Mercedes secured another front-row lockout in qualifying for the inaugural Russian Grand Prix as local favourite Daniil Kvyat put his Toro Rosso ahead of the Red Bulls.

The young Russian, who’s being promoted to the senior energy drink team next year, qualified fifth ahead of McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo struggled to take seventh in the leading Red Bull, but teammate and four-time champion German Sebastian Vettel failed to make the cut for the top ten, dropping out in Q2 in 11th place.

Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton continued to dominate.

The 29-year-old Briton, winner of the past three races, was fastest with a late lap at the new Sochi Autodrom to finish two-tenths of a second clear of his Mercedes teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg.

The German, 10 points behind Hamilton in the championship with four races remaining, pushed hard to catch him, but was almost overhauled by Finn Valtteri Bottas in the final seconds, the Williams driver only missing out on a front row start when he slid off at the penultimate corner.

It was Hamilton’s seventh pole this year and the 38th of his career and the Mercedes team’s ninth front-row lockout of the season.

In Sunday’s race they can clinch the constructors’ crown, ending Red Bull’s four year reign as team champions.

“It’s an amazing job done by the team who are constantly improving and moving forwards this year and it’s great to come here,” said Hamilton.

“The weather has been amazing and I’m really enjoying driving this track. It was not the easiest of sessions, these guys [Williams] were looking quite strong.

“And hooking up a good lap wasn’t the same as practice of some reason, but I’m really grateful to have pole for first time here.”

Rosberg was disappointed, but determined.

“I tried, but I could not match Lewis,” he said.

“He has been quicker than me, most of the weekend, here. There are four races to go and they are all important.”

Bottas didn’t know how close he was to securing pole when he made his mistake: “I only knew how close I was to the previous best, which was not bad.

“Looking back, maybe I took too much out of the tyres in the beginning of the lap and the last sector became too tricky. It became difficult in the last few corners.”

Briton Jenson Button recovered from an undistinguished showing in Saturday morning’s final free practice to take fourth place on the grid alongside Bottas.