Eifel GP: Valtteri Bottas ends Lewis Hamilton’s F1 pole position streak

Watch Sunday’s Eifel GP starting at 1:10 p.m. on Sky Sports F1, with preparation starting at 11:30 a.m.

Valtteri Bottas ended Lewis Hamilton’s five consecutive pole position streak after beating his Mercedes teammate and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a tense three-cushion qualifying fight at the Eifel GP.

After winning in Russia two weeks ago, Bottas maintained crucial momentum as he attempted to regain more championship ground against Hamilton’s 44-point lead in Sunday’s race on F1’s return to the Nurburgring.

Verstappen, threatening to end Mercedes ‘season-long qualifying dominance, held the early lead in Q3, but Bottas’ final attempt of 1: 25.269 was two tenths faster than both the Dutchman and Hamilton could. achieve.

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Verstappen came within half a tenth of knocking Hamilton out of the front row, but he can take comfort by pushing Mercedes to the limit in qualifying and Red Bull is usually a more competitive force at race distance.

Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, qualified a magnificent fourth for Ferrari ahead of Alex Albon in the second Red Bull. But Sebastian Vettel missed Q3 for the seventh consecutive race at the other Ferrari.

Renault was sixth and seventh, with Esteban Ocon nearly beating Daniel Ricciardo for the second time this season, with Lando Norris leading McLaren in eighth after losing Saturday’s battle to Carlos Sainz (tenth) recently.

1:57

Nico Hulkenberg says he was having coffee with a friend in Cologne when Racing Point called him to replace Lance Stroll.

Ninth place went to Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, but the big story in the team on Saturday centered on Nico Hulkenberg’s last late call-up.

After Lance Stroll felt bad Saturday morning and did not practice, the team turned to Hulkenberg again as their ‘super substitute’, two months after the German replaced Pérez in the double Silverstone title when the Mexican contracted the coronavirus.

Because at his local track, in any case, for television engagements, Hulkenberg was thrown back into F1 action upon arrival.

But with no time to practice on the RP20 before qualifying, or time to adjust to the changes in the car since the last time he drove it, Hulkenberg took on him and qualified 20th and last.

Eifel GP qualifying result
1. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5. Alexander Albon, Red Bull
6. Daniel Ricciardo, Renault
7. Esteban Ocon, Renault
8. Lando Norris, McLaren
9. Sergio Pérez, Racing Point
10. Carlos Sainz, McLaren
Knocked out in Q2
11. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
12. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
13. Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo
15. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
Knocked out in Q1
16. Romain Grosjean, Haas
17. George Russell, Williams
18. Nicholas Latifi, Williams
19. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo
20. Nico Hulkenberg, Racing Point

More to follow …