Lewis Hamilton secures Spanish Grand Prix pole and the 150th front-row start of his F1 career

Phil Duncan

15 August 2020 at 3:31 am·16-min read

Lewis Hamilton secures Spanish Grand Prix 2020 pole and the 150th front-row start of his F1 career - REUTERS

Lewis Hamilton on pole in Spain - the 92nd of his career and 150th front-row start
Mercedes team-mate Valteri Bottas second and Red Bull's Max Verstappen third
Sebastian Vettel to start 11th after failing to get out of Q2
Max Verstappen exclusive interview: 'The speed I was going would be a very fast grandma'

Lewis Hamilton claimed the 92nd pole position of his career for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.

The six-time world champion has been in ominous form this weekend and he delivered the goods to put his Mercedes at the front of the grid.

Hamilton beat Valtteri Bottas to top spot by 0.059 seconds, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen - the man who ended Mercedes' winning streak at last weekend's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix - in third.

Sebastian Vettel's troubled season continued as he failed to make it into Q3. The four-time world champion, who is a lowly 13th in the drivers' standings, finished only 11th.

Racing Point's Sergio Perez, back in the cockpit after missing two races with coronavirus, will start fourth ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll.

Red Bull's Alexander Albon took sixth, while Lando Norris was pipped by his McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz for seventh.

Sebastian Vettel had another disappointing day, failing to get through to Q3 - Shutterstock

The dominant Mercedes team have now secured pole at all six rounds this year, and after Bottas took the qualifying spoils at Silverstone a week ago, Hamilton struck back to see off his team-mate at Barcelona's sun-drenched Circuit de Catalunya.

Hamilton will now hope that the tyre woes which curtailed his race at Silverstone will not re-emerge on Sunday as he bids to extend his championship lead.

The Briton, who is 30 points clear of Verstappen and 34 ahead of Bottas, put in his best lap on his first outing in Q3, with the top three failing to improve on their second runs.

"Physically it is so tough because of the heat," Hamilton said. "I could't go quicker on my second lap but the first one was decent which did the job.

"I was here with the guys until 10pm (on Friday night) looking at all the details we could improve on because these Red Bulls are super fast.

Max Verstappen starts third, but there was a 0.7-second gap to Lewis Hamilton - Getty Images

"There is such a long way down to turn one so the job is not done. It will be hard to hold position but I have to get the best start I can."

Verstappen finished more than seven tenths down on Hamilton as Mercedes' mighty speed over one lap continued.

For Vettel, this is proving to be a season to forget. For the third consecutive Saturday, the 33-year-old German, who is being moved on by Ferrari in five months' time, failed to make it out of Q2.

He missed out on the top-10 shootout by just 0.002 sec and will start Sunday's race two spots behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who lines up in ninth.

George Russell continued his unbeaten qualifying streak over his team-mate by finishing 18th, one place above Nicholas Latifi in the other Williams.

Finishing qualifying times and starting positions:

1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 15.584secs
2 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:15.643
3 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:16.292
4 Sergio Perez (Mex) Racing Point 1:16.482
5 Lance Stroll (Can) Racing Point 1:16.589
6 Alexander Albon (Tha) Red Bull 1:17.029
7 Carlos Sainz (Spa) McLaren 1:17.044
8 Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:17.084
9 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:17.087
10 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:17.136
11 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:17.168
12 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:17.192
13 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Renault 1:17.198
14 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:17.386
15 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Renault 1:17.567
16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:17.908
17 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:18.089
18 George Russell (Gbr) Williams 1:18.099
19 Nicholas Latifi (Can) Williams 1:18.532
20 Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:18.697

02:13 PM

Exciting race ahead, then

Hopefully some action at the first corner. Hamilton very nice about the pace of the Red Bulls, but Mercedes clearly the fastest car by quite some way today. Tyre management could be key with another hot day tomorrow.

I'll be back again tomorrow from 12.30pm. I hope you join me for live updates then. In the meantime, thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your day.

02:08 PM

Hamilton again dominant

So that's his fourth pole of the 2020 season and another Mercedes front row lockout. His fifth pole in Barcelona.

Bottas: "I knew it was going to be close with Lewis. I struggled all day with sector three. It's annoying, but he did a good job. The start will be the best opportunity for me. I'll try to get there [turn one] first."

And now Hamilton: "Physically, it's tough. It's so fast around here - the fastest we've ever been around here. You see us crawling around out here... it's to keep the tyres co. I couldn't go quicker on my second lap, but my first one was decent. These guys do such an awesome job. I was here until 10pm last night, looking at where we can improve because these Red Bulls are super fast."

02:03 PM

Lewis Hamilton on pole!

Bottas and Hamilton go no quicker. Nor does Lance Stroll in fifth. Perez no quicker and stays fourth.

And third for Verstappen. Quite an anti-climax, but another brilliant day for Mercedes in Spain.

01:58 PM

Q3 - 2 mins ago

Racing Point out first and Mercedes towards the back. The slow crawl outlap begins. One lap each left. Will it be Hamilton on pole?

01:55 PM

Q3 - 5 minutes to go

Drivers in the garage after that first run. Mercedes dominant, Verstappen three-tenths ahead of the two Racing Point drivers. Can they find anything more to usurp the Red Bull?

We'll find out shortly.

01:53 PM

Q3 - 7 minutes to go

Stroll puts in the first lap - 1:16.589 with Perez a smidge quicker with a 1:16.589.

But then... wow! Look at that! Bottas sticks in a 1:15.643 - six-tenths quicker than Verstappen, before Lewis Hamilton goes quickest - 1:15.584. Seriously quick! That gap is huge.

01:51 PM

Q3 - 10 minutes to go

All cars out then, so we we'll have some times shortly.

01:49 PM

Q3 underway

No hanging around here, both Racing Point cars queuing up at the pit lane for more than 30 seconds presumably to get a clean run.

Twelve minutes to go... can anyone get close to Mercedes? Updates to follow.

01:47 PM

All calm at Mercedes...

Lewis Hamilton in good shape for Q3 - Getty Images

01:45 PM

Q2 thoughts

Sebastian Vettel's miserable season continues, finishing 0.002 seconds slower than 10th-place Lando Norris. That's only the third time Ferrari start outside the top 10 here since 2006.
Mercedes are head and shoulders above - Lewis Hamilton looking good for another pole position
Verstappen didn't need a final run, so his 1:16.518 was good enough for third. The best of the rest, but some way off the Mercedes
Racing Point's pace dropped off a little there. Have they got anything up their sleeve for Q3?

01:43 PM

Final positions in Q2

OUT:

01:42 PM

Q2 - closing stages - Vettel out!

Sergio Perez improves a little, before Lance Stroll puts in a 1:16.666 - one-tenth off Verstappen in third. Pierre Gasly goes fifth, Sainz sixth and Perez goes down to seventh. Leclerc drops to eighth.

Sebastian Vettel is out! He can only finish 11th.

01:39 PM

Q2 - 1 minute to go

Both Mercedes drivers and Max Verstappen not bothering with a final lap, but every other driver out. They're all bunched up, too. Very little clean air for this final lap.

Times to come in next minute or so....

01:37 PM

Big lap ahead for Vettel...

Sebastian Vettel - Getty Images

01:36 PM

Q2 - 5 minutes left

All drivers in and readying themselves for a final run. Vettel one to keep an eye on - four-tenths slower than his team-mate and six positions lower.

Exciting conclusion ahead...

01:34 PM

Q2 - 7 minutes left

Perez's first sector in that lap was quickest yet, but replays show he had a lot of oversteer towards the end of the lap, so more to come from the car. Half-a-second lost, which would put him close to Verstappen in third.

Sebastian Vettel only in 11th as it stands after struggling in Q1. In the drop zone as it stands.

01:31 PM

Q2 - 9 minutes to go

On-board footage shows Bottas looking very smooth at the wheel. The car looking good and gripping to the track. Brilliantly quick lap, a 1:16.152 but Lewis Hamilton goes even quicker with a 1:16.013. Not too much splitting the two, there.

Max Verstappen is the closest challenger with a 1:16.518, Carlos Sainz in fourth and then Racing Point - so good in Q1 - only fifth and sixth.

01:27 PM

Q2 underway - 13 minutes to go

Here we go, the green light is out for this second act of qualifying. Mercedes again out of the traps quickly, both on soft tyres. Bottas will be looking for a bit more in these 15 minutes.

As a reminder, 15 drivers will be cut to 10 ahead of Q3. Timings to follow...

01:23 PM

Q1 thoughts

Lewis Hamilton looking in good nick, as you'd expect - the only driver to get into the 1.16s
Racing Point the standout performers - Sergio Perez second and Stroll in sixth. Neither driver needing to head out for a final run.
Superb lap from Kimi Raikkonen, who makes it through to Q2 for the first time in 2020 in the Alfa Romeo.

01:21 PM

Final Q1 standings

OUT:

01:20 PM

Q1 - final moments

Lewis Hamilton puts in a 1:16.872, quicker than before. Bottas two-tenths off with his last lap.

Max Verstappen goes third, three-tenths off the pace.

And Kimi Raikkonen makes it through to Q2! Brilliant performance from the Finn, who scrapes through by less than 0.1 seconds.

Racing Point's gamble pays off - they get through and save a set of tyres.

01:17 PM

Q1 - 3 minutes to go

All the cars heading out for their final run. This is a short circuit, so cars will struggle to find space.

Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll the only drivers still in the pits... a risk?

01:15 PM

Patiently waiting...

Alexander Albon's car awaits Q1 - Mark Thompson/Getty

01:14 PM

Q1 - 5 minutes to go

Ricciardo and Ocon put in their times - ninth and 13th respectively. Not so good for Raikkonen and Giovinazzi, unfortunately, who are in the drop zone.

Five minutes left and most drivers back in the pits awaiting a final go.

Elimination zone as it stands:

Kvyat and Russell only just ahead in 14th and 15th.

01:12 PM

Q1 - 7 mins to go

"Not sure, feels a bit weird the car," says Verstappen on the team radio. Early days, but Racing Point going second and third will make Red Bull a bit jittery.

Four drivers - Ricciardo, Ocon, Raikkonen and Giovinazzi yet to put in a time.

01:10 PM

Q1 - 9 minutes to go

Verstappen posts a 1:17.415. Bottas goes quicker... just... by two-thousandths of a second. But then Hamilton beats the pair by four-tenths to put in a 1:17.037.

There's clearly more to come from Bottas as Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll split the Mercedes to go second and third.

01:07 PM

Q1 - 12 minutes to go

Both Mercedes head out onto track, Bottas followed by Hamilton. Only the third and fourth drivers to put in an out-lap. But it is getting busier now, with Ferrari and Racing Point joining them and Verstappen.

Times to follow shortly...

01:05 PM

Q1 - 14 minutes to go

Very quiet out on track with no rush to get out of the garage.

The Williams pair of Nicholas Latifi and George Russell put in the first laps, both into the 1:19s.

Martin Brundle is expecting pole to be around three seconds quicker than that.

01:01 PM

Q1 is underway!

Eighteen minutes until we find out who makes the first cut.

It's hot here 😅#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/AcZuouNDzv
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 15, 2020

12:58 PM

In case you missed it: Sergio Perez returns

Perez had missed the last two races due to failed Covid-19 tests. But he's back in a Racing Point car for this weekend.

Sergio Perez of Mexico and Racing Point during final practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on August 15, 2020 - Getty Images

12:49 PM

Just over 10 minutes to go... can Mercedes be stopped?

It looks very unlikely, doesn't it. Three consecutive wins in Spain, five in the last six years. They have the last seven poles in Barcelona!

Gains. 🏋️#SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/RfFegAuuRr
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) August 15, 2020

12:38 PM

How things stand in the drivers' championship

Verstappen's win last weekend moved him ahead of Valteri Bottas, but Lewis Hamilton remains out in front with a 30-point lead.

Hamilton has won the last three grands prix in Barcelona and will be feeling confident of doing the same again tomorrow to extend that gap.

12:27 PM

Weather update from Barcelona

Looking glorious in Spain, more like the UK earlier this week. Bright sunshine with air temperature between 27 and 28C. No chance of rain.

A bit more overcast for the race tomorrow, but dry and warm.

12:22 PM

Strange end to FP3

Esteban Ocon goes into the wall to avoid Kevin Magnussen. Both in front of the race steward, but no further action taken against either drive. And Ocon's car is fine, according to Sky F1.

Drama between Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen at the end of FP3 💥 👀#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/auSA7RtD2A
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 15, 2020

12:18 PM

Pre-qualifying reads on 'Mad Max'

Nobody else could have exploited Mercedes' weakness last time out like Max Verstappen did, writes Luke Slater in his post-race analysis.

And our chief sports writer Oliver Brown spoke to Verstappen this week about 'driving like a grandma', reference to the Dutchman's team radio comments during last weekend's race, and his first win at this circuit four years ago.

"It was a completely different car to the one I had been driving. The steering wheel, the switches were all different. So, it was all about learning. We got lucky with the two Mercedes cars crashing early on, and then I was just practising what I had learned over the past year, keeping the tyres alive. Of course, I was surprised by winning the race. I had gone into that weekend just trying to score points. It was a very unexpected result.”

You can read the full interview here.

Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing sprays the champagne on the podium after his first F1 win during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 15, 2016 - Getty Images

12:10 PM

Hello and welcome

Welcome to our live coverage of this afternoon's qualifying session for tomorrow's Spanish Grand Prix. Last weekend, Max Verstappen won the 70th anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone - a much-needed challenge to Mercedes dominance in the opening four races of the season.

Can he do it again? It would look unlikely, with Mercedes dominant again so far this weekend, but here's hoping it's competitive.

12:04 PM

Lewis Hamilton quickest in final practice session

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton posted the fastest lap in final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix

The world champion, who holds a 30-point title lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen, finished 0.151 seconds clear of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

Verstappen was third, half-a-second down on Hamilton, and ahead of McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Racing Point driver Sergio Perez.

Mercedes have topped all three practice sessions at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya as the world champions bid to bounce back from their first defeat of the season at Silverstone's 70th Anniversary Grand Prix last weekend.

And they will head into qualifying holding a healthy advantage over the rest of the pack, with Hamilton and Bottas primed to contend pole position for the sixth time in as many rounds this year.

The one-hour session was red-flagged in the final few minutes after Esteban Ocon crashed out in his Renault.

The French driver slammed his car into the wall on the exit of turn three in a bid to avoid the slowing Kevin Magnussen.

Ocon emerged unscathed from the curious accident but he suffered sufficient damage to the front of his Renault.

Asked by his team to explain what happened, Ocon said: "I let Magnussen past because he was on a timed lap and then he decelerated."

The incident is under investigation by the stewards.

Elsewhere, Ferrari's Charles Lelcerc finished sixth, with Sebastian Vettel only 12th, 1.5secs slower than Hamilton, and half-a-second off his team-mate.