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Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International circuit. The Brit secured his 102nd career pole after outpacing title rival Max Verstappen by 0.455 seconds.
Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas qualified third and was followed by Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly in fourth. The Frenchman brought out the yellow flag in the penultimate moments of Q3, affecting the qualifying attempts of nine drivers on the grid, except the reigning world champion.
Alpine F1 driver Fernando Alonso qualified fifth, ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) qualified eighth, Esteban Ocon (Alpine F1) was ninth while Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) rounded out the top 10 starters.
Here's the full qualifying classification:
Lewis Hamilton managed to string together a perfect lap around the Losail International Circuit by nailing down all three sectors. Verstappen, on the other hand, seemed to struggle at various points of the circuit. His woes were compounded by having to back out of his final attempt due to the yellow flag brought out by Gasly. Bottas was another casualty of that late yellow after being fastest in the second and third practice sessions.
Lewis Hamilton overcame tough Friday practice session en route to Qatar Grand Prix pole
Fourth fastest in the first two practice sessions and second-fastest in the third, Lewis Hamilton seems to have figured out the Losail International Circuit come qualifying. The Briton had spoken on Friday saying he felt he was a bit "off pace" around the circuit.
Nevertheless, his pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix race carries forward his form from Brazil. However, the front row could be a disadvantage for both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as the drivers behind them will get a massive tow into the first turn at the circuit. Therefore, nailing the race start will be key to achieving a desirable result on Sunday.
