BOITUMELO RANTAO
VALTERRI Bottas pipped teammate and defending world champion Lewis Hamilton to 70th anniversary Grand Formula Prix pole in an exciting qualifying, but the talk at the paddock was Racing Point’s Nico Hulkenberg, who stormed to a third spot on the grid.
Bottas’ excellent drive meant that Hamilton lost out on his 92nd career pole by just six hundredths of a second.
Hulkenberg, who did not start last week because of engine problems, caught many by surprise and came hours after his team was fined 15 points for 5 points in the constructors’ championship and fined 400,000 Euros, for illegally ‘copying’ Mercedes parts. That verdict, however, allowed them to continue running those parts.
Hulkenberg got the seat after Sergio Perez tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be quarantined.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen grabbed the third spot, with Daniel Ricciardo, Renault, in fifth ahead of Racing Point’s Lance Stroll. The woes continue for Ferrari who, despite introducing a new car, have failed to deliver any notable performance. Charles Leclerc starts in 8th while his teammate Sebastian Vettel, in his last season for Ferrari, starts the race in 12th.
Final positions after qualifying
- Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
- Nico Hulkenberg, Racing Point
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Daniel Ricciardo, Renault
- Lance Stroll, Racing Point
- Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- Alexander Albon, Red Bull
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Esteban Ocon, Renault
- Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
- Carlos Sainz, McLaren
- Romain Grosjean, Haas
- George Russell, Williams
- Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri
- Kevin Magnussen, Haas
- Nicholas Latifi, Williams
- Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo
- Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo