World of sport
Lewis Hamilton completed one half of his vow to end his championshipwinning campaign in style yesterday, as he put his Mercedes on pole position for today’s season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who secured his fifth title with two rounds to spare in Mexico last month, will be joined on the front row by Valtteri Bottas, with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen third and fourth for Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso is ending his 18-season career here in the desert, and in his final Formula One qualifying session, the two-time world champion finished 15th.
Hamilton, 33, has been in the form of his life this year, dominating Vettel in a title fight that many had expected to go to the wire.
And it was fitting that he would secure his 11th pole of the season at the final round as he goes in search of his 11th win.
Under the lights of the Yas Marina circuit, Hamilton danced his way to the top of the time sheets, finishing 0.162 seconds clear of Bottas, and a third of a second faster than Vettel.
“It was quite an emotional qualifying session, because it is the last time I will qualify in this car,” said Hamilton, who kissed and massaged his car in gratitude.
“I am closest to this car than I have been to any other. It has not always been easy, but it has been a real privilege this year. To go out there and express yourself, and push the car the way you want, there is no better feeling.
“The first lap wasn’t spectacular, but that last one started off calm, and then I got more and more aggressive. The last sector was a killer, and that is where I made the difference.”
It will be 100 and out for Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull career today, and he ended his final Saturday with the team on something of a high, by edging Max Verstappen out to finish fifth. The Dutchman will line up one place lower, in sixth.
The Red Nymph is one to get tied and stored in the nymph box for next season.
It is tied up on a size 10-12 Partridge Captain Hamilton hook using scarlet tying thread. The tail is a light pinch of black marabou and the body is black pheasant tail fibres, ribbed with fine gold wire.
The thorax is scarlet floss, palmered with two or three turns of short, soft hen hackle and the pattern is completed with a thorax cover of black pheasant tail fibres.
▪ The fishing was excellent again last week at Kilmacolm’s Lawfield Trout Fishery, when a total of 130 fish was recorded.
Joe Currie had a tremendous catch and return of 28 fish, Andy Dallas (16), Alex Rennie (15), Alan Jones (7), Joe Douglas (7), Bill Eadie (6), Davy Coleman (6), Bobby Quinn (5) and Ms Hill took one at 8lb.
The top-taking flies included the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, Diawl Bach, Cormorant, Black Tadpole, Damsel, Eggstasy Worm and Green Beads.