Super Lewis stands alone
But this time for his display on the track as he aces it in the wet
LEWIS HAMILTON lay aside his political concerns for a rainy afternoon and conjured the kind of lap that, well into his 36th year, marks him out as a man apart.
This was the Briton’s 89th pole position, and among the finest. More than 1.2sec divided him from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the same margin as separated second quickest from 10th, in qualifying for the Styrian Grand Prix.
This performance under the cloud-obscured tree tops of the lush forest came a week after a faulty few days on the same, albeit dry, Red Bull Ring track, home to the first two rounds of this Covid- remoulded season. Perhaps he was rusty then after the long break from racing. Or was he distracted by his anti-racism campaigning?
Whatever the reason, he made uncharacteristic mistakes, not least in failing to slow for a yellow flag in qualifying, a novice mistake when set alongside his majestic showing in these far trickier climes.
This latest mastery prompted the memory to rewind to other magical Saturday afternoon feats performed by the six-time champion. One came at Monza, in the wet, back in 2017. Then again, his nearest challenger was Verstappen. The pair are the cream of the crop. But it was Hamilton who emerged from that elongated, rain-interrupted running 1.15sec ahead of the Dutchman who would otherwise be king.
Another for the annals was at Singapore, this time in the dry, the following season on a track meant to be Ferrari’s personal fiefdom that weekend. We reached for the superlatives, and they fitted. Just as they do now. The start of qualifying was delayed by 46 minutes as rain fell hard. When the action finally began, visibility was still impaired by the plumes of water churned up by 20 fidgety cars. Still, the rain fell.
Hamilton was so good that he got pole twice over, setting the fastest lap and then beating it while the clocked ticked down. As Kipling might have said, he kept his head while all about him lost theirs. Even Verstappen over-extended on his final lap, losing control and briefly drifting nowhere but sideways.
Hamilton, who is expected to take a knee again with some of his fellow drivers before today’s race, said: ‘It was really as close to perfect as I could manage out there. You cannot see it, but I am smiling under this mask.
‘They were the worst conditions we could get these cars round in, and an incredible challenge. Once we got going it was fine, but the rain got heavier and it was definitely on the limit, but that is racing. I am glad they didn’t take it away from us by cancelling qualifying. It was so special being out there. I felt at home in the rain.
‘ It is difficult for an athlete to explain why t hey are good at something. I know how good I am and that is the belief that we all have to have inside us.
‘It is down to focus, how you study the track, the ability to be dynamic and manage the trickiest of conditions. That is what the best athletes in the world do.’
Carlos Sainz, of McLaren, was third fastest, the highest he has ever qualified. Valtteri Bottas, in the second Mercedes, drove 1.5sec slower than Hamilton, a week after taking pole position and the win when it was bone dry.
Renault’s Esteban Ocon was fifth quickest. McLaren’s Lando Norris was a decent sixth, though the 20-year-old Brit will go back three places on the grid for overtaking under a yellow flag in practice on Friday. His fellow Brit George Russell acquitted himself very well — 12th best in a less-than-fabulous Williams. His team-mate Nicholas Latifi was 1.4sec behind him. Ferrari suffered another awful afternoon with Sebastian Vettel ninth quickest and Charles Leclerc 11th. How much more road is left for team principal Mattia Binotto? After today’s race the circus moves on to Hungary, where the government have imposed strict regulations on British passport holders. The instructions are: stay at the track or in your hotel. Otherwise police will impose fines of up to £13,000 or even lock the transgressors up. Hamilton promised he will be staying at the track, tucked up early, and away from the fleshpots.