British ace has wall to thank for his pole
THE bald fact is that Lewis Hamilton claimed the 103rd pole of his glittering career. But that doesn’t tell the half of it as his title rival Max Verstappen ended up in the wall.
The Dutchman was on target for top spot in Saudi Arabia, and by a mile. He had rattled through 26 of the 27 bends like a man possessed. He grazed a hoarding at one point but bounced off unscathed. It was high-wire stuff.
But, as we held our breath, he clipped the barrier on the exit of the final corner of this crazy new road circuit and came to a halt. Hamilton, who was already parking up, assumed first place on the grid.
The Briton is further helped by Valtteri Bottas, his team-mate, starting second and potentially acting as a buffer between him and the thrusting Dutchman, whose earlier time was good enough for third fastest.
The incident may also prove a significant moment in the destiny of the world title.
Back in the Red Bull HQ, Max’s father Jos banged both fists on the table, all his family’s dreams hanging ever more precariously in the balance. Verstappen threw his gloves down after completing the long walk back to the garage.
Yet he still holds an eight-point lead with only today’s race and next Sunday’s in Abu Dhabi remaining. He must, though, contend with a resurgent Hamilton on the back of two morale-boosting wins.
The Englishman’s boss, Toto Wolff, could barely conceal his smile at Verstappen’s misfortune. ‘We think they concentrated on a single lap,’ said the Austrian. ‘That’s why they brought the tyre into the window quickly. If we have that tiny bit of an advantage tomorrow, who knows?’
What makes the 50 laps today so hard to predict is the nature of the circuit. With its high-speed blind corners and near walls, it’s almost unimaginable that a safety car or red flag will not intervene.
Verstappen, disappointed by his late setback, was asked if it was now a case of damage limitation or shooting for victory. Guess which he said? ‘My aim is to win the race,’ came the reply.
Tighten your seat belts.