Reigning world champion
Lewis Hamilton grabbed his first pole position of the year
today when he led a McLaren 1-2 in qualifying for the European
Grand Prix.
|Last Updated: Aug 22, 2009, 08:02 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Valencia: Reigning world champion
Lewis Hamilton grabbed his first pole position of the year
today when he led a McLaren 1-2 in qualifying for the European
Grand Prix.
Briton Lewis was second in the first two qualifying
sessions but topped the third and final session ahead of
Finnish teammate Heikki Kovalainen, who will start second on
the grid in tomorrow`s race, the 11th race of the 17-leg
championship.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was third fastest for Brawn
GP ahead of German Sebastian Vettel and championship leader,
Jenson Button of Britain, in the second Brawn.
Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari was sixth, German Nico
Rosberg was seventh for Williams and two-time champion
Fernando Alonso of Spain was eighth in a Renault.
Australian Mark Webber, who is challenging Button in the
title race, was ninth for Red Bull and Pole Robert Kubica was
10th for BMW Sauber.
It was Hamilton`s 14th pole and his first since the
Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai last year.
Hamilton secured his prime starting spot with his early
fastest lap and survived the chaos of the final dramas when
his rivals all attempted faster laps.
The opening mini-session Q1 saw veteran Italian Luca
Badoer out early in a bid to save some pride, but he ended up
20th and last again for Ferrari - watched from the pit-wall by
Germany`s seven-times champion Michael Schumacher.
The Q1 session was topped by Button ahead of
fellow-Briton Hamilton with Kubica third for BMW Sauber.
In hot and dry conditions under a perfect blue sky, with
the temperatures climbing into the low thirties Celsius, the
only blemish on the street circuit laid out around the
Mediterranean port was the mess left by the cement dust
spilt on the surface to clear up the oil dumped by Vettel`s
blown engine during the morning.
Badoer, the butt of much amusement in the paddock as the
38-year-old replacement for injured Brazilian Felipe Massa
struggled for pace, explained his woeful performance.
He said: "I made a mistake on the last corner which cost
me a lot of time, but it doesn`t matter. This is all a test
for me. The only way for me to learn. But I am still enjoying
it."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.