08/02/2020 - 9:18
- Clarín.com
- sports
Formula 1 adds a new race after the long stoppage due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Grand Prix of Great Britain, with an extension of 52 laps, runs this Sunday from 10.10 with televising Fox Sports Action and ESPN. Next weekend, the queen category of motorsports will be presented again on the same circuit.
The six-time world champion and leader of the current championship, Lewis Hamilton, set the fastest time in the qualifying session this Saturday and starts from the first position in the fourth round of the Formula 1 season . In this way, the English achieved the seventh pole position in his country and the 91st in his career.
It seemed that it was not going to be a simple day at home for the six-time world champion, who in the third free practice session had been overtaken by his teammate, Finn Valtteri Bottas.
To top it off, in Q2 Hamilton lost control of his Mercedes, stepped on the gravel and spun that forced red flags to be displayed and the activity stopped for a few minutes for attendees to clean that section of the track, which it was quite dirty.
Hamilton spinning top! # F1xESPN The champion lost control of the Mercedes in Q2 of the British Grand Prix. #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/pj2VKuKmK5
- ESPN Uruguay (@ESPNUruguay) August 1, 2020But in Q3 he erased all doubts: he covered the 5,891 meters of the Silverstone circuit in 1m24,303s, broke the track record and beat Bottas by 313 thousandths, who once again had to settle for escorting his teammate.
In this way, the British achieved the 91st pole position of his career and the seventh in his country (before doing so in 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018). In this way, he exceeded the record held by Ayrton Senna, who had achieved six in Brazil (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1994).
Lewis Hamilton greets after taking pole position at Silverstone. (Photo: Will Oliver / AFP)
"Valtteri is pushing me to the limit. It was a real fight out there, with wind in different parts of the circuit. After spinning, I took a deep breath and managed to recover for Q3, ”explained the fastest man of the day.
Behind and quite far from the Mercedes was the Dutchman Max Verstappen, who on board his Red Bull finished 1,022 seconds behind Hamilton. Fourth place was in the hands of Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1,124 seconds to the top.
Dutchman Max Verstappen will start third on Sunday in his Red Bull. (Photo: Bryn Lennon / AFP)
The first 10 places were completed by the British Lando Norris (McLaren), the Canadian Lance Stroll (Racing Point), the Spanish Carlos Sainz (McLaren), the Australian Daniel Ricciardo (Renault), the French Esteban Ocon (Renault) and the German Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari).