Formula 1: Bottas takes pole as Mercedes go 1-2 in Mexican GP qualifying
Formula 1 | November 07, 2021 10:53 ISTThe challenge will be holding off the hard-charging Red Bulls and Max Verstappen over 71 laps on Sunday.
The challenge will be holding off the hard-charging Red Bulls and Max Verstappen over 71 laps on Sunday.
While Bottas won the Turkish GP, Verstappen returned to the top spot with a second-place finish.
Hamilton's record-extending 102nd pole saw him finish .13 seconds ahead of Bottas and .33 clear of Verstappen's Red Bull.
Bottas finished the 18-lap dash 2.325 seconds ahead of Verstappen but will start at the back of the grid on Sunday as he is going to take a new power unit and will receive a penalty for doing so.
Bottas’ final flying lap saw him beat Hamilton by .096 seconds in a qualifying session that set the grid for Formula One's second-ever sprint, which will determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s main race.
Bottas will make the switch to Alfa Romeo in 2022 after five seasons alongside Hamilton at the Silver Arrows.
Mercedes GP star driver Valtteri Bottas took to social media to announce that he has signed a new contract with F1 side Alfa Romeo and will be driving for the constructors from the next season.
The orange-clad home crowd roared as the Red Bull star finished an impressive .56 seconds quicker than Valtteri Bottas and .79 quicker than Lewis Hamilton
Bottas was a narrow .027 seconds ahead of Hamilton and .298 clear of Verstappen, who leads Hamilton by eight points overall after 10 races.
On Saturday, Hamilton will be aiming for his 100th career pole. On Sunday, he will be looking to equal Michael Schumacher’s six wins in Montmeló.
The Mercedes driver was .2 seconds ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton and .77 seconds clear of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
Racing on the track where his childhood idol Ayrton Senna lost his life, Hamilton finished 0.097 seconds behind Bottas’ time of 1 minute, 13.609 seconds.
Having secured a record-extending 97th career pole, Hamilton can make Formula One history if he wins Sunday’s race with a 92nd win to move one clear of Michael Schumacher.
After leading Friday's two practice sessions, the Mercedes driver was .03 seconds quicker than teammate Lewis Hamilton and .16 ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Hamilton wins the Eifel Grand Prix on Sunday after Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas suffers DNF from the lead.
Bottas' time beat Hamilton by .256 seconds and Verstappen by .293. Ferrari recovered a little ground after a miserable run of races, with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth and Sebastian Vettel 11th.
Bottas set the pace in 1 minute 26.225 seconds, with Lewis Hamilton .136 off his Mercedes teammate in second. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third fastest, .456 off Bottas, and Sebastian Vettel fifth.
Hamilton had been looking to match Michael Schumacher's record of 91 wins in Formula One but had to settle for third behind Bottas and Max Verstappen.
The first F1 race on a Mugello track with super-fast corners usually used by MotoGP riders was incident-packed throughout.
While Hamilton clinched a record-extending 95th pole, it was hard luck for Bottas. He now trails Hamilton 7-2 this season in poles all won by Mercedes.
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