F1 Racing

‘It’s like my first’: Century for Lewis Hamilton as he reaches 100th pole to increase document


World champion Lewis Hamilton celebrated his 100th pole on Saturday after setting the quickest time in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix and declared “It’s like my first!”.

The Mercedes driver’s newest milestone places him 32 away from Michael Schumacher within the all-time pole chart and leaves him in prime place to safe a record-extending 98th win in Sunday’s race.

“I’ll at all times do not forget that one,” a beaming Hamilton mentioned after reaching triple figures. “I can’t imagine we’re at 100 and it’s all the way down to the women and men again on the manufacturing unit who’re constantly elevating the bar. The help I’ve, it’s a dream to work with these guys.

“Who would have although on the finish of 2012 once we made the choice to accomplice, we’d be qualifying at 100. I really feel humble and grateful – it’s like my first!”

Alongside the 36-year-old Briton on the entrance row in Barcelona can be his Purple Bull title rival Max Verstappen.

Hamilton reached his century 14 years after securing his maiden pole within the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007, which he went on to win to take step one on the highway to turning into Formulation One’s most profitable driver.

He drew degree and overtook Schumacher’s document haul of 91 wins final season and leads the drivers’ standings this season as he goes for an unprecedented eighth world crown.

Verstappen, eight factors behind Hamilton within the nip and tuck battle for the drivers’ crown after the primary three races, finally has a automotive as much as the job of mounting a critical title problem.

‘It’ll be shut’

The Dutch driver received to inside 0.036sec of Hamilton’s quickest lap on Saturday to hitch him on the head of the Montmelo circuit grid, with Valtteri Bottas within the second Mercedes and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari on the second row.

Verstappen, who can be making his 100th begin for Purple Bull on Sunday, mentioned: “We all know they (Mercedes) are laborious to beat round right here. To be that shut we could be pleased with that.”

Bottas was under no circumstances sticking his neck on the road when he predicted that “I feel it’ll be shut between us and Purple Bull”.

Hamilton has an excellent document in Catalonia, successful the race in every of the final 4 years with 5 wins altogether.

Within the all-time polesetter’s league, Hamilton’s childhood hero, the late Ayrton Senna, is in third place with 65, then comes Sebastian Vettel on 57 with Jim Clark and Alain Prost on 33 apiece.

Vettel should make do with the seventh row in Sunday’s grid after registering the 13th quickest qualifying time.

Up forward on the third row are Esteban Ocon for Alpine and Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, with Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) and Sergio Perez within the second Purple Bull occupying the fourth row.

A video clip of the press convention Hamilton gave after his first ever pole in Canada surfaced on Twitter after Saturday’s qualifying.

In it a younger Hamilton tells reporters: “I’ve by no means actually been a driver that sticks it on pole” –- 99 pole positions later, little did he know then simply how wildly flawed he may very well be.





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