LEWIS IS ON POLE AFTER RUSSIAN ROULETTE
LEWIS Hamilton survived a dramatic qualifying session to put his Mercedes on pole position for the Russian Grand Prix. Hamilton came within less than a second of falling at the second hurdle - after Sebastian Vettel crashed out in his Ferrari - before making it though to Q3 and then obliterating the opposition.
The world champion finished a staggering 0.563 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the Sochi Autodrom, with Valtteri Bottas third.
Hamilton will join Michael Schumacher with the most number of victories in Formula One history should he triumph for a 91st time on Sunday.
However, his pole lap is subject to an investigation with the Briton summoned to see the stewards for allegedly ignoring the race directors’ instructions. The cars lined up in the pit lane people.
Vettel’s high-speed crash in Q2 led ahead of the restart and Hamilton “It was one of the worst qualifyto the most exciting qualifying seswas eighth in the queue. The British ing sessions with my heart in the sion of the season in front of tens of driver then provided himself with an mouth the whole way. The time was thousands of fans as spectators reeven greater challenge after he ran taken away from me after I ran wide. turned to watch F1 for the first time off the track as he left the pits on cold I wanted to stay out and do a banker this year. tyres. lap but the team told told me to come
The quadruple world champion The message arrived from his race in and then the red flag came out. lost control of his Ferrari through the engineer Pete Bonnington to get a “It is nice being on pole but here right-handed Turn 4 before slammove on, but Hamilton executed the is the worst place because of the tow ming into the barriers. timings to perfection, crossing the to the opening corner so I am most
Charles Leclerc was running beline with less than one second to go, likely to get passed at the start tomorhind his team-mate and almost colaffording him clean air in his one atrow.” lected Vettel, who rebounded off the tempt at progressing to Q3. Hamilton Sergio Perez finished fourth for wall and into the middle of the road. finished fourth and a shock secondRacing Point ahead of the Renault of
“Oh my God... that was very very stage exit was avoided. Daniel Ricciardo. Carlos Sainz was close,” said Leclerc as he ran over Hamilton then returned to post a sixth for McLaren, with Lando NorVettel’s debris. dazzling lap to secure pole 96 of his ris two spots further back in the other
The session was car.red-flaggedwithcareer. just two minutes and 15 seconds of “Firstly, I have got to say hi to all Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start Q2 remaining. Hamilton was only the fans that are here,” said Hamilton. outside the top 10 in 11th, while 15th after his time was deleted for ex“I have missed them this year and I George Russell continued to impress, ceeding track limits. cannot tell you how great it is to see qualifying 14th for Williams.