Portuguese Grand Prix – Qualifying: Lewis Hamilton will start in pole position

The Q1 started 30 minutes late to allow for track repairs after Sebastian Vettel damaged a drain cover at turn 14 during the FP3 session.

???? UPDATE ????

The start of qualifying is delayed by 30 minutes while the circuit is repaired at Turn 14 following damage in FP3

New start time 14:30 ⏰#PortugueseGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/7kSRPY7tlT

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 24, 2020

During this session, it was Valtteri Bottas who set the first benchmark with a time of 1:17.064 before being joined at the top of the timesheet by Lewis Hamilton and then by Max Verstappen, who came to slip between the two drivers.

Behind, the battle was intense at the end of Q1. Many drivers tried to improve their positions and thus reach Q2. Pierre Gasly ranks fourth ahead of Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc.

In great danger, Russell gets out of the red zone to seize the fifteenth place and qualify for the next stage.

The eliminated from Q1: Räikkönen, Giovinazzi, Grosjean, Magnussen, and Latifi.

During the first laps of Q2, Bottas is the fastest, but as in Q1, Hamilton is right behind him (+0.358). Despite a car without grip, Verstappen climbs to third place.

Even with his soft tires, Ocon couldn’t improve his time and finished +0.133 behind Ricciardo, in tenth place, who treated us to a pretty off-track excursion at turn 11 at the very end of the session, damaging his rear wing.

Ferrari’s tactic of keeping Vettel on the medium tires did not work, and the German is therefore eliminated from Q2 for the eighth consecutive time.

The eliminated from Q2: Ocon, Stroll, Kvyat, Russell, and Vettel.

This Q3 session was tighter than usual. After the first round, Bottas remained ahead of Hamilton (+0.047) and Max Verstappen (+0.121).

At the end of the session, the Mercedes team decided to switch to medium tires, and it worked for Hamilton, who managed to improve his time. Bottas seems untouchable this weekend and also improved his time, pushing the Englishman back to +0.180.

But the six-time world champion does not admit defeat and snatches pole position from his teammate by just a tenth.

Ricciardo did not take part in the session following his off-track excursion. The Australian damaged his rear suspension, and the mechanics did not have enough time to repair the car.

Complete standings of the qualifications: