Bottas on Brazil pole as Hamilton crashes

SAO PAULO— Valtteri Bottas secured the third pole position of his career on Saturday after his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton had crashed in the opening minutes of an incidentfilled qualifying session for Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Finn clocked a best lap time of one minute and 8.322 seconds in the final seconds to outpace his nearest rival four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari by 0.038 seconds.

Hamilton, who clinched his fourth title in Mexico two weeks ago, lost control and hit the barriers on his first flying lap after only two minutes.

He was unhurt and is expected to start the race from the back of the grid.

"I'm okay. It happened really quickly. I tend to just look at it as challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them makes life meaningful," Hamilton told Sky Sports.

"I just need to take whatever bubble of negativity comes from that experience and move forwards and try and grow from it.

"It's very unusual from me but it shows we are all human and things happen."

Hamilton's crash and Bottas's pole completed a roller-coaster Saturday for the world champion Mercedes team after it was revealed some of their staff had been robbed at gunpoint late Friday as they left the Interlagos circuit.

Bottas said he felt a responsibility to the team after Hamilton's shock early exit.

"It feels good," said Bottas, who also took pole at the Azerbaijan and Austrian Grands Prix earlier this season.