luggage to arrive. It is 4.30am Russia time and we a

If you search for scheduled flights from London to Sochi, you will struggle to find one that takes less than nine hours. They make one stop en route and it is usually an overnight journey too. That is why on a chilly April morning, much of the Formula 1 paddock descended on Gatwicks South Terminal to board a charter flight which would fly directly to Sochi in just over four hours.Our plane included team principals, press officers, engineers and even a couple of drivers - although a large number of the drivers chose to share a private jet from Nice to Sochi instead. Cant think why?! As I mentioned in last years diary, we stay in what was the athletes accommodation during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. It feels like a university Halls of Residence, without the communal kitchen and late-night parties.I am not sure what actually happens when the Formula 1 is not there, as even on the night we arrived, the restaurants on site decided to remain closed. Instead, being the creatures of habit that we are, we ventured to a large hotel about a 15-minute walk away for dinner in their Italian restaurant just as we did last year. The Martin Brundle column Martin reviews Sochi, Kvyats latest mishap, and the danger v safety debate I mentioned the service in Russia before and this year, although it was definitely quicker, there were still moments of surprise.For example, one of our friends that night found his tiramisu arrived before his main course, and he wasnt even sure he had actually ordered a dessert! While for Crofty, his main course arrived at the same time as the post-meal coffees.It adds to the experience and you know its going to happen, so my advice is eat whatever you can, whenever it turns up, and youll be fine. As in previous years, there were plenty of drivers also dining in the restaurant that night. At the table behind was Dani Kvyat and his father. He had been to the bobsled track with Simon Lazenby that day and was showing us photos of Simon in his Lycra.You will have seen the finished piece on our race show by now and after Crofty in a wetsuit on a jet ski, I am not sure how Damon and Johnny can top them... and I am not convinced we want them to!The Sochi paddock is fairly narrow and shaded by relatively tall buildings on both sides so there is always a breeze and it feels colder than elsewhere around the circuit. It makes it more difficult to gauge the temperatures out on track and, despite good forecasts, we all found it colder than expected. The race used to be in October but April didnt seem to provide any more heat than six months earlier had. On Thursday evening, we ventured out to another hotel nearby, again in search of food (I am detecting a theme here...) and this time, it was the hotel that some of the other teams stay in.In a corner of the restaurant, Nico Rosberg was having dinner with his manager and his trainer, as he would do on Saturday night too before flying his drone in the table tennis room next door!On Friday morning, my alarm was set for 5.30am as I was having breakfast with Rio Haryanto for Facebook Live. We are hoping to do lots more of these this season where you just join the Sky Sports F1 Facebook page and we will do live interviews with drivers for you to watch and submit questions to in real time and get an instant response.Unfortunately for Rio, our site canteen didnt make for the most salubrious backdrop! After the chat, it was time to walk over to the paddock for Friday practice. We saw the Red Bull aero screen for the first time this weekend. Daniel Ricciardo took it out for a single lap of the Sochi circuit and while some found it aesthetically more pleasing than the Ferrari halo device seen in winter testing, the drivers gave me mixed reactions to it.There seems to be a divide on the real need for it at all, with many of the younger drivers in the grid not wanting any device at all, while some of the older drivers are keen for it to be brought in as early as next year. Verdict? The jurys out.Also on Friday, I got measured for my race helmet. I have borrowed one up until now but when it started to lift when I was full throttle on the straight, I realised the importance of a good fit! What I didnt realise is that there are cheek measurements too! It appears I have the same size head as Kevin Magnussen but more rounded cheeks! Who knew?! Daniel Ricciardo likes Red Bulls new Aeroscreen following a test run in Practice 1 of the Russian GP My measurements were taken with a tape measure, but for F1 drivers, helmet manufacturers scan their heads and get exact measurements all the way round. I now need to work out the design for my helmet so Ill be asking for your help on that soon...On Saturday, we all felt set for a battle between the two Mercedes for pole - but it wasnt to be. While waiting for the drivers eliminated in Q2 to arrive at the interview pen, Lewis Hamilton walked past me, in his race suit but with sunglasses and cap on.He went straight into the FIA stewards office, but it was clear he was out of qualifying. He knew he had to answer for not going around the keep left bollard at Turn Two, but no driver would do that while still taking part in qualifying - they would wait until the end, so I knew something was up. The moment Lewis Hamilton was struck by more unreliability in Russian GP qualifying Mercedes then informed the media of a failure in the power unit and while I was scribbling down the details, Lewis appeared in front of me. Aside from asking him what happened and when the problem was first discovered, there are never going to be many questions you can ask in that situation that will get an answer of any great length.While in China, he was pragmatic and considered in his responses. Here, he had just got out of the car, had a telling off from the FIA, and knew he could be facing starting the race from the back of the grid, so he was understandably gutted and I was his first interview. It doesnt matter who the driver is in these circumstances, I never hold it against them for being short with their answers. Every 2016 race live Fast and easy upgrade to see every F1 session live on Sky Sports If he had just won the race, it would be different, but 60 seconds after another disappointment like that? I certainly wouldnt feel in the mood to talk.Which is why on Sunday I was very fortunate to speak to Kvyat at the end of his round of interviews. While he was talking to another channel across the pen from me, I noticed the race was being re-run on the TV screen next to us. If he could just talk for a minute longer to them, as he walked over to me he would catch sight of the start and a reply of the incident with Vettel and Ricciardo. Red Bulls Daniil Kvyat reflects on his first lap collision with Sebastian Vettel, which ended the Ferrari drivers race in Russia Luckily for me, that is exactly what happened. He stopped and watched it in real time then watched the slow-motion replays. It meant that for our interview, he had had a chance to reflect on what happened and see what part he had played. He was obviously hugely disappointed that his home race had turned out this way and admitted he may have apologies to make.One thing that couldnt be ignored this weekend was the mounting abuse aimed at Mercedes, with accusations of sabotage being thrown at the team.Hamiltons run of bad luck has seen some use social media to claim there is some conspiracy theory to help Rosberg win. Our timelines are full of such messages but the team have received many more - some abusive and some aimed directly at team members, suggesting they are deliberately engineering a Rosberg world title this year. Head of Mercedes Motorsport Toto Wolff has strongly denied claims from some fans that the team are sabotaging Lewis Hamiltons season The only thing the team are engineering right now is a third constructors title in a row. Every single person on that team is working their hardest, whether they are in Brackley, Brixworth or Stuttgart or at the track on the race weekend. The guys and girls in the garage work incredibly long hours to make sure Lewis and Nico have the best tools they can possibly have at their disposal.The voices have been getting louder with every passing weekend but hopefully now that the team, and Lewis, have had a chance to respond those voices will get back to cheering on their man.I am writing this diary while waiting for my bag at Luton airport. We landed two hours ago but, as in previous years, it is taking an age for our luggage to arrive. It is 4.30am Russia time and we are scattered around the carousel, some sitting on it, others sitting on the floor, and some raiding the vending machines for snacks.But then we have just arrived back from Russia, so I guess one more wait is appropriate...RB Also See: The Martin Brundle column How unlucky has Lewis been? Jamel Dean Jersey . -- Shanshan Feng was alone in her opinion about the pin positions in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Sean Bunting Jersey . 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Canada looked uncomfortable defensively throughout the game, and every free kick that came into Canadas penalty box looked like ending up in the back of the net. ST. LOUIS -- Home opener hoopla was no distraction at all for Michael Wacha. Neither was the 49-degree chill for the first pitch. The 22-year-old rookie was definitely excited about the occasion and the opportunity. Just like last fall when he was the breakout pitching star of the post-season, he fed off the atmosphere. "Huge crowd out there, a lot of energy," Wacha said after the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Monday. "Its a lot of fun pitching in front of your home crowd, 40,000-plus fans. "I dont know who wouldnt thrive off those kind of situations." Wacha outdid Tony Cingrani in a rematch of young power arms, and the Cardinals got a three-run double from Yadier Molina in the first inning. "I didnt have my fastball, so what are you going to do? I just tried to battle," Cingrani said. "One bad pitch and it cleared the bases." A standing-room crowd of 47,492, the largest at 9-year-old Busch Stadium, braved daylong rain to greet the National League champions and take a look at the new Ballpark Village. Hundreds milled about the attached complex, which features five sports bars and rooftop seating. The Cardinals bunched three hits and a walk over the first five hitters to take the early lead against Cingrani (0-1), who allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings against the Cardinals six days earlier in Cincinnati. The Cards went 1 for 18 before adding RBIs from Matt Holliday and Allen Craig off Trevor Bell in a two-run seventh. St. Louis ended a three-game losing streak on opening day, including a blowout loss to the Reds last year. Wacha (1-0) hadnt allowed a run in 21 career innings against the Reds before back-to-back doubles by Brayan Pena and pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina in the fifth cut the Cardinals lead to 3-1. The NL championship series MVP benefited from two double-play balls in six stingy innings and has permitted one run in 13 2-3 innings his first two starts. Wacha threw 82 pitches before getting lifted for a pinch hitter with the Cardinals up by two runs and two on in the sixth. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny wanted to take a shot at putting the Reds away, but thought the right-hander had plenty left. "That was more of a situation of whats best for the day, whats best for that particular game," Matheny said. Cingrani needed 31 pitches to get through the first and lasted four innnings, striking out five but walking four.dddddddddddd Matheny said before the game that his hitters had been a "click off" with timing against the 24-year-old lefty last week and should benefit from another chance so soon. Pena said he wasnt trying to make excuses but thought Cingrani was bothered by the elements. "The baseball was slippery. He couldnt grab his breaking ball the way he wanted," Pena said. Peter Bourjos moved up to second in the order and got his first two hits of the season after an 0-for-13 start. Craig got his third hit and third RBI of the season after entering 2 for 22. Seeing Wacha once again didnt do the Reds any good. Theyve totalled 18 runs in seven games. "Right now, almost collectively, weve struggled to do anything with guys in scoring position," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "But thatll change. Its tough to sit through it." The start of the game was delayed 12 minutes after the inclement weather combined with pregame ceremonies that featured the traditional grand entrance with players, coaches and Hall of Famers touring Busch Stadium on the back of convertibles and trucks. A team of Clydesdales was kept in the stable due to concerns the field might be damaged. Billy Hamilton doubled to start the game and the Reds put the leadoff man on base in the first four innings but were undone by two double plays. Zack Cozart broke an 0-for-22 slump to start the season with a bloop RBI single, and pinch-hitter Neftali Soto had a sacrifice fly for his first career RBI in the ninth against St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal, who gave up his first runs at home since Aug. 15 against Pittsburgh. The Cardinals opened the first with singles by Matt Carpenter and Bourjos, and Holliday walked to load the bases with none out. Craig struck out before Molina cleared the bases with a drive to left-centre on a 1-2 pitch. NOTES: Lance Lynn (1-0, 5.40 ERA) opposes Homer Bailey (0-1, 8.31) in the second game of the series, another rematch from the season-opening series in Cincinnati. Lynn allowed three runs in five innings and Bailey gave up four