Italy – Qualifications: History was kept waiting for a record-breaking Hamilton!
More than two and a half hours of patience and a series of twists on a tricky track. But here is Lewis Hamilton at the top of Formula 1, after clinching a legendary record: 69th pole for the Briton, ahead of Michael Schumacher! Behind him, the grid will be spiced up: Stroll and Ocon benefit from the penalties of the two Red Bulls!
The Saturday afternoon saga unfolded in two very distinct episodes. The first one dragged on, with Romain Grosjean’s accident.
The second was much more concentrated. But what emotions!
It was necessary to wait for the rain to decrease in intensity, much to the delight of the fans, to whom we must tip our hats for enduring the Italian cold and dampness, a surprise at the end of summer on the Boot side.
Track 😴
Grandstands 🙌🎉 #Quali #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/rmio9wizHn— Formula 1 (@F1) September 2 /f1/actualite/22248-italie-qualifications-une-seance-en-suspens.html
The rain did not disappear entirely. Cleared at the end of Q1 and throughout Q2, it played a major role in the outcome of the session. A drop in intensity in the final moments of Q3 allowed for yet another improvement in times. In truth, everything came down to the final seconds!
And in this exercise, Lewis Hamilton definitely has a sixth sense. Yet the threat was real. Benefiting from a monstrous grip according to Ricciardo, the two Red Bulls enjoyed themselves. Verstappen and then Dan the Man brought excitement with a front row locked under the checkered flag, before the arrival of the Hamilton tornado.
With a time of 1:35:554, the Briton has just achieved an outstanding performance. Eleven years after Michael Schumacher’s last pole (with the 2012 Monaco pole not counted), Lewis Hamilton extends the pole position record further: 69, after equaling it seven days earlier at Spa-Francorchamps. In style: no one else was within the same second, with Ricciardo trailing 1.287 seconds behind!
Unfortunately for the two Red Bull drivers, this exciting battle for pole was only fictional anyway: relegated respectively 20 and 25 places further back, Verstappen and Ricciardo will watch with their binoculars a battle of young wolves: Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon.
The most dashing of the two was the Quebecer. Fifth at the end of Q2, the 18-year-old driver clocked a time just three-tenths behind Max Verstappen. For Esteban Ocon, who briefly dreamed of pole, the outlook is just as bright. He can thank a slightly off-pace Bottas in the final rush for that. The Finn initially set the fastest time in Q1 but abandoned his very last flying lap due to a mistake. Sixth in the standings, he will be on the second row tomorrow at 14:00.
STR becomes youngest-ever front row starter in #F1 history beating VER’s record by 23 days #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/vpYwt0gcoS
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 2 /f1/news/22248-italy-qualifying-a-session-in-suspense.html
Behind him, two disappointing Ferraris will launch. Struggling with heating the tires intended for rain, Räikkönen and Vettel did not find the rhythm. The lack of grip condemns them to the third row, with the Finn ahead of the German, the precarious leader in the world championship.
Pretty paradox, the fourth row will consist of a driver who failed at the Q2 door. Alongside Felipe Massa, Stoffel Vandoorne benefits for once from the penalties of others to start from an unexpected eighth place at Monza. The other victim at the end of Q2 was Sergio Pérez, ninth on the grid. The Mexican miscalculated his last tire stop, rushing in to fit the intermediates. To complete the top 10, Daniil Kvyat aboard his Toro Rosso, though 14th on the clock. Hülkenberg and Alonso, just ahead of him on the time sheet, will also serve their penalties of 10 and 35 places.
YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!! @LewisHamilton takes his 69th @F1 pole… and BREAKS the all-time pole record! #ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/NaG9X7abFR
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 2 septembre /f1/actualite/22248-italie-qualifications-une-seance-en-suspens.html
🏁 END OF QUALIFYING 🏁
TOP TEN
HAM 📸
VER
RIC
STR
OCO
BOT
RAI 😐
VET 😐
MAS
VAN#Quali #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/voL7vFgUxg— Formula 1 (@F1) 2 septembre /f1/actualite/22248-italie-qualifications-une-seance-en-suspens.html
And without further ado, here is the starting grid for the race, updated after the penalties (Saturday at 19:45, local time)
From our special correspondent in Monza
