Great Britain – Qualifying: Hamilton Unstoppable on His Home Turf
In a session disrupted by a few showers, it's the local Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes who claims the pole position. The Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel secure the 2nd and 3rd fastest times ahead of Valtteri Bottas, who is under penalty for a gearbox change and will therefore start from 9th on the grid tomorrow.
The qualifying session begins with a few raindrops falling on the Silverstone circuit. An element that had already somewhat upset the hierarchy during the last free practice session on Saturday morning by allowing Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari to come into contact with Lewis Hamilton.
🌥️🌧️🌥️
Air 16°C
Track 21°C #Quali #BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 pic.twitter.com/kAWfd9wASf
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 15, 2017
Alonso fastest in Q1… for the glory
At the green light of the first part of the qualifications, two tire strategies emerge from the pits between the majority of the drivers who equip themselves with intermediate tires with green flanks and a few other drivers who put on slick tires. Smooth tires are unsuitable on a track soaked by showers intensifying at this precise moment. Such circumstances therefore force all drivers to run on intermediate tires.
Quickly, the first slips appear on the track, but it’s a mechanical failure on Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull that causes a red flag at Silverstone while the car is being evacuated. Reliability fails the Austrian team once again after the numerous setbacks faced by Max Verstappen since the start of the season, and it’s the Australian driver of the team who is affected. Although he secured his place in Q2, the 5-place penalty imposed after his gearbox change condemns him to start last on the grid.
At the resumption of Q1, the rain stopped and all the drivers improved their times in the last 5 minutes of this session. Some even tried the slick tire strategy, such as Fernando Alonso, who aborted his last attempt on intermediate tires to rush into the McLaren garage with less than 2 minutes left in Q1. At the end of his out lap and at the height of suspense, the Spaniard managed to cross the finish line just in time to perform a final timed lap, which turned out to be conclusive… as he recorded the fastest time in Q1 ahead of Verstappen, Hamilton, and Nico Hülkenberg! However, this performance is unlikely to weigh heavily against the numerous penalties awaiting the Bull of Asturias on the starting grid.
BREAKING: ELIMINATED, Q1
16 STR 📸
17 MAG
18 WEH
19 ERI
20 RIC#Quali #BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 pic.twitter.com/FO8QQP61X6— Formula 1 (@F1) 15 juillet 2017
Hamilton takes back 1st place in Q2
From now on, the track is dry at the start of Q2, with all the drivers heading out on slick tires, all on super softs with red sidewalls except for Valtteri Bottas on softs with yellow sidewalls.
The Mercedes cars quickly settle into the first two positions, with Hamilton 0.6 seconds ahead of his Finnish teammate. Hülkenberg temporarily ranks 4th, confirming his strong start to the English weekend.
The final moments of Q2 prove to be lively, with Ferraris leading until the last few seconds when the Mercedes reclaim their positions in this Q2. Behind them, Hülkenberg secures a solid 5th position ahead of Verstappen, Esteban Ocon who himself is ahead of his teammate Sergio Pérez, Romain Grosjean, and the only McLaren to make it through Q2, that of Stoffel Vandoorne.
On the other hand, it is a disappointment for Felipe Massa and Alonso, both eliminated, the former inexplicably given his performances until this morning and the latter likely due to traffic.
BREAKING: ELIMINATED, Q2
11 PAL
12 KVY
13 ALO
14 SAI
15 MAS 📷#Quali #BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 pic.twitter.com/9JniXJV00l— Formula 1 (@F1) 15 July 2017
Hamilton stuns the competition at home!
From the start of Q3, the fastest lap of the circuit falls to the Mercedes drivers’ pace, first with Bottas and then with Hamilton topping the timesheets after the first stint of timed laps. However, the Ferraris attack and Vettel manages to insert himself between the Silver Arrows.
Verstappen does not seem in a position to play the leading roles, relegated to more than a second behind Hamilton’s best time in 5th position, and more than 0.6 s. behind Kimi Räikkönen in 4th.
The four drivers competing for pole position each manage to improve their best mark, but it’s Lewis Hamilton who delivers an incredible lap in 1:26.600 at Silverstone, securing the 67th pole position of his very illustrious Formula 1 career!
Behind, Pérez is ahead of his French teammate Ocon by less than 2 tenths and ranks 7th, the same for Vandoorne in the McLaren who outpaces the Frenchman Grosjean who places 10th at the wheel of the Haas.
Find throughout the day on casinoenlignefrance.eu.com the reviews of this Saturday, especially thanks to our special correspondent in Silverstone.
