F1: Bottas Clinces Pole For Anniversary Race In Silverstone

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Brandon Dawe
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After a dramatic finale to last week's Grand Prix, Bottas has ground to make up on team-mate Hamilton to mount a title challenge. Image sourced from F1.com

Valtteri Bottas Takes Pole In Britain For Mercedes.

The Flying Finn

Bottas’ lap of Silverstone ahead of F1’s 70th Anniversary race secured him a 13th career pole position.

The Finnish native, who was just announced yesterday to be staying at Mercedes’ for 2021, will be hoping he can make a dent in Hamilton’s title lead following last week’s calamities.

Bottas: “Feels good. I just love qualifying especially when it goes well. Proud to drive this car. Our first job is to get a good start off the line tomorrow and go from there.”

After taking provisional pole at the start of Q3 Lewis Hamilton ended qualifying just 0.063 off Bottas.

If the Brit can pull off a victory on Sunday it will give him an eight win at the historic Silverstone circuit.

Lewis Hamilton will start second as he attempts to extend his championship lead at his home race. Image sourced from @MercedesAMGF1 via Twitter.

Hamilton: “Valtteri was just a bit too quick for me.”

“I don’t think many teams will be doing a one-stop race tomorrow so let’s wait and see how things turn out.”

Pink & White

Leading the second row was Nico Hulkenberg in third for Racing Point in only his second qualifying since being called in as Sergio Pérez’s replacement 10 days prior.

The German, who failed to start last week’s race due to a PU issue is in a prime position to take his first ever podium on Sunday.

Hulkenberg: “The last seven/eight days has been crazy. This weekend I felt much better prepared. Q3 was just head down, I gave it everything I had. I’m a bit surprised to be standing here but there’s a big smile on my face.”

Odd One Out

Behind Hulkenberg came former Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Daniel Riccardo.

Verstappen, who will be the sole top ten driver to start on the hard compound of tyre will line up in fourth.

The Dutchman just ahead of Ricciardo’s Renault in fifth.

Verstappen’s No.33 Red Bull sparking during qualifying in Silverstone. Image sourced from @RedBullRacing via Twitter.

Verstappen: “I just hope that I can have a clean start on the hard tyre.”

“The hard tyre was last weekend’s medium, so I don’t think it will be too bad compared to what [the rest of the top 10] are starting on.”

In sixth was the other Racing Point car of Lance Stroll, the Canadian nearly four-tenths down on his team-mate.

A New Italian Stallion

Pierre Gasly’s continued form saw AlphaTauri take the crown of fastest Italian team as the Frenchman took seventh ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in eight.

Red Bull’s Alexander Albon struggled once again in his RB16 as the Thai could only manage ninth, just under half second off team-mate Verstappen.

McLaren had an unexpected rough day as Lando Norris was tenth for the Woking based team despite his strong showing in final practice.

An aerial shot of Lando Norris in his MCL35, sporting a new iridescent helmet design for F1’s 70th Anniversary. Image sourced from @TEAML4NDO via Twitter.

Norris’ team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. finished down in thirteenth. The Spaniards’s first time all season he has failed to make it the final part of qualifying.

“Always Leave The Space”

George Russell progressed to Q2 for the fourth consecutive weekend.

However, it didn’t come easy as the Williams driver was held up by Renault’s Esteban Ocon while on a flying lap.

Ocon, who ended qualifying in eleventh place will start in fourtheenth due to the three-place grid penalty he received due to the incident.

Struggling Scuderia

Sebastian Vettel found it difficult to get to grips with his Ferrari SF100 once more, the four-time word champion only managing twelfth.

Vettel who has been said to have signed a 3 year deal with Racing Point has seemed to have lost confidence in the Scuderia.

“We tried a lot of things since last week, but it doesn’t make a difference.” said Vettel.

“To go faster I need more grip. I have to say compliments to my engineering group: We tried lots of things, I felt a bit better in the car this weekend but if you look at the stopwatch it seems to make no difference.”

The only consolation for the German and Ferrari will be that Vettel will move up to eleventh on the grid as a result of Ocon’s penalty.

 

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