Lewis Hamilton, in Mercedes, secured ‘pole position’ for the first Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia, the penultimate stage of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship, a championship that ends next weekend at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina.
The Briton, runner-up in the championship, with 8 points less than Max Verstappen, benefited from his rival’s accident in the title race, which collided with the wall of the Jeddah circuit on the final lap of qualifying, which was in ‘back’, in exiting the last corner (!), with the aim of positioning himself in the first position of the starting grid for tomorrow’s race (50 laps from 5.30 pm).
Verstappen nevertheless managed the third best of the session with 1,27,511m. However, touching the wall could prove to be more (very) penalizing, if there are problems at Red Bull-Honda, namely in terms of transmission. Regulations punish component changes by pulling back positions on the starting grid…
Hamilton, with 1,27,511 m on the 6.174 km lap of the Circuit de Jeddah, infrastructure on the shore of the Red Sea that Formula 1 (and Formula 2) debut this weekend in the second largest city in the Saudi kingdom, achieved 103. 5th career pole position in the category and 5th at the 2021 World Cup (2nd consecutive). Mercedes, for the 82nd time, has two single-seaters in the front row of the starting grid for a Grand Prix, a record that is also a record.
Classification and provisional starting grid:
1.º Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1.27,511 m
2.º Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 1.27,622 m
3.º Max Verstappen, Red Bull-Honda, 1.27,653 m
4.º Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 1.28,054 m
5th Sergio Pérez, Red Bull-Honda, 1.28,123 m
6.º Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri-Honda, 1.28,125 m
7th Lando Norris, McLaren-Mercedes, 1.28,180 m
8.º Yuki Tsotaka, AlphaTauri-Honda, 1.28,442 m
9.º Esteban Ocon, Alpine-Renault, 1.28,647 m
10.º Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo-Ferrari, 1.28.754 m
ELIMINATED IN Q2
11.º Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren-Mercedes, 1.28,668 m
12.º Kimi Räikkönen, Alfa Romeo-Ferrari, 1.28,885 m
13.º Fernando Alonso, Alpine-Renault, 1.28,920 m
14.º George Russell, Williams-Mercedes, 1.29,054 m
15.º Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari, 1.53,652 m
ELIMINATED IN Q1
16.º Nicholas Latifi, Williams-Mercedes, 1,29,177 m
17.º Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin-Mercedes, 1.29,198 m
18.º Lance Stroll, Aston Martin-Mercedes, 1.29,368 m
19.º Mick Schumacher, Haas-Ferrari, 1.29,464 m
20.º Nikita Mazepin, Haas-Ferrari, 1.30,473 m
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