ART GP driver and GP2 championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne topped practice at the Sochi Autodrom.
The Belgian who could win the GP2 title this weekend if he takes pole position and converts that into a race victory looked to be the man to beat once again.
Campos driver Arthur Pic set the second fastest time of the session but was a mammoth six tenths slower than the pace set by Vandoorne.
Rio Haryanto looked to be back on the pace after a couple of disappointing races in Belgium and Italy. Mitch Evans, Alex Lynn, Pierre Gasly and Sergey Sirotkin were seperated by one tenth.
Despite announcing his retirement from motorsport last month, Johnny Cecotto Jr. was back in action for Trident. He finished twelfth fastest.
On his GP2 debut, Dean Stoneman finished nineteenth fastest, two seconds off the pace set by Vandoorne.
Qualifying will take place shortly after second practice in Formula One.
