History beckons

LEWIS HAMILTON continued to dominate by securing pole position for today’s Portuguese Grand Prix.

The Brit edged out Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas’ challenge by just 0.102 seconds with his final lap of a nailbiting qualiifying session.

Bottas headed into qualifying with a practice clean sweep under his belt, but Hamilton executed a different strategy in Q3 by completing one extra lap than his team-mate, and taking pole.

And the world champion will now start as the favourite to make history in the Algarve and overhaul Michael Schumacher by claiming his 92nd win.

“I cannot tell you how hard that was,” said Hamilton.

“We have got a great car but you have to drive the nuts off it to pull out a lap.

“It’s a really hardcore circuit because there are places where you can’t see where you’re going and you’re looking at the sky for periods of time.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third from Charles Leclerc.