Lewis equals the poles tally of legend Schuey
LEWIS HAMILTON etched his name into Formula One folklore after yesterday equalling Michael Schumacher’s all-time record by securing pole position for today’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The triple world champion, competing here in his 200th race, delivered a dominant performance to soar to the top of the order at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit and claim the 68th pole of his glittering career.
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who also yesterday committed his long-term future to Ferrari, will join his rival Hamilton on the front row, with the pole-sitter’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in third.
Hamilton has been in a buoyant mood on the sport’s return to action following its summer hiatus, and the 32-year-old Englishman, as he has so often done during his decade-long career, provided the goods when it mattered the most with a recordbreaking lap.
Hamilton’s best time of one minute and 42.553 seconds enabled him to finish a quarter of a second clear of Vettel, who pipped Bottas in the closing moments of the session.
F1 director Ross Brawn, the English mastermind behind Schumacher’s seven championship triumphs at Benetton, and then Ferrari, delivered a congratulatory message on behalf of the German’s family.
Little is known of Schumacher’s condition after he suffered severe head injuries following a skiing accident more than three years ago.
“They want to congratulate you on equalling Michael’s record, and as Michael always said, records are there to be beaten,” Brawn said.
Hamilton, who trails Vettel by 14 points in the championship, replied: “It is special. To hear the message that Ross just gave I have to say a big thank you.
“I think and pray for Michael all the time. I’ve had the privilege of racing with him and always admired him and still do.
“I’m just honoured to be up there with him now in the poles, but he will still be one of the greatest of all time.”
Hamilton’s countryman Jolyon Palmer cruised through to the top-10 shootout and looked set to qualify a career-high seventh – earning him the title as best of the rest, behind the two Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull cars – only for reliability issues to again feature.
Palmer stopped on track with smoke pluming from the back of his Renault car. “We lost gearbox oil pressure, and we are sorry about that,” the luckless driver was informed over the team radio.
The Englishman is a provisional 10th, but he could face a grid penalty if his Renault team are forced to change his faulty gearbox.