Lewis Hamilton took pole position in the qualifying of Italian Grand Prix: at the Monza circuit the world champion establishes the new track record in 1: 18.887, preceding the companion of the Mercedes Valtteri Bottas. An excellent follows Carlos Sainz, third with his McLaren ahead of Sergio Perez’s Racing Point and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. In the top ten also Norris, Ricciardo, Stroll, Albon and Gasly.
The Ferrari lives instead the blackest Saturday of recent decades, and right on home track: for the first time since 1984 both drivers of the Reds are excluded from the first ten positions on the starting grid at the Autodrome. Charles Leclerc, eliminated in Q2, is thirteenth. Even seventeenth Sebastian Vettel, eliminated in Q1: the German will start from the penultimate row, is the worst result in the last 60 years in Monza for the Cavallino, if we exclude technical failures or accidents.
THE QUALIFICATIONS
Q1: Lewis Hamilton is already leading with a time of 1: 19.514, followed by team mate Bottas. Great chaos in the final of the heats, all the cars are on the track and many drivers are unable to launch.
Sebastian Vettel pays the price, unable to take advantage of the last useful lap and is immediately eliminated along with Grosjean, Giovinazzi, Russell and Latifi. The four-time world champion will start from seventeenth position on his home track.
Q2: still the world champion Hamilton in great shape, the English driver sets the new track record in 1: 19.052. But Bottas shatters him in the final round, placing a time of 1: 18.952, a new record at the Autodrome.
Ferrari curtain: Leclerc is eliminated from Q3 along with Kvyat, Ocon, Raikkonen and Magnussen.
In Q3 usual duel between Hamilton and Bottas for pole position, while Verstappen does not shine. Lewis’s paw arrives on the last lap: 1: 18.887, track record and pole at Ferrari.
Starting grid (top ten)
1 L. Hamilton (B) Mercedes 1’18″887
2 V. Bottas (B) Mercedes +00 ″ 069
3 C. Sainz (B) McLaren +00 ″ 808
4 S. Perez (B) Racing Point +00″833
5 M. Verstappen (B) Red Bull +00″908
6 L. Norris (B) McLaren +00″933
7 D. Ricciardo (B) Renault +00″977
8 L. Stroll (B) Racing Point +01″162
9 A. Albon (B) Red Bull +01″203
10 P. Gasly (B) AlphaTauri
OMNISPORT | 05-09-2020 16:12