Nico Rosberg secured back-to-back pole positions by claiming top spot on the grid ahead of defending world champion Lewis Hamilton for the Russian Grand Prix.

The German was on pole for the Japanese Grand Prix but was unable to make it count as he finished second behind Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in the race at Suzuka.

He will hope to go one better in Sochi on Sunday and cut Hamilton's 48-point lead in the drivers' championship after setting the pace with a time of one minute and 37.113 seconds in qualifying on Saturday.

Hamilton was left to settle for second after running wide on turn 13, the scene of Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz's heavy crash in third practice earlier in the day.

Williams' Valtteri Bottas was third, but his Williams team-mate Felipe Massa could only manage 15th, failing to qualify for the top-10 shoot-out.

The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez in the Force Indias in sixth and seventh.

Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo rounded off the top 10 behind Romain Grosjean in the Lotus.

There was disappointment for home hope Daniil Kvyat, the Russian qualifying 11th, but Jenson Button offered some hope for McLaren by claiming 13th.

Button's team-mate Fernando Alonso was 16th, however, and he will start from the back of the grid after being hit with a grid penalty due to McLaren's decision to use an update on his engine.

1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1:37.113s
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:37.433s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) 1:37.912s
4. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 1:37.965s
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1:38.348s
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) 1:38.659s
7. Sergio Perez (Force India) 1:38.691s
8. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) 1:38.787s
9. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) 1:38.924s
10. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1:39.728s