Lewis is gunning for pole-star Max
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S reward for taking his first pole position was Lewis Hamilton’s promise that Mercedes would gang up on him in today’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
It was a fine qualifying lap by Verstappen, confidence surging through him after two wins in the past three races, but the Silver Arrows pair of Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton, starting second and third, lie in wait on a tight Hungaroring that offers limited passing chances.
Outlining his ploy, the world champion, referring to Verstappen’s team- mate Pierre Gasly, asked: ‘ Where is the other Red Bull?’ The answer i s that the Frenchman will start sixth and out of contention.
Hamilton developed his argument, saying: ‘We are in a good position in terms of working as a team tomorrow.
‘If we can hold on to Max, we can pull him closer and give him a run for his money. It is a little bit harder when you are on your own at the front without your team- mate because you can come under attack on strategy.
‘We have got a long run down to turn one so hopefully we will have a battle down there and after that it will come down to team tactics.’
Yesterday was Verstappen’s moment as he ended his 92-race wait for pole.
He became the 100th man to achieve the feat in Formula One. The first, Giuseppe Farina, was aged 43 at Silverstone in 1950. Young Max is 21 and the fourthyoungest pole- sitter in history behind Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso.
You have to remind yourself that Verstappen is so young given this is his fifth season in Formula One. He started at 17, before he had even passed his driving test.
What does it feel like to have landed pole at last, he was asked, after pipping Bottas by 0.018sec?
‘Well, people will stop asking me that question now,’ he said, smiling. ‘For me it never really mattered that I had a long wait.
‘You need a bit of luck and I made some mistakes. But I knew I would do it and now I have.
‘We are definitely closing the gap to Mercedes.’
It was another disappointing day for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc hitting the wall at the final corner before qualifying his repaired car in fourth place. He has impressed in fits and starts but is prone to errors. Sebastian Vettel was only fifth-fastest in the other red car. The Scuderia still seem unable to plot a route to the top and the championship fight looks beyond them.
But with 10 rounds — including today’s race — remaining, there is just opportunity enough for Verstappen to poke his nose into the fray, a contention Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff underlined last night.
Asked if he thought the Dutchman was now a serious contender, he said: ‘Yes, definitely. There are 250 points available and he is 63 behind, so the simple maths says it is possible. He is driving very well and we need to keep pushing.’
It feels as though Verstappen needs to significantly narrow his deficit to Hamilton (right) in this afternoon’s final race before the summer break to bolster hi s hopes of turning the maths into reality.