Your complete guide to the Russian Grand Prix 2021 start time, plus full TV schedule for race weekend, including practice, qualifying and the GP itself at Sochi.
The Russian Grand Prix is next up on the F1 calendar 2021 as the season begins to approach the final third of this most breathless, fascinating season.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided once more last time out at Monza, leaving both out of the points and Verstappen with a three-place grid penalty for his part in the incident.
Red Bull superstar Verstappen continues to lead the driver standings by five points but that lead would dissolve if he can’t weave his way beyond Hamilton – from a disadvantaged position – in Sochi.
Mercedes’ main man Hamilton has triumphed in four of the nine Russian Grands Prix ever to take place. Two races were held prior to the first World War but Russia didn’t return to the F1 calendar until 2013.
The German manufacturers have won all seven races at Sochi and are well positioned to secure another victory. Valtteri Bottas won in 2020 and will be determined to repeat that display.
RadioTimes.com brings you the complete guide to the Russian Grand Prix 2021 including start time, dates and TV details, as well as exclusive analysis from Sky Sports F1 commentator Crofty ahead of every race.
When is the Russian Grand Prix?
The Russian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 26th September 2021.
Check out our full F1 2021 calendar for the list of dates and upcoming races.
Russian Grand Prix start time
The race begins at 1pm on Sunday 26th September 2021.
We’ve included the full schedule for the rest of the weekend, including practice and qualifying times below.
Russian Grand Prix schedule
Friday 24th September
From 9am on Sky Sports F1
Practice 1 – 9:30am
Practice 2 – 1pm
Saturday 25th September
From 9:45am on Sky Sports F1
Practice 3 – 10am
Qualifying – 1pm
Sunday 26th September
From 11:30am on Sky Sports F1
Race – 1pm
How to watch Russian Grand Prix on TV
The Russian Grand Prix will air live on Sky Sports F1.
All races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event throughout the season.
Sky customers can add individual channels for just £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £25 per month.
Live stream Russian Grand Prix online
Existing Sky Sports customers can live stream the race via the Sky Go app on a variety of devices.
You can watch the Grand Prix with a NOW Day Membership for £9.99 or a Monthly Membership for £33.99, all without signing up to a contract.
NOW can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles. NOW is also available via BT Sport.
Russian Grand Prix preview
With Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft
How will Max Verstappen fare with a three-place grid penalty?
DC: Don’t expect Max Verstappen to change his approach in any way, shape or form. He hasn’t done throughout his career. Talking to him today, listening to him today, it’s quite clear that he’s moved on from from Italy. It happens, it’s done and he’s parked it.
If you’re going to get a three-place grid penalty, this isn’t a bad place to have one because it’s such a long run down to the first corner, you get a really good slipstream behind the cars in front and you can make up places into the first braking zone.
Red Bull will look at the situation after qualifying. If Max can win qualifying, then line up on the second row with a penalty, they’ll think there’s no need to change the engine necessarily here, because he probably has got to take an engine penalty at some stage. If he qualifies third or fourth, then you might see him at the back of the grid with a new engine and they might as well take it because he could still finish fourth or fifth from starting at the back of the grid.
Can we expect a repeat performance from race-winning McLaren?
DC: We’ve got a big feature with Daniel Ricciardo sitting down with Damon Hill on Sky Sports this weekend and I can’t wait to hear those two in conversation because they both know what it’s like to have gone quite a few races from one win to their next.
What was really interesting was how Daniel said he felt very much at home out in the lead and how it all just clicked into place and came rushing back to him – what it was like to lead a race. He said he wasn’t losing concentration but he was singing along and tapping fingers on the steering wheel, which is not bad at 210mph, if you can do that. He was in cruise control.
Don’t expect that to happen again. This weekend the team principal said they weren’t very good in Zandvoort, so don’t think that they’ve suddenly found a cure for some of the problems that they’ve been having.
Who does the track favour?
DC: It’s favoured Mercedes over the years, they’ve got 100 per cent success record here, but they’ve had that power unit advantage here. It is a power-sensitive track. If you’ve got good grunt, you’ll go well here. It favours people like Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, who like rear-limited circuits, Bahrain and Singapore spring to mind as well where both of those have gone well in the past – Perez in particularly with the way he’ll come out of those slow corners and preserve those rear tires. If Max does take a big penalty, this could be a good weekend for Sergio Perez to show just why he’s got another contract for next year.
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub.