Hamilton takes record 90th career pole in Hungary

[rooster59]

Hamilton takes record 90th career pole in Hungary

By Alan Baldwin

 

Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - July 18, 2020 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action during qualifying REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/Pool

 

(Reuters) - Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton celebrated a record-extending and "surreal" 90th career pole position on Saturday after a dominant Mercedes one-two in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying.

 

Championship-leading team mate Valtteri Bottas will start alongside the Briton on Sunday, with the Mercedes-powered Racing Point cars of Canadian Lance Stroll and Mexican Sergio Perez third and fourth.

 

Hamilton is favourite to triumph for the eighth time at the Hungaroring and equal a record for most wins at the same grand prix held by retired Ferrari great Michael Schumacher, who won eight times in France.

 

The pole was his seventh in Hungary, equalling Schumacher's record for that race, and his Mercedes again looked to be in a class of its own after the team won the opening two rounds in Austria.

 

"Hungary's always been a good hunting ground for me but also I'm aware that qualifying isn't everything here," said Hamilton, who lapped with a track record time of one minute 13.447 seconds, 0.107 faster than Bottas.

 

The six-times world champion said he had not realised immediately the significance of a pole that leaves him 22 ahead of Schumacher, the next best qualifier in the history of the sport.

 

"It feels very, very surreal...it doesn't seem real to have 90 poles," declared the 35-year-old, who also has 25 more than his Brazilian boyhood idol Ayrton Senna managed in his F1 career.

 

Bottas hailed Hamilton for another great job but hoped to reverse the positions on Sunday.

 

"It's going to be a bit of a drag race into Turn One between us tomorrow, so I look forward to that; the first lap will definitely be interesting," he said.

 

Perez was quicker than Stroll in final practice but the Canadian got the lap that mattered and looked forward to a strong race in the 'pink Mercedes', a controversial car very similar to last year's title-winning Mercedes and under protest by Renault.

 

The Ferraris followed the two-by-two team trend, with Sebastian Vettel lining up fifth and Charles Leclerc qualifying sixth -- a positive after a tough afternoon in Austria last weekend where they collided in the Styrian Grand Prix.

 

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, on pole last year, could only qualify seventh and ahead of the McLaren pair of Lando Norris -- third in the championship -- and Carlos Sainz.

 

"I hope this is going to be our worst weekend," said Verstappen, who felt something was "clearly not working" with his car.

 

Former champions Williams, who finished last overall in 2019, had something to cheer with both their cars through to the second phase of qualifying for the first time since September 2018.

 

George Russell ended up 12th, and ahead of Red Bull's Alex Albon, with rookie team mate Nicholas Latifi 15th.

 

The session was held without spectators, as at the first two races in Austria, due to the COVID-19 pandemic but some fans still gathered at vantage points on surrounding slopes.

 

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-19

 

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[PJPom]

Probably the best Driver of the last few years but in my opinion will never rank as high in public opinion as Stirling Moss.

Should not mix sport with politics...

[SomchaiCNX]

I have been a fan from the start but I'm not anymore because of his BLM nonsense. Yes they matter but he has not problems to kick out Alex Albon out of a podium place (twice). Albon has one of the most tanned skins in the F1 ????

[robertson468]

1 hour ago, PJPom said:

Probably the best Driver of the last few years but in my opinion will never rank as high in public opinion as Stirling Moss.

Should not mix sport with politics...

I agree entirely and have to confess that he has also lost my support as a sportsman.

[jesimps]

Sorry to hear that this troublemaker has achieved another pole. I used to be his number one fan, but since his taking the knee and intimidating other drivers into doing so, I've lost all respect for him. There can't be many people in the UK, indeed the whole racing world more privileged than him, so why he can't just stick to racing I have no idea. The previous two seasons, I watched every grand prix, but this time around, because of this idiots antics, I haven't watched any and will continue to boycott the sport until this guy stops taking the knee and clams up. I certainly won't be cheering for him again. It's any driver who refuses to take the knee who gets my support.

[CHdiver]

50 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

I have been a fan from the start but I'm not anymore because of his BLM nonsense. Yes they matter but he has not problems to kick out Alex Albon out of a podium place (twice). Albon has one of the most tanned skins in the F1 ????

You do not understand it, Hamilton is "tanned" himself. He has every right to take any other "tanned" driver out of the race. BLM is just about white people going after black people. Black people against each other is no problem. There, black lives do not matter. 

[alien365]

25 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Sorry to hear that this troublemaker has achieved another pole. I used to be his number one fan, but since his taking the knee and intimidating other drivers into doing so, I've lost all respect for him. There can't be many people in the UK, indeed the whole racing world more privileged than him, so why he can't just stick to racing I have no idea. The previous two seasons, I watched every grand prix, but this time around, because of this idiots antics, I haven't watched any and will continue to boycott the sport until this guy stops taking the knee and clams up. I certainly won't be cheering for him again. It's any driver who refuses to take the knee who gets my support.

I support him because he is British, is generally well mannered and is a fighter on the track. I don't like all this taking the knee stuff either but he has a right to do so. F1 is also more than LH. I could never boycott a sport over one man.

[Pedrogaz]

I don't care about the BLM stuff. He should do it to help his oppressed brothers imho. He is the greatest driver of his generation. 

[Scot123]

I liked him now cant stand even hearing his name. A wakeup call to the stupid and uneducated BLM is a marxist organisation and nothing to do with black lives matter. If you do not see the racist hypocracy then I'm afraid it is you who is racist. All Lives Matter. Some peoples Woke self importance hides their deep rooted racism. I watched these criminals riot destroy thieve and burn mostly Black businesses and the majority were white. As for defund the police I saw an interesting interview of white then blacks in the Bronxs white =screaming defund Black = we wont more police. There is a  nasty saying on here that if your not happy then go to another country.

[rasmus5150]

3 hours ago, jesimps said:

Sorry to hear that this troublemaker has achieved another pole. I used to be his number one fan, but since his taking the knee and intimidating other drivers into doing so, I've lost all respect for him. There can't be many people in the UK, indeed the whole racing world more privileged than him, so why he can't just stick to racing I have no idea. The previous two seasons, I watched every grand prix, but this time around, because of this idiots antics, I haven't watched any and will continue to boycott the sport until this guy stops taking the knee and clams up. I certainly won't be cheering for him again. It's any driver who refuses to take the knee who gets my support.

Then I guess you are not watching any PL football matches?

[Pique Dard]

6 hours ago, SomchaiCNX said:

I have been a fan from the start but I'm not anymore because of his BLM nonsense

actually BLM is not nonsense and Hamilton wouldn't care less if you don't support him anyone. as Noris said - he isn't black - supporting the BLM, the  supporters who criticize my position aren't worth being my supporters

[Pique Dard]

2 hours ago, rasmus5150 said:

Sorry to hear that this troublemaker has achieved another pole. I used to be his number one fan, but since his taking the knee and intimidating other drivers into doing so, I've lost all respect for him.

what kind of respect do you have to begin with? the killing of an innocent man, begging for his life, is a crime against humanity because a policeman is supposed to protect life

[Pique Dard]

6 hours ago, robertson468 said:

Should not mix sport with politics...

do you mean, taking position against the killing of an innocent citizen -begging for his life - by a policeman is politics?

[Pique Dard]

i'm surprised to read so many negative comments about Hamilton! protesting against the killing of an innocent persons - especially when that killing is systematic - is a crime? another commentator calls BLM a nonsense! what???!!! i understand why Trump became president

[hotandsticky]

Just now, Pique Dard said:

i'm surprised to read so many negative comments about Hamilton! protesting against the killing of an innocent persons - especially when that killing is systematic - is a crime? another commentator calls BLM a nonsense! what???!!! i understand why Trump became president

 

 

You may need to re-visit your definition of 'innocent persons'  -  if you are referring to George Floyd.