
Following miserable performance streak of last five grand prix, the Brit claim pole in Friday evening qualifying at Silverstone for line up at top of the grid for tomorrow’s first F1 Sprint. Championship leader Max Verstappen has been set second fastest-time just 0.075s short gap between the home hero.
Second Mercedes speedy Valtteri Bottas finished third, 0.7s behind. Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc made fourth fastest ahead of Sergio Perez. The young local boy George Russell earns huge appreciations, who perfectly made eighth fastest for Williams.
Really reminiscent of my first pole here in 2007 – Hamilton
“We have been missing this for a whole year,” Seven-times F1 world champion says in an address to the 90,000-home crowd.
“I’m so grateful to see everyone here – we’ve missed you for a whole year. To come to the Silverstone grand prix and have a full crowd like this, you see the energy and when I was coming into it with the great work, we have done together in the team plus the energy of the fans would give us there.
“This is down to the fans, I think. Red Bull were very quick in that practice session, but we were staying very focused on our job and trying to layer up. I was in the sim this morning using it as a practice session because it’s the first time we’ve ever had a morning free, just putting in the time and to give absolutely everything. Leave no stone unturned.
“That first lap was great. The second one was looking even better but just lost the back end in that last corner, so my heart was in my mouth as I crossed the line. But I could see the crowd and it was really reminiscent of my first pole here in 2007.”
“What a fantastic way to end the day. Now we’ve got to do a lot of work tomorrow,” says Lewis Hamilton in his second post-qualifying interview.
“I need to bring out the lion tomorrow and bring it everything.” The Brit added
We can have a strong race – Max
“We need to look at ourselves because the car itself was actually handling quite well, but just a lot of understeer.
“So I couldn’t really attack any corners and just waiting for the front to grip up. A bit of a weird feeling to be drive because I don’t think it was set-up or front wing related.
“But it is what it is. We are still quite close, so it’s alright. I’m quite confident still we can have a strong race.” Max added.