) 1min36.185 (Q) 
13. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 1min36.279 (Q) 
14. Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren-Honda) 1min36.353 (Q) 
15. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1min36.408 (Q)

Eliminated:

16. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1min36.462 
17. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren-Honda) 1min37.070 
18. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber-Ferrari) 1min37.332 
19. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber-Ferrari) 1min37.507 
20. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas-Ferrari) 1min37.620

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