Hamilton storms to pole in Malaysia
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[October 01, 2016]
By Abhishek Takle
SEPANG, Malaysia (Reuters) - World
champion Lewis Hamilton seized a dominant pole position in
qualifying for the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix with a storming
lap on Saturday that was almost the fastest ever at the Sepang
circuit.
The Briton lapped the 5.5-kilometre track in a stunning one minute
32.850, less than half a second off the quickest lap set by Fernando
Alonso in 2005 during the V10-engine era, on a hot but overcast
evening.
“Just a huge thank you to the team who continue through the whole
year to improve,” Hamilton, chasing his 50th career win, told
reporters.
“Great work done coming into this weekend… today the car felt
fantastic. I really enjoyed the lap. (But) could’ve been faster,” he
added.
The pole was the 57th of Hamilton’s career and eighth of the season.
It was also his Mercedes team’s 51st pole from 54 races. The German
squad have started all but one race from pole this year.
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Hamilton’s championship-leading team mate Nico Rosberg will start
alongside him in second after a scrappy lap that was 0.414 seconds
off Hamilton’s mark and only slightly faster than Max Verstappen,
who was third quickest for Red Bull.
German Rosberg, who has an eight-point advantage over Hamilton in
the overall standings, had a strong start to the weekend.
He topped Friday's opening session but could not match his team mate
when it really mattered, making mistakes at the altered final corner
on his flying lap.
“Lewis’s lap was very quick so it was always going to be difficult,”
he said.
“I would’ve come close but unfortunately I had a mistake in the last
corner. Something just wasn’t going right in the last corner,” said
the 31-year-old.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo will start Sunday’s race alongside Red
Bull team mate Verstappen from the second row.
Sebastian Vettel, winner in Malaysia last year, leads an all Ferrari
third row in fifth ahead of team mate Kimi Raikkonen.
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Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton of Britain arrives ahead of the third
practice. REUTERS/Edgar Su
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Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg put their Force India squad on
course to extend their lead over Williams in their battle for fourth
in the standings. They will start seventh and eighth, while the
Grove-based squad’s drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas line up
10th and 11th.
Jenson Button will start his 300th grand prix ninth after making it
through to the final part of qualifying in his McLaren.
Hamilton heads into Sunday’s race chasing his 50th career win and
hoping to end Rosberg’s streak of three wins from the last three
races.
“As we know from this year second place doesn’t mean victory is not
possible tomorrow,” said Rosberg who seized the lead from
pole-sitter Hamilton at last month’s Italian Grand Prix and went on
to win.
“We’ve seen that so many times so still very optimistic for
tomorrow.”
Mercedes look set to clinch their third straight constructors’ title
on Sunday.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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