Hamilton breaks track record but will start in 11th
LEWIS HAMILTON took pole position for the Turkish Grand Prix with a new track record – but he will be thrown back 10 places following his engine penalty.
The seven-time Formula One world champion delivered the quickest lap ever seen at the Istanbul Park to beat Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and championship rival Max Verstappen.
But Hamilton, who holds a two-point advantage over Verstappen, will face danger from all angles during today’s start after serving a 10-place penalty for using his fourth engine, one more than is permitted.
Mercedes believe that the risk of an engine failure – and a potentially devastating DNF in Hamilton’s quest for an eighth crown – outweighs his lowly grid position.
Speaking in the build-up to yesterday’s qualifying session, Hamilton (above) said he must capture pole in order to limit the damage of his engine penalty.
And he delivered on his promise with his final lap seeing off Bottas by 0.130secs, while Verstappen finished third, three tenths back.
Mercedes rate the circuit among the easier tracks on the calendar to overtake and Hamilton will hope to come through the field like
Verstappen did at the last race in Russia. He will also be keen on Bottas keeping Verstappen in his mirrors.
Hamilton said: “It is a long race and I hope there is some rain that comes along.
“We knew it was going to be difficult with this penalty and it is not going to be easy to fight my way through but when there is a will there is a way.
“It is not the easiest to overtake, so I imagine it will be difficult to move up. But we have got the long straight down the back and we will see what we can do.”
Bottas said:
“It was a good qualifying and not easy conditions.
“I will focus on my own race and that is the way to attack it when you start on pole.”
A queue formed at the start of Q1 with the threat of rain imminent. But a smattering of drops at the end of the circuit had little impact on the result.
Mick Schumacher, 22, delivered the best lap of his F1 career to progress to Q2 for only the second time.
The German finished Q1 ahead of fourtime world champion Sebastian Vettel and the best part of three seconds faster than Haas team-mate Nikita Mazepin. He will start in 14th.