Hamilton Claims Home Pole at Silverstone

Whilst it was not its usual loud self, qualifying for the 2020 British Grand Prix took place at the Silverstone Circuit and the drivers still put on a show.

Lewis Hamilton sent his black arrow flying on pole breaking the track record for Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, despite going off earlier causing a red flag due to gravel on the track after a spin. Teammate Valtteri Bottas will line up along side him with the hope of spoiling Lewis’ hope of matching Michael Schumacher’s record for most home grand prix wins.

Lining up in third place will be Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen who once again stressed the issues his Honda powered car gave him. These woes were highlighted more on the other side of the garage by Alexander Albon, who was knocked out in Qualifying 2 for the second time in consecutive race weekends.

Sergio Pérez’s replacement Nico Hülkenberg at BWT Racing Point Formula One Team was also forced to watch his teammate Lance Stroll in Qualifying 3 after he was denied in the closing seconds by Sebastian Vettel, Albon’s and Pierre Gasly’s late improving efforts.

Qualifying 2 saw Lewis Hamilton spin on the Medium compound at the exit of Luffield leading to a red flag. Bottas, Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll all went out on medium tyres and were able to open up their strategy’s for tomorrow’s race.

Once the shootout in Qualifying 3 was underway, the Mercedes’ drivers took off their gloves and began exchanging blows; with Hamilton throwing first setting a time of 1:24.616s on the first run, with the his teammate trailing by +0.150, and the rest of the grid being over a second off the pace. Hamilton went on to set a 0.313 second improvement whilst Bottas could only muster an identical lap time.

Charles Leclerc was the lead for Scuderia Ferrari in forth place, just ahead of McLaren F1 Team’s Lando Norris and Canadian Lance Stroll, who like Bottas, failed to set a better lap on their final run.

Seventh place belonged to Carlos Sainz Jr., edging out not one, but both Renault DP World F1 Team cars. Vettel will start on the red walled soft tyre after his time on the mediums left him in the danger zone prior of his final lap.

Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly missed out on a hat-trick of qualifying 3 appearances due to setting a identical lap to Lance Stroll in the final seconds of the qualifying 2, however due to Stroll setting the lap first he was given the privilege of the shootout. Daniil Kvyat finished fourteenth but will drop five places on the grid for taking a new gearbox meanwhile George Russell kept his qualifying 2 streak going, ending the day in fifteenth place.