For The Hundredth Time For Hamilton: Mercedes Driver Grabs Milestone Pole In Spain

Photo Credit: Lat Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Lewis Hamilton’s performance in qualifying is one attribute that will establish the knighted British driver as true legend in Formula 1. A tally beginning at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Hamilton’s career count for pole positions eclipsed the previous series record set by Michael Schmacher of 68 in 2017 on the weekend of the Italian Grand Prix. Since the latter part of the 2017 Formula 1 season, the driver of the #44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team car has gone on a tear in qualifying collecting 11 of 21 possible race poles in 2018 and the top spot in 10 of 16 races last year. Entered in his 270^th Formula 1 event this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has set a new mark of greatness.

Lewis Hamilton muscled his Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance race car around a 16-turn, 4.675-kilometer track in a time of 1 minute, 16.741 seconds in Q3 to take his 100^th career pole position. Battling Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen throughout all three qualifying sessions, the Brit’s #44 car edged out the Dutch driver’s Honda-powered machine by 0.036 seconds. In three of the four races this year, the front row has been shared by a Mercedes AMG team car and a Red Bull Racing vehicle.

While Verstappen mounted a challenge against the Mercedes machines in Q3, Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez finished qualifying lacking the pace of his teammate. A spin out by Perez in turn 13 during a Q3 lap hindered the performance of the #11 Red Bull Racing vehicle. The Mexican driver will start the Spanish Grand Prix in 8^th place.

Less than a tenth of a second slower than Max Verstappen, the second Mercedes race car driven by Valtteri Bottas will start third for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. Bottas was quicker than Hamilton during the opening two stages of qualifying but settled comfortably into the second row in the conclusion of Q3.

The Scuderia Ferrari team had a very acceptable showing in Spain at the end of Saturday’s qualifying. Gaining pace throughout the three practice sessions, Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. will both start Sunday’s grand prix in the top 10. Leclerc posted a strong 1-minute, 17.510-second lap time in Q3 to place himself in the second row beside Valtteri Bottas. Qualifying sixth and sharing the third row with the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, Sainz recorded a time just 0.002 quicker than the McLaren Mercedes driven by Daniel Ricciardo. The teammates of Ocon and Ricciardo (Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris) also found their way into the top 10 for the 66-lap race.

 

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

Teams not appearing in the top 10 in a 2021 starting grid for the first time will be Scuderia AlphaTauri and Aston Martin Racing. Lance Stroll finished Q2 just 0.008 seconds short of tenth place driver Fernando Alonso in the session. Pierre Gasly’s Honda-powered AlphaTauri was 0.008 seconds off the mark set by 11^th place Stroll.

Entering the triple digits in his career pole tally, Lewis Hamilton’s pursuit towards pushing his victory towards the century mark will face a statistical challenge. After the first three races of the 2021 season, the driver starting on pole failed winning on Sunday.

The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix is will start at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern Time).

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2021 Formula 1 Season
Spanish Grand Prix
Qualifying Results
Pos #	Car #	Driver	Team	Engine
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	Honda
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
5	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
6	55	Carlos Sainz Jr	Scuderia Misson Winnow Ferrari	Ferrari
7	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
8	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	Honda
9	4	Lando Norris	McLaren F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine F1 Team	Renault
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
12	10	Pierre Gasly	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Mercedes-Benz
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
15	63	George Russell	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Scuderia AlphaTauri	Honda
17	7	Kimi Raikkonen	Alfa Romeo Racing	Ferrari
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Racing	Mercedes-Benz
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Uralkali Haas F1 Team	Ferrari

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Max Verstappen Claims Pole For 2020 Formula 1 Finale in Abu Dhabi

Photo Credit: Kamran Jebreili / Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool 

Serving as the seventeenth and final event for Formula 1's 70th Anniversary tour, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the Yas Marina Circuit provides a closing to what has been a season like no other. The race on the 5.554-kilometer track follows a surreal outing in Bahrain where Sergio Perez took victory for Racing Point. 

Though Perez’s win Sakhir Grand Prix was a thrilling affair on the merits of the Mexican driver recovering brilliantly from an opening lap collision, the race is best remembered as a moment where the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team suffered a rare bumble as a result to a pit stop where the tires of the team cars were mixed up. Also missing the seven-time championship winning driving talents of Lewis Hamilton due to a positive COVID-19 test, the unusual event for Mercedes-AMG is one they want to set behind them as they prepare to finish another strong Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi. The pairing of Hamilton with teammate Valtteri Bottas was put back into place at the Mercedes factory team ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while last week’s replacement George Russell returns to his regular seat at Williams Racing.

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

For all 16 races in the 2020 Formula 1 season ahead of Abu Dhabi, the pole position was captured by a driver propelled by a Mercedes-Benz power unit (15 by the Mercedes-AMG factory team and 1 by a Racing Point driven by Lance Stroll). In the finale for the 17-race schedule, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing were determined to disturb the German-based propulsion’s attempt to sweep the year with Honda power. Mounting a strong threat against the Mercedes-Benz factory team throughout the season, Verstappen and his #33 RB16 race car suffered several narrow defeats in qualifying in past 2020 grand prix events. With one more chance to claim the top spot in a qualifying session this season, the Red Bull Racing machine succeeded in beating the rival Mercedes-AMG outfit.

With the final times being set in Q3 on Saturday for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen scored the pole position over the Mercedes-AMG duo. Posting a 1-minute, 35.246-second lap time, Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing squad achieved their first pole since the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. 

Photo Credit: Kamran Jebreili / Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool 

Upon claiming the fastest time in qualifying, the Austrian-based race team broke the Mercedes-AMG team’s consecutive pole streak at the Yas Marina Circuit that ran since 2014. Just 0.025 seconds slower than Max Verstappen’s pole time, Valtteri Bottas grabbed his 14th front row start for the 2020 season. Holding a 16-point advantage over Verstappen for the second-place spot in the year-long Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship, Bottas can secure the position with a 5th place or better finish.

Returning to the race car after one race away, Lewis Hamilton swiftly regained his competitive poise standing at the top of the time sheet for Q1 and Q2 qualifying sessions. Hamilton fell short of setting the pole-winning time in the final session and will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in third place alongside the McLaren Racing race of Lando Norris who set the fourth fastest lap time. The second Red Bull Racing of Alexander Albon will roll off the grid in fifth place accompanied in the third row by Carlos Sainz Jr. making his final appearance in a McLaren race car as the Spaniard prepares to compete with Ferrari for the 2021 season. 

Starting seventh, Russian driver Daniil Kvyat out-qualified his Scuderia AlphaTauri teammate Pierre Gasly for the second consecutive Formula 1 event as he faces an uncertain immediate future in the sport. It’s strongly suggested Kvyat will not be racing for the team next year and is likely eyeing a reserve driver role in preparations for a possible return to competition in 2022. 

Photo Credit: Steven Tee/LAT Images/Pirelli

Canadian Lance Stroll starts at the highest position of the two Racing Point race cars for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Formula 1's newest and most recent grand prix winner Sergio Perez is relegated to a 19th place grid position as a penalty for receiving a new Mercedes-Benz power unit. Sunday’s race will be Perez’s final drive with Racing Point with no solid plans announced in regards to his future in racing.

The ninth fastest car on Saturday, the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc will actually start the race in 12th place. The opening lap incident at the Sakhir Grand Prix was scrutinized by the FIA after the race and ruled Leclerc at-fault that resulted with him colliding with Sergio Perez and contributed to Max Verstappen’s retirement. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly is promoted to ninth place for the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix joined by the Renault of Esteban Ocon.

For what will be the final 55 laps of the 2020 Formula 1 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 5:10 P.M. local time at the Yas Marina Circuit (8:10 A.M. eastern time). 

2020 Formula 1
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Bottas Edges Russell for Sakhir Grand Prix Pole

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

The third and final time the 2020 Formula 1 season which two races will be held back-to-back at a single venue, the Bahrain International Circuit is the only setting where two different track configurations will be used as teams set to run the first Sakhir Grand Prix. 

At 3.543 kilometers in length, the 11-turn Outer Circuit layout within the motorsport complex is considerably shorter than the 5.412-kilometer Grand Prix Circuit used for last week’s Bahrain Grand Prix. In Formula 1's 70-year history, the track for the Sakhir Grand Prix is the fifth-shortest ever competed upon.

Due to several events that have transpired in the past week, the driver lineup for the Sakhir Grand Prix has been noticeably shuffled. Following news of Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton’s positive test for COVID-19, Williams Racing driver George Russell will belt into the car of the seven-time world driving champion. With Russell’s acting role with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Brit Jack Aitken will make his debut in the series driving for Williams. The 25-year-old Aitken boasts four wins in the Formula 2 championship over three years and has claimed championships in the two Formula Renault 2.0 series in 2015. Jack Aitken has operated as a test driver for Williams Racing throughout 2020. 

Another driver making set to make has first Formula 1 grand prix start in his career will be Pietro Fittipaldi filling in for the injured Romain Grosjean at the Haas F1 Team. The grandson of two-time Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi, the 24-year-old American-born Brazilian already boasts a diverse, respectable driving background that includes the 2017 World Series Formula V8 3.5 championship as well as the track championship at Hickory Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.  

Photo Credit: Zak Mauger/LAT Images/Pirelli

At the controls of a Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance, George Russell demonstrated an apparent affinity for the race car fielded by the championship-winning team. Fastest in both Friday practices, there were some high hopes for the British driver heading into Saturday. In the final practice session before Saturday qualifying, Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas were at the top of the time sheet showing the advantage of drivers handling their familiar vehicles around the Bahrain International Circuit’s outer track. 

Qualifying for the Sakhir Grand Prix would be highlighted by some of the shortest lap times in Formula 1 history as competitors ran on the short and high-speed race course. After qualifying was completed, all 20 drivers had set a track time well under a minute. Eliminated in Q1 with the slowest time, Haas F1 Team’s Pietro Fittipaldi lapped the Outer Circuit in a time of 55.426 seconds. 

Photo Credit: Pirelli & C S.p.A.

Clocked with setting a 53.377-second lap in Q3, Mercedes-AMG regular driver Valtteri Bottas found a slight notch of speed that spoiled interim teammate George Russell’s best-ever opportunity at a pole in his career. Not entirely pleased with his pole-winning run, Bottas said, “It was fairly close in the end, so I’m pleased it was enough for pole position” following qualifying in a Mercedes-AMG team news release. Valterri Bottas’ fifth pole for the 2020 season comes as the Finnish driver is fending off Red Bull Racing pilot Max Verstappen in the runner-up spot in the drivers’ championship. Heading into the Sakhir Grand Prix, the margin between second and third place in the standings is 12 points. 

Falling just short of his first Formula 1 pole by 0.026 seconds, George Russell in the #63 Mercedes pulled off his most successful qualifying effort during a nearly two-year career in the series. Russell’s second-place starting spot also secured an all-Mercedes front row for the 12th time in 2020. 

Photo Credit: Pirelli & C S.p.A.

Max Verstappen placed his Honda-powered Red Bull race car into third following Q3 starting alongside Charles Leclerc who mounted a magnificent lap in his Ferrari. Sharing the third row of the Sakhir Grand Prix is Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and the Daniil Kvyat driving for Scuderia AlphaTauri. This qualifying performance for Kvyat is only the third time this season he outpaced his teammate Pierre Gasly in the time trials for setting a race grid. Australian Daniel Ricciardo will start in seventh place for Sunday’s race positioned beside Carlos Sainz Jr.’s McLaren race machine. Occupying the fifth row of the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix is Pierre Gasly and the second Racing Point of Lance Stroll. Between Bottas and Stroll in Q3, a gap of 0.823 seconds separates the 10-car group. 

Making their debuts at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Jack Aitken will start from the 18th place spot in the #89 Williams/Mercedes-Benz race car while Pietro Fittipaldi is placed at the tail-end of the field in the #51 Haas F1 Team VF-20. 

Start time for the 87-lap Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain is scheduled Sunday at 8:10 P.M. local time (12:10 P.M. eastern time). 

2020 Formula 1
Sakhir Grand Prix
Starting Lineup

Newly-Minted 2020 F1 Champion Hamilton Takes Bahrain Grand Prix Pole

 

LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

After four events held on race tracks that were originally unplanned for the 2020 Formula 1 season prior to this year, the series’ trip to the Bahrain International Circuit served as a familiar venue for the majority of drivers and teams. Arriving for the Bahrain Grand Prix, another element of commonality of recent seasons has again been solidified. Thanks to a steady year capped with an impressive victory at the last race in Turkey, Lewis Hamilton has locked up his sixth Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship in the last seven years. With three races remaining for the 2020 season, Hamilton and his Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (who had already locked the year’s Constructors’ Championship title) are again at the top of the motorsport world but is unwilling to rest on their laurels. 

Setting fastest laps in the first two practice sessions on Friday, Lewis Hamilton remained focused to add to his growing list of career achievements in the Persian Gulf-based country. Ahead of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton began to face a strengthened opposition as Max Verstappen and the Red Bull Racing team stepped up their effort to be quickest after the third and final practice.

Photo Credit: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

As daylight escaped the Bahrain International Circuit leaving the 5.412-kilometer race track illuminated by lights, Saturday’s qualifying shaping the field for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix commenced with far less drama than the rainy last outing in Istanbul. Only one red flag appeared over the course of the three time trial sessions occurring when the McLaren race car of Carlos Sainz Jr. stopped on track during Q2. Detailed as a braking system issue by McLaren’s Team Principal Andreas Seidl, Sainz will start Sunday’s race in 15th place.

Taking fastest times through all three sessions of qualifying, Lewis Hamilton stormed to one of his most convincing pole position efforts yet in his Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance race car. The British driver’s 98th career Formula 1 pole and 10th this season, Hamilton’s top spot at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix came after setting a time of 1-minute, 27.264 seconds in Q3. “No matter what has been thrown at us this year we’ve risen to it. For me it’s important to use these final three more races to learn as much as possible and carry that on into next year.” Commented Lewis Hamilton in a post-race news release from his team.

A little under three-tenths of a second slower than his Mercedes-AMG teammate, Valtteri Bottas provided a vital ingredient in cementing a statement of dominance for the German-based organization in qualifying. Starting 1-2 once again in the 2020 season for Sunday`s Bahrain Grand Prix, the Mercedes-AMG team has recovered one race after its streak of successful pole runs was ended in Turkish Grand Prix qualifying by Mercedes-Benz customer team Racing Point.

LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Falling short of his performance in Saturday practice, Max Verstappen remained tight with the pace of the Mercedes-AMG team cars. The Honda-powered Red Bull RB16 driven by the Dutch pilot recorded a 1-minute, 27.678-second lap time that was just 0.125 seconds slower than Valtteri Bottas. Verstappen’s start from the second row for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix will feature the company of teammate Alexander Albon. Albon’s strong pace in the timed session came roughly 24 hours after the Thai driver suffered a major crash in a practice. In the second practice on Friday, Albon collided with the track barrier after running wide in the track’s final corner.

Fresh off a second-place finish in Istanbul, Racing Point’s Sergio Perez recorded the fifth-fastest time in the final session of qualifying at the Bahrain International Circuit starting well ahead teammate Lance Stroll. Finishing the Q1 session with the second-fastest time, Stroll’s effort setting a top lap time in Q2 was complicated by the red flag as well as being equipped with used medium compound tires. The Canadian Racing Point driver will start 13th for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.

The two Renault race cars finished qualifying very close together separated by Q3 lap times just 0.002 seconds apart. Australian Daniel Ricciardo edged out teammate Esteban Ocon for the sixth place starting spot. Sunday’s 57-lap event will feature an all-French fourth row as the AlphaTauri race car driven by Pierre Gasly will start alongside seventh place Ocon. Behind the two Frenchmen, Lando Norris will start the Bahrain Grand Prix in ninth place while the second AlphaTauri racer Daniil Kvyat will roll off from tenth place.

Set for a 5:10 P.M. local time in the hot desert, the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix will take place at 9:10 A.M. Eastern time. 

2020 Formula 1
Bahrain Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Hamilton On Top After Unique F1 Pole Battle In Portugal

Photo Credit: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd

Hosting Formula 1's first Portuguese Grand Prix since 1996, the Algarve International Circuit (or also known as the Portimao Circuit) was constructed in 2008 and has been the site of MotoGP, several sports car competitions as well as a 2009 A1 Grand Prix event. Formula 1 teams have visited the track for pre-season winter testing in 2009 but a competitive grand prix had never been held until this year receiving a date as part of the modified 2020 race schedule.

A 15-turn, 4.653-kilometer race course, the Portugal’s Portimao Circuit has been described in many accounts for having elements of older tracks with numerous elevation changes and tight turns. In the practices leading up to qualifying, drivers also noted the slipperiness of the track’s recently resurfaced asphalt. The challenges presented in the tricky track have resulted in Pirelli bringing their three hardest compound slick tires. The process of setting the grid for Sunday’s 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix would involve several instances of ingenuity. 

Photo Credit: Zak Mauger/LAT Images/Pirelli

Whether in a long-established grand prix or one of the improvised outings for 2020, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team continues to show supremacy when it comes to pace. Valtteri Bottas ended all three practice sessions at the Portimao Circuit at the top of the time charts. Bottas’ teammate and current drivers’ championship points leader Lewis Hamilton was second-quickest in two of three of the sessions encountering difficulty with high winds and two red flags in the second Friday practice. In Saturday’s qualifying, it was Hamilton’s turn to take the top spot on the time sheet.  

Besting his teammate with a 1-minute, 16.652-second lap time, the pole-winning effort by Lewis Hamilton was accomplished in an unorthodox fashion. Not only was the fastest time set on the weekend’s  medium compound tire, Hamilton’s #44 car undertook multiple hot laps in the final Q3 run. Completing three laps in the successful effort to post the top time, Hamilton clinched his 97th Formula 1 career pole position. Beaten by 0.102 seconds around the 4.653-kilometer Portuguese track, Eifel Grand Prix pole sitter Valtteri Bottas settled for second on the grid securing the Mercedes-AMG team another 1-2 in 2020 Formula 1 qualifying. 

Max Verstappen’s appearance in third place following Portuguese Grand Prix qualifying continues to trend of seeing the Dutch Red Bull Racing driver closest to mirror the dominant Mercedes-AMG entries. Verstappen’s top Q3 time was 0.252 seconds slower than Hamilton’s pole-sitting lap time. Joining the Honda-powered Red Bull on the second row is a pleasantly surprising effort from Scuderia Ferrari with their driver Charles Leclerc. The fourth place starting spot for Leclerc appears to show some progress being made in the development of the SF1000 race car. A new diffuser debuts this weekend on the Ferrari team as the latest of several technical upgrades. While Leclerc will be positioned high on the Portuguese Grand Prix starting grid, teammate Sebastian Vettel is starting deeper in the field in 15th place.  

Photo Credit: Zak Mauger/LAT Images/Pirelli

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez recorded the fifth fastest time in Q3 accompanied by Red Bull Racing driver Alexander Albon on the third row. In seventh and eighth place, the McLaren race cars set almost identical Q3 lap times. Carlos Sainz Jr. narrowly claimed an edge over teammate Lando Norris prevailing by just 0.005 of a second. Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri and the Renault race car of Daniel Ricciardo round out the top-10 of the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix’s starting order. 

Returning to on-track action in Portugal is Lance Stroll. Initially pulling out of the Eifel Grand Prix due to stomach discomfort, Stroll was made aware he had contracted COVID-19. Following a difficult Friday practice session where he and Max Verstappen collided, the Canadian Racing Point driver will start the Portuguese Grand Prix in 12th place.   

Shaping up to be a potentially unpredictable 66-lap race, the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix will run Sunday at 2:10 P.M. local time (9:10 A.M. Eastern Time).

 

2020 Formula 1
Portuguese Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Lucky Lewis: Hamilton Barely Escapes Q2 to Take Russian Grand Prix Pole

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton/LAT Images/Pirelli

Understanding that the word ‘chaotic’ could be used to describe many aspects of the 2020 Formula 1 season, qualifying in the series in the first nine races had concluded in a generally humdrum manner due to the talent and execution of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. As the series arrives in Sochi for this year’s Russian Grand Prix, there has not been a qualifying session in 2020 that did not result in an all-Mercedes front row on race day. 

One-half of the Mercedes-AMG F1 team’s routine of qualifying dominance came with Lewis Hamilton’s 96th Formula 1 pole position. Lapping the 5.848-kilometer race course in a time of 1-minute, 31.304 seconds in Q3 (a new track record in Russia), Hamilton is still seeking his 91st career victory in Formula 1 that will tie seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in the all-time ranking. 

Spoiling the Mercedes-AMG F1 team’s ownership of the front row for the first time in 2020, Max Verstappen posted a 1-minute, 31.867-second lap time in his Honda-powered Red Bull Racing car. Verstappen effectively split the two Mercedes drivers by being 0.089 seconds quicker than Valtteri Bottas who was able to mount a last-minute lap to better an earlier time. Starting alongside Bottas in Russia will be the Racing Point of Sergio Perez. Perez’s teammate Lance Stroll didn’t advance into Q3 due to concerns of power unit temperatures in Q2 settling for a 13th place starting spot.

Although the final Q3 session that locks in a race grid is often granted the most attention on Saturday, time trials for the Russian Grand Prix contained some of the highest suspense in the earlier sessions. Q1 and Q2 sessions of Saturday qualifying at Sochi involved several drivers having times disallowed for exceeding track limits including the eventual pole winner. With roughly two and a half minutes left in Q2, the attempts to secure a spot in the top-10 fastest cars were hindered when the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel crashed in turn 4 of the Sochi Autodrom. Vettel’s wrecked vehicle required the qualifying session to be red-flagged setting up a mad rush by many drivers and teams when Q2 would be restarted. The time remaining in the session was just enough for some drivers to complete a warm-up lap ahead of a timed lap. Lewis Hamilton lost his earlier Q2 lap time but was narrowly able to post a fourth fastest time before the session ended. In fact, Hamilton crossed the start/finish line with only seconds to spare in his Mercedes AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance race car. 

The seventh Russian Grand Prix in the modern Formula 1 era will be a 53-lap affair on Sunday.

2020 Formula 1
Russian Grand Prix
Starting Lineup

Mercedes Motors at Monza: Hamilton Takes Italian Grand Prix Pole

Photo Credit: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

Considered one of the fastest circuits on the current Formula 1 calender, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is a track that benefits low downforce and massive engine power. With what is known of the 2020 season as well as other prior years in the open wheel racing series, qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix on the high-speed race course was understandably seen as another playground for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. However, a rule change targeting the German-based squad had the potential to shake up Saturday’s time trials.  

The Italian Grand Prix is the first event where the Formula 1 sanctioning enacted rules against the Mercedes AMG team’s use of a special engine mode for qualifying. The so-called “party mode” setting was incorporated to allow a driver to have access to a brief performance boost from the power unit meant to gain extra pace in qualifying. Although the Mercedes AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance vehicles were cited for using the engine setting exploit, other Formula 1 teams have acknowledged having the capacity of utilizing an effect similar to party mode. Starting with the Italian Grand Prix weekend, teams will be required to operate through a single engine mode in qualifying and race conditions.   

Despite the new engine mode rule, the Mercedes AMG cars rolled to secure an easy front row for Sunday’s main race at Monza. Collecting his 94th career Formula 1 pole, Lewis Hamilton came out on top in qualifying with a 1-minute,18.887-second lap time. The performance by Hamilton eked-out his teammate Valtteri Bottas for pole by just 0.069 seconds. Both Mercedes AMG drivers able to record lap times under 1-minute, 19 seconds and eclipsed the previous lap time record around the 5.793-kilometer circuit. Bottas’ top Q3 lap was more than 6/10ths of a second faster than the third-place runner.

Photo Credit: LAT Images/Mercedes AMG

Missing out on starting the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend due to an exhaust issue, Carlos Sainz Jr. is in a prime position for glorious recovery in the grand prix at Monza. The Spaniard will start third in his Renault-powered McLaren alongside the Racing Point of Sergio Perez. The third row of the 2020 Italian Grand Prix’s starting grid is shared by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and the second McLaren race car driven by Lando Norris. Outpaced by their engine customer McLaren, the Renault F1 Team piloted by Daniel Ricciardo will launch from seventh place on Sunday. Lance Stroll, Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top-10 in the final round of qualifying.

Photo Credit: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

In recent years, qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix on the Monza circuit has become a chaotic affair. The final round of qualifying for the 2019 event concluded with a farcical outcome where a majority of cars moved so slowly in the final moment of Q3 that time expired by the time they reached the starting line. Attempting to gain the valuable slip-stream equating to extra speed on the track’s long stretches, drivers want to follow rather than lead to get an ideal time. Smaller instances of slip-streaming gone wrong appeared to cost several drivers including Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen from posting their best lap times. The Q1 session also had a number of lap times disallowed due to exceeding course limits around the sweeping turn 11. Lance Stroll, Alexander Albon and Charles Leclerc all had lap times deleted in qualifying after their right wheels drifted above white line.

Photo Credit: Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

One of three Italian-based races part of the 2020 Formula 1 schedule, the Italian Grand Prix is a homecoming experience for the Scuderia Ferrari team. After a difficult outing in Spa, the Ferrari race cars are continuing to struggle with an addition sting of competing at a home country event. Charles Leclerc was only able to muster a 13th place result in qualifying while Sebastian Vettel is starting 17th after failing to break out of the initial Q1 session. 

The start of the 53-lap Italian Grand Prix is set for 3:10 p.m. local time or 9:10 a.m. Eastern time.

2020 Formula 1
Italian Grand Prix
Starting Grid