Vettel on pole for Russian Grand Prix as Ferrari claim front row to end Mercedes monopoly

Sebastian Vettel after clinching pole for Sunday's Russian Grand Prix. Will Taylor-Medhurst / Getty Images

Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel secured Ferrari’s first pole position since 2015 on Saturday with teammate Kimi Raikkonen completing a front row sweep at the Russian Grand Prix.

The pole, Vettel’s 47th of his career, ended a run of 18 in a row for world champions Mercedes-GP who had Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton right behind the two red cars in third and fourth places.

Vettel, a four-time world champion with Red Bull Racing, has won two of the first three races and leads triple champion Hamilton by seven points.

As a measure of Ferrari’s achievement in breaking the Mercedes stranglehold and returning to form, the pole was only the Italian team’s sixth since 2008.

* Reuters

STARTING GRID FOR SUNDAY’S RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX

1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari

2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP

4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP

5. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing

6. Felipe Massa, Williams

7. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

8. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault

9. Sergio Perez, Force India

10. Esteban Ocon, Force India

11. Lance Stroll, Williams

12. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso

13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas

14. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso

15. Fernando Alonso, McLaren

16. Jolyon Palmer, Renault

17. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber

18. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber

19. Romain Grosjean, Haas

20. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren

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