HomeFormula 1Bottas Denies Hamilton The All-Important Pole In 70th Anniversary...

Bottas Denies Hamilton The All-Important Pole In 70th Anniversary British GP

- Advertisement -

After clinching the pole position at the season-opener at Austria, Valtteri Bottas was playing next-fiddle to Lewis Hamilton in the qualifying battles that followed, the man to whom he’d concede defeats in the next three qualifying rounds.

But all of that changed as the noted Mercedes driver, fresh from a new contract that’ll see him drive for the team for 2021, conquered the daunting pole position at the British GP with millions glued to the live proceedings from the comfort of their screens.

- Advertisement -

Though nothing could’ve been more significant than the occasion surrounding Valtteri Bottas’ pole, this being the battle for the 70th anniversary British Grand Prix, what a landmark moment for the fastest form of single-seater racing.

Advantage Valtteri Bottas

The historic occasion on Sunday, will not see a Ferrari, Williams, or McLaren, but the fastest team on the grid start the proceedings from the position that’s its become habitual of bagging what it does with much finesse and style- the front-row start.

Clocking a belter of a lap in his final flying run in Q3, Valtteri Botttas went at 1:25:154, finishing less than a hundredth of a second ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, who enjoys a 30-point lead in the driver’s championship over the Finn.

Another Mercedes 1-2 meant business as usual for the team that’s become the synonym of speed and not to forget, consistency. But amid the usual circumstances, Saturday’s closely-watched qualifying was served what could be called the ‘moment of the day’ as Racing Point’s Nico Hulkenberg went third-fastest and became the only driver to finish right behind the daunting Mercedes duo.

Anyone who said that the sport is so eternally steeped in changing vagaries couldn’t have said it any better. For two weeks back in time, Nico Hulkenberg was miles away from any F1 car garage, let alone going third-fastest in the same battle that had the likes of Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, and Max Verstappen vying for top honors.

A lot about Sunday’s landmark race will be centered around hundreds of thousands who’ll hope that the ‘Hulk’ finally makes it to the spot that’s eluded him in a decade long run at the top of the sport. Though, the German would derive confidence in his race position, his P3 at Silverstone equaling the 2016 Austrian GP performance, that saw the then 27-year-old begin from the second row.

No Bull run for Max Verstappen as Ferrari and McLaren lose out

There was surprisingly no rush of speed for Max Verstappen, yet another driver who we’ve grown accustomed to seeing great pace on quali-days as the Red Bull driver will begin his charge from fourth, having been third in the last race-weekend (for quali).

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo, the driver who’s enjoyed a delightful run of form especially in the last fortnight, having finished fourth in the first round at Silverstone positioned his RS 20 on fifth, another competitive run by the ‘Honeybadger.’

Meanwhile, Stroll and Gasly went sixth and seventh-fastest respectively, as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who later admitted his ‘current spot is truly indicative of the team’s pace’ could go no better than eighth on the grid.

Following the Monegasque was Alex Albon in the other Red Bull, with Lando Norris, on tenth emerging as the only McLaren to finish inside the top ten on Saturday.

Meanwhile, there was disappointment for Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who’s all set to begin from eleventh on the grid, having already started two races from tenth and one actually from eleventh.

Sainz, who endured a tough final run in Q3 could only do as much as position his MCL35 on twelfth on the grid, as Grosjean, Ocon, and Russell, took thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth respectively.

Vettel struggles as do backmarkers Alfa Romeo

The French driver, in the process, found better pace than a much more competitive Renault and a seemingly refreshing Williams.

Meanwhile, regular sightings made for much of the final five places on the grid with Kvyat emerging as the best of the final five, putting himself on sixteenth, only to be followed by Magnussen, Latifi, and the two Alfas with Giovinazzi emerging just ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, the backmarker for Sunday’s race.

While the two Alfas left a lot to be desired, struggling for pace and never really looking certain to make it to Q2, which was eventually the case, better luck prevailed for rookie Nicholas Latifi as he placed himself three places from the end of the grid.

Not too bad for a driver who’s been habitually beaten by a slightly more experienced British teammate. Between the two Haas’, Grosjean enjoyed the upper hand over Danish teammate Kevin Magnussen, the Swiss-French driver’s 13th not really the worst possible start given that drivers several times more powerful like Vettel could do only as good as start eleventh on the grid.

The challenge out in the front!

Having said that, Sunday’s main battle will be among the two Mercedes teammates. Probably, it was about time that Bottas tried something different in order to give his 2020 title hopes a realistic chance. What might have been better than beginning from the position where you can see a clear track right at the front- right?

But the quick Finn would be mindful of the man of the moment- Lewis Hamilton, who’s currently just four wins shy of equaling the great Michael Schumacher’s tally of race wins.

So far, the Nastola-born has defied Hamilton from conquering what would’ve been a sensational 92nd pole. Job well done, Valtteri. But can he go onto deny Lewis the race-win?

All to play for as we go racing at the 70th anniversary Grand Prix.

Follow us on Facebook for more sports news & updates

- Advertisement -
Dev Tyagi
Dev Tyagi
Dravid believer, admirer of - the square drive, Drew Barrymore, Germany, Finland, Electric Mobility, simplicity and the power of the written word! Absolutely admire contributing to KyroSports

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -