Every little detail made the difference for Hamilton, poleman of an intense session!
Find out all the reactions from the top three qualifying drivers at Interlagos. A Q3 that finally rewarded Lewis Hamilton, on pole by a tenth over Nico Rosberg. Somewhat removed from this duel, Kimi Räikkönen finished third, after a performance that was nonetheless deemed "average".
Hamilton has indeed uncovered the threat from his teammate
Already dominant on Friday, first in FP1 but also in FP2, the triple world champion held firm despite the slight doubt in FP3. Outpaced by Rosberg, the Briton regained his footing throughout the Qualifying sessions, even as the threat from his teammate and main rival in the title race loomed large.
Pushed to his limits, Hamilton improved with each of his attempts, from the first lap of Q1 to the end of Q3. Fortunately for him, Rosberg was unable to extend his own improvement into the final sector of his last attempt.
VIDEO: Ride with @LewisHamilton on his way to #BrazilGP 🇧🇷 pole> https://t.co/DSwLgQUTAN #F1 pic.twitter.com/jMgQqLYdCY
— Formula 1 (@F1) 12 novembre /f1/actualite/21520-bresil-essais-libres-1-hamilton-le-plus-rapide-en-mediums-et-en-tendres-juste-devant-verstappen-.html
The poleman reflected on his performance during the traditional post-qualifying top three press conference:
« I felt comfortable in the Qualifications, just like since the beginning of the weekend. I was able to improve with each session to maintain my position, finding a few tenths each time. On one of the smallest circuits on the calendar, the smallest margin can make a huge difference. »
« Nico was getting faster and faster, but I managed to cover him! It’s remarkable what the team has done so far, with all these pole positions. It’s a true testament to our incredible teamwork: the best thing I could hope for upon arriving in Brazil. »
Surprisingly, the legendary yet demanding Interlagos circuit has not been very successful for the driver marked with number 44. Indeed, only one pole position was on his record before today’s session: in 2012, for his last weekend with McLaren. But Lewis Hamilton did not hide from this fact:
« It’s only my second pole position here – I always struggle on this track, so I’m very happy to be at the front. »
From now on, what does the poleman wish for Sunday’s race? The reigning champion knows better than anyone: to gain points on Nico Rosberg, he will need more than just his talent. He will also need a bit of luck, which might be favored by unpredictable weather. But clearly, Hamilton lacked inspiration for his race scenario. He just wants to give it his all, to have no regrets:
I don’t really have in mind what the weather might bring tomorrow. I’m ready for anything!
For the record, Hamilton secured the 19th pole position of the year for Mercedes. No other team has done better in the history of Formula 1, although naturally, this figure should be viewed in context given the larger number of Grand Prix this year.
Thank you, São Paulo:) Looking forward to a challenging race tomorrow. #BrazilGP #TeamLH #Pole @MercedesAMGF1 📸 x @suttonimages pic.twitter.com/mboozhmXNQ — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) 12 novembre /f1/actualite/21520-bresil-essais-libres-1-hamilton-le-plus-rapide-en-mediums-et-en-tendres-juste-devant-verstappen-.html
Rosberg isn’t using the calculator and will be aiming for victory tomorrow!
Even dominated since the beginning of the weekend by his teammate, Nico Rosberg still achieved the minimum objective at the end of the qualifying session. Well aided by an always impressive machine, the German comfortably secured his second position in his Mercedes W07. He did not disappoint in the final moments, even taking the provisional pole in the first two sectors of his last lap. Alas, he fell short by a tiny margin of one-tenth of a second at the end of the last sector (+0.102).
The leader of the drivers’ championship laconically summarized the facts of this qualifying session:
« It was very close. I found a good balance, a good rhythm… a bit of everything actually. But Lewis was just slightly faster at the end.
The story is of course known to all regular fans of the F1 Circus, number 6 could be the winning number of /f1/actualite/21520-bresil-essais-libres-1-hamilton-le-plus-rapide-en-mediums-et-en-tendres-juste-devant-verstappen-.html. To clinch the world crown upon arrival at Interlagos, Rosberg absolutely must win or score seven points more than Hamilton.
To do this, the former Williams driver seems to want to play the offensive card:
« I will try to overtake Lewis in turn 1. That’s the plan. It won’t be easy. The distance between the start and turn 1 is very short, but I will do everything I can. »
« The poleman is not always the one who wins the race at the finish. I want to play for the victory tomorrow. »
So, fact or fiction? With a second place behind Hamilton, Rosberg can still adhere to a consistent strategy to clinch the title. We now eagerly await tomorrow, especially the race start, to observe the German driver’s performance.
it was close. but all to play for tomorrow ✊🏻🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/8pF63EM0D9
— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) 12 novembre /f1/actualite/21520-bresil-essais-libres-1-hamilton-le-plus-rapide-en-mediums-et-en-tendres-juste-devant-verstappen-.html
The referee on the starting line will be… Räikkönen!
While Sebastian Vettel had dominated him in FP3, Kimi Räikkönen flexed his muscles in Qualifying! The 2007 world champion impressed with this third place, snatched at the last moment against Vettel and the Red Bull drivers.
Even more surprisingly, he was the only one of this quartet to improve his time in the final part of Q3 at Interlagos.
“Iceman” moved from sixth to third place!
« The car performed well. The last laps were crazy! To be honest, my last lap was rather average, but it was enough for me to be third. »
Confidence is high for the former McLaren driver. Here he is for the fourth consecutive time ahead of his teammate in Qualifications, making him unbeaten on track against Vettel since Suzuka! His team did not miss the opportunity to congratulate him as soon as he crossed the finish line, but being often demanding, the former Lotus driver quickly admitted that there was still room for improvement, especially in terms of his car’s setup:
We lacked grip compared to the guys in front (Mercedes). I struggled in the first two corners to get my car up to temperature. Then, I fought throughout the session with the circuit’s intermediate corners: I wasn’t happy with the turns in the second sector. But anyway, my session was ultimately quite good.
#Kimi7 will start P3!! 👏🏽👏🏽 #Seb5 P5 #BrazilGP #Quali pic.twitter.com/r5bxVXKYsu
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) 12 novembre /f1/actualite/21520-bresil-essais-libres-1-hamilton-le-plus-rapide-en-mediums-et-en-tendres-juste-devant-verstappen-.html
