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Sent into the desert: Lewis Hamilton during qualifying in Doha
Photo:
Clive Mason / Getty Images
World champion Lewis Hamilton will start the Formula 1 premiere race in Qatar from first place on the grid.
The 36-year-old Briton secured pole position in his Mercedes ahead of Max Verstappen in the Red Bull and Valtteri Bottas in the second Silver Arrow.
Six days after his win in Brazil, Hamilton was just under half a second ahead of challenger Verstappen.
On the course north of Doha, Sebastian Vettel drove his Aston Martin under floodlights to tenth place.
Mick Schumacher was eliminated in the Haas in the first knockout round and finished 19th. Only teammate Nikita Masepin landed behind the 22-year-old.
Before the third last race of the season on Sunday (3 p.m., TV: Sky), Verstappen leads the overall standings with 14 points ahead of Hamilton.
The Grand Prix takes place exactly one year to the day before the start of the World Cup.
The route jumped in for Melbourne, Australia.
Due to the ongoing corona pandemic, no Grand Prix can be held there this year either.
From 2023, Qatar, which is controversial because of its human rights situation, will be part of the racing calendar for at least ten years.
sak / dpa