Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a reversal of his troubled run at the track 12 months ago.
In 2016 he headed every practice session then struggled in qualifying. This time he recovered from a low-key practice performance to dominate the qualifying session and claim his fifth pole position of the season.
Hamilton took his 66th career pole position, one more than Ayrton Senna, leaving him two shy of the all-time record held by Michael Schumacher.
Q1
After a quiet run in practice, Hamilton came to the fore in Q1, leading the times by more than half a second. Max Verstappen back on track with a repaired car following his stoppage in final practice, was second.
With Jolyon Palmer’s Renault needing lengthy repairs following its earlier fire, only four other drivers dropped out during Q1. For the first time in 2017 this included both McLaren, as a late improvement by Kevin Magnussen eliminated Fernando Alonso. But only one of the Haas drivers made it through – Romain Grosjean was eliminated, unhappy at the time he lost at the weigh bridge.
On a difficult weekend for Sauber the team managed to get one of its cars into Q2. Pascal Wehrlein made the cut while Marcus Ericsson dropped out.
Drivers eliminated in Q1
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Honda | 1’44.334 |
| 17 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 1’44.468 |
| 18 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’44.795 |
| 19 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Honda | 1’45.030 |
| 20 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault |
Q2
Mercedes stretched their advantage in the second part of qualifying. Hamilton produced a 1’41.275 which was over six-tenths of a second quicker than anyone not in a silver car could manage. Bottas took second ahead of Vettel and Verstappen, who were separated by mere hundredths of a second.
There were few surprised in the rest of the field as the four Mercedes customers used their power advantage to claim places in Q3. Both Toro Rosso drivers dropped out, the pair having used a single set of super-softs throughout the session, as they also had in Q1.
Drivers eliminated in Q2
| 11 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso-Renault | 1’43.186 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Toro Rosso-Renault | 1’43.347 |
| 13 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’43.796 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1’44.267 |
| 15 | Pascal Wehrlein | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’44.603 |
Q3
The contest for pole position was building to an intriguing climax when a mistake by one of the drivers brought everything to a sudden halt. Daniel Ricciardo slid sideways out of turn six, clouting the barrier and damaging his Red Bull’s suspension. That brought out the red flags.
Prior to that the Mercedes pair had been in close contention for pole position. A 1’41.274 for Bottas put him narrowly ahead as a couple of mistakes for Hamilton at turns one and eight left him second.
The session resumed with just over three-and-a-half minutes remaining. Verstappen led the cars back on track, followed by the two Mercedes. The Ferrari pair held back, ensuring both drivers a traffic-free run.
Hamilton and Bottas were closely matched through the first sector. But around the sinuous middle part of the lap – where Hamilton’s qualifying effort came to an end 12 months earlier – he was sublime. With pinpoint precision he took four tenths of a second from his team mate at that part of the track alone.
He carried that advantage through to the end of the lap, and the result was his fifth pole position of the season. Bottas made it a Mercedes one-two, and improvements from the two Ferrari drivers put them on the second row ahead of Verstappen.
The Williams drivers only had time for one lap each, and neither was able to get ahead of the Force Indias. However Lance Stroll narrowly beat Felipe Massa for the first time this year.
Top ten in Q3
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’40.593 |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’41.027 |
| 3 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’41.693 |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’41.841 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’41.879 |
| 6 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 1’42.111 |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 1’42.186 |
| 8 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 1’42.753 |
| 9 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 1’42.798 |
| 10 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’43.414 |
Kevin
24th June 2017, 15:14
Lewis threw down the gauntlet. Such a legendary pole today. Tomorrow is the day he MUST WIN.
nelson piquet
24th June 2017, 15:16
rip ferraris title hopes. i feel so sorry for vettel and alonso
Kevin
24th June 2017, 15:25
Why do you feel sorry for Vettel? Why did Ferrari put an old engine in?
nelson piquet
24th June 2017, 15:30
there was something leaking in the current engine. i feel sorry for him because he is by far the best driver this season while hamilton will most likely walk away with the title
johnm
24th June 2017, 15:32
By far???
nelson piquet
24th June 2017, 15:39
in my opinion yes. i carefully said in my opinion because this is an uk site
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
24th June 2017, 17:33
@keithcollantine It’s been a good few years since the last time you defended against this @keithcollantine
Tango (@tango)
24th June 2017, 20:55
Well I’m french, and i am really happy to be in an era which has lewis’ talent on display (against other great talents).
matt
24th June 2017, 15:45
yes its your opinion,but you gave no reason as to why you think that?
Wayne
24th June 2017, 15:58
I can see his point although I don’t agree with the “by far” point.
Vettel has been good but had more than his share of bad luck. Some from Ferrari’s blunders and others like the “golden boy” making a banzai move in Montreal that ruined his race.
Probably won’t make any difference anyways as Merc is in top form once again.
All the hype but beginning to look like false hope at Ferrari.
Bultaco85
24th June 2017, 18:43
It´s my opinion too. Fair reason? Just look at the WDC standings.
David BR
24th June 2017, 16:02
Vettel has been impressive in the first part of the season, whereas Hamilton (and Bottas) have been mostly just good. However Hamilton has now secured two exceptional poles in succession, while Vettel shows signs of fading. So a bit earlier to decide on the entire season I think.
Baron
24th June 2017, 17:08
Vettel shows signs of fading? What?! Hahaha, than what do you call Hamilton in Russia and Monaco? Asleep at the wheel?!
In Canada Vettel was the only one who got closest to Hamilton in a slower car. This weekend he’s again had car trouble. Something Hamilton hasn’t had to endure so far this season.
And we both know how he’ll react when it does.
Kevin
24th June 2017, 17:24
@David. But Merc gave away Australia win with crazy pit strategy. I agree Vettel has been slightly better so far (although Lewis blows everybody away for qualy). But if Lewis wins tomorrow, he’s the top dog
Ajaxn
25th June 2017, 13:30
To be fair Lewis was let down for two qualifiers when his tires were poorer than his team mate Bottas, this made all the difference to the Ferraris pulling away.
I hope there is no more micro management behind the scenes, like we had last year. I hope the ‘A’ driver gets the full support he deserves, and that the best team wins on merit, and not to satisfy a ‘story book’ based in nostalgia or what might be term as ‘good for the sport’.
Speaking of micro management, I’ve always wonder about the unconscious rivalry which must exist between Lauda, with his 3 world championship wins, and Hamilton who remains on the cusp of bettering that.
Todfod (@todfod)
24th June 2017, 18:23
It’s a little too soon for that.. although I’m glad to see Vettel endure some of Alonso’s agony during the Ferrari years.
grumpy
25th June 2017, 5:39
Don’t agree that Seb is the “best by far”, LH and SV are on a par, VB. MV and KR are in a pretty handy position to. I think the title will be a 2 horse race but I don’t see LH walking away with it unless Ferrari really slip up.
@F1-liners (@f1-liners)
24th June 2017, 15:53
You give up easily!
More Nelsinho than Nelson then ;)
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:00
Nonsense, watch Ferraris race pace tomorrow and how long they run on the supersofts
mystic one (@mysticus)
24th June 2017, 18:35
They have been struggling all fps and qs… unless they find a magic formula, unlikely they will be gunning for lead, most likely 2nd best after mercedes… having said, merc has tendency to screw up their starts, so they have a chance there, and if they get by the first corner leading, is not the tough bit, merc has very good top end speed as well, so come 3rd lap without incident, merc will sail pass on the straight… and wave good bye… merc has been way out front for ferrari to answer for as of yet… worst is vettel is the worst of the two currently… so it wont be an easy thing for him… with redbulls showing one of their unusual pace once in a while and breathing on their necks……
Fran
24th June 2017, 19:24
There race pace on the supersoft once the tyre was warm was superior plus they should be able to run longer, the downside is that the margin over the soft isnt great
Patrickl (@patrickl)
24th June 2017, 22:33
Well in Canada Ferrari were fastest in just about every free practice too. Hamilton put in that amazing lap in Q3 to get ahead anyway and from there Ferrari’s race unraveled. First Vettel had a bit of a poor start, which caused him to be overtaken by two car and end up with a damaged front wing, Raikkonen had brake issues. It was just going from bad to worse.
Only bit of luck they had was that Perez would rather lose his position to Vettel than to Occon and of course that the lead cars are so much faster again that they can just about lap the entire field (or come from last to fourth) with relative ease.
Ajaxn
25th June 2017, 13:37
To be fair Lewis was let down for two qualifiers when his tires were poorer than his team mate Bottas, this made all the difference to the Ferraris pulling away.
I hope there is no more micro management behind the scenes, like we had last year. I hope the ‘A’ driver gets the full support he deserves, and that the best team wins on merit, and not to satisfy a ‘story book’ based in nostalgia, or what some might call ‘the good for the sport’.
Speaking of micro management, I’ve always wonder about the unconscious rivalry which must exist between Lauda, with his 3 world championship wins, and Hamilton who remains on the cusp of bettering that.
dan
24th June 2017, 15:18
@just-an-fan
I thought he had no skill lol. Vet was going off road so many times i lost count
Joao (@johnmilk)
24th June 2017, 15:19
Wouldn’t it be annoying if Stroll turns out yo be good?
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
24th June 2017, 15:22
He’s outqualified a way past it Felipe Massa for the first time after 8 races. Massa was literally all over the place, who knows that Williams should have been able to qualify third.
Stroll spent last week training with legendary driver trainer Rob Wilson, who probably taught him some stuff. There is a modicum of talent there, I don’t think anybody is denying that. He’s just not good enough for F1 (yet) and the fact he’s in a car where top quality drivers ought to be fighting for (near the) podium rankles, as it should.
Ju88sy (@)
24th June 2017, 15:40
Let’s just watch his development through the rest of the season before we discard him! He’s no Verstappen that’s certain however he is still young and can develop substantially as a driver, and that’s the crux: will he develop and then start to out pace Massa before the end of the season?
Aaditya (@neutronstar)
24th June 2017, 15:47
@hahostolze No matter how “past it” Massa is, he’s still a decent driver as shown by his qualy performances so far. So if Lance Stroll can beat a decent driver on a tricky track he has never driven at before, surely Lance put in quite a decent performance himself, especially if you look at his Q2 lap, which was almost as good as the Force India drivers did in Q3. It’s a shame that he couldn’t set a proper lap in Q3 at the end.
Still, credit where it’s due man…I hope he can do well in the race.
Hugh (@hugh11)
24th June 2017, 16:17
Stroll is improving compared to him though – if he keeps improving at this sort of rate he’ll become very handy.
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:01
Give the lad a break
Aaditya (@neutronstar)
24th June 2017, 15:35
@johnmilk Why would it be??
Joao (@johnmilk)
24th June 2017, 16:07
Just take a look at some of the comments around here @neutronstar ;). No particularly in this thread, but previous ones
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
24th June 2017, 17:40
@johnmilk I seriously actually don’t think so, since IIRC everyone here was actually relieved and happy when Grosjean put in rather great performances in late 2013 around one year after http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/9592262/Mark-Webber-calls-Romain-Grosjean-an-embarassing-first-lap-nutcase-after-collision-at-Japanese-Grand-Prix.html .
If Stroll starts to consistently be better than Massa people here will be happy to finally see Stroll being good enough to justify dropping a Massa that’s seen by quite a few here as being past a sort of expiry date
Joao (@johnmilk)
24th June 2017, 19:48
@davidnotcoulthard I saw a lot of bitterness around here
But taking into account how he got to F1 he will have to learn with the fact that people will think of him in only two ways. He either makes it big, and gets respected or will forever be labeled as a pay driver.
That’s quite the environment for an 18 year old just entering the sport
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
25th June 2017, 5:28
@johnmilk I think GRO got a similar treatment here though
Philip (@philipgb)
24th June 2017, 19:14
No because we get a good driver. It would be frustrating if he doesn’t but can afford to buy a seat still.
It’s win win if he comes good because frankly it won’t revise history and how poor he’s been until now so the criticism he’s received won’t become wrong and fans get a good driver.
DaveF1 (@davef1)
24th June 2017, 15:19
Feel like this one might be a cake walk for Lewis assuming he makes it past turn 1 first.
nelson piquet
24th June 2017, 15:32
it will, and it will continue to be like that if ferrari don’t catch up in development
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:01
Rubbish
Mashiat (@mashiat)
24th June 2017, 15:20
Well, tomorrow’s race won’t be exciting methinks
Loen (@loen)
24th June 2017, 15:50
This circuit takes no prisoners, with all the hazards it has, you couldn’t
place a bet on any driver, no matter how good they are. We’ve already
seen some of the very best car handlers make the tiniest fraction of
a mistake in practice and end up with a wrecked car.
In the race you could be running extremely well, on the right tyre, and
very well placed; then you come steaming into one of those tight,
unforgiveable chicanes and right in front of you lies the wreckage of
somebody who didn’t make it; who got it ever-so-slightly wrong.
End of story.
So I reckon that if you even go make a cup of coffee you could easily
come back to totally different race in the twinkling of an eye. We’ve
seen some of the safest pairs of F1 hands come to grief. A totally
merciless track. You make slightest mistake and you’re a goner.
Michael Brown (@)
24th June 2017, 19:51
Didn’t people say this last year?
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:02
Then do some gardening instead
Graham (@guitargraham)
24th June 2017, 15:21
that must be ominous for his rivals. lewis was making the car dance again
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
24th June 2017, 15:23
I’m really pleased for Stroll, to my mind that qualifying session trumps the points in Canada. I didn’t think he that level of performance in him, I’m very happy to be proven wrong. Fair play to Williams for nurturing him through a tough period as well. Looks like they’ll reap the rewards of good man management going forward. A lesson for some of the more cutthroat teams.
jpvalverde85 (@jpvalverde85)
24th June 2017, 15:30
let’s hope isn’t a single time after a good canadian gp at home for stroll, maybe that helped him to have more peace of mind, its nice to have a tight top 10 with both williams drivers
@F1-liners (@f1-liners)
24th June 2017, 15:58
Fully agree, @rdotquestionmark.
He got too much flak from us couch potatoes before Canada.
I’m stoked for the kid.
Also happy for Ocon continuing to deliver, and Verstappen seems to be putting some space between him and Ricciardo.
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
24th June 2017, 16:39
@f1-liners Yes I have done nothing but moan about Stroll ever since the announcement and I’m really glad for him to prove me wrong. The fact he’s performed so well at such a tough track bodes well also.
Agree about Ocon he drives with such maturity for a young rookie. Very excited for his future. I wonder if Mercedes will ever use one of their junior drivers? Ricciardo looks a little distant this season, I know he’s had a few podiums but there is a fairly big gulf in speed between him and Max now.
jeansilva02
24th June 2017, 15:35
Q3 was almost 4s off the pole pace …
Q2 almost 3s dow
Even ferrari was 1s off the pace …
I’m the only scared about how big are these gaps?
Last week the gap between LMP1 and LMP2 at le mans was around 10s in a 13 km track …. so 3 to 4s in a 5 km is too much …. one can say that we have two categories inside f1 right now …
F1 in Figures (@f1infigures)
24th June 2017, 17:57
Apparently there is still a huge difference in engine power between the different manufacturers it seems, as this is pretty much a power circuit.
Arad (@just-an-fan)
24th June 2017, 15:38
I wonder for how long FIA are allowign Mercedes to get away with this blatant cheating. First they wrote the whole PU script, then came with token, then limited parts…..now are blatantly burning oil during QP. I wonder who wrote rule regarding how much oil can a team burn. What a massive joke F1 has become.
nelson piquet
24th June 2017, 15:44
it’s not like others can do it too. all teams now had 3 years to catch up but i think we have to admit that mercedes is doing the best job by far. even tho the dominance is boring and gifts hamilton one title after another, they deserve it
Wayne
24th June 2017, 15:50
Agree
matt
24th June 2017, 15:55
Don´t be so ridiculous, winning does not mean cheating.
Grumpy (@)
25th June 2017, 12:04
Agreed, some people are so full of hatred for Merc and Hamilton that it blinds them to reality and if their driver or team is not winning they cry foul play …. I actually wonder if some of these armchair critics are real racing fans or just like this site so they have their petty whinge.
Xaerun
24th June 2017, 16:05
It’s Ferrari who are burning oil not Mercedes.
Kribana (@krichelle)
24th June 2017, 16:11
Good… let the hate flow through you..
bob
24th June 2017, 21:03
The Force is strong with this one :)
MONEYR (@moneyr)
24th June 2017, 16:12
You’re hating so much on Mercedes when they’re on top of things.
Let those oily tears flow.
Hugh (@hugh11)
24th June 2017, 16:19
@just-an-fan While I agree that they shouldn’t be allowed to, if they are, then Ferrari and Renault have had 3 years to learn how to do it too, so…
Kaikarden (@kaikarden)
24th June 2017, 16:42
Can’t wait to see your reaction to when Hamilton breaks Schumi’s pole record.
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:04
Surely you are not meeting the fuel regs if that is the case, measure the oil now
anon
24th June 2017, 22:39
Fran, given that there are now allegations that Ferrari might in fact have been the ones who were burning excess oil instead of Mercedes, it suggests that Vettel and Raikkonen would be in more trouble if that rule was applied.
Todfod (@todfod)
24th June 2017, 18:26
@just-an-fan
Would love to see the expression on your face when Seb and Ferrari lose the title this year. It will be priceless..
Fukobayashi (@)
24th June 2017, 19:00
Ferrari are burning the most fuel at the moment you ridiculous man
Fukobayashi (@)
24th June 2017, 19:01
*oil
budchekov (@budchekov)
24th June 2017, 21:14
I don’t get this obsession with adults using the word “hate”, I thought it was used by kids in their terrible twos.
Drg
24th June 2017, 21:51
+ about eleventy five billion!,,
spactus
24th June 2017, 15:38
This lap and the lap in Canada is why I think Lewis superior to all.That magic he possesses I havent seen since Micheal and Senna.We have seen Vetel and the likes perform at a very high level but we have never seen that unexpected magic from them,and thats why Lewis has won a race and taken pole for all of his 8yrs in f1,even when Vetell had the car to win 8 consecutive races .
Baron
24th June 2017, 16:55
His lap in Russia and Monaco on the other proof he’s no better than most other front runners.
Eric (@fletch)
24th June 2017, 19:19
Sebs first few laps in a race in his title winning years are on parity to the above names
MXMXD (@mxmxd)
24th June 2017, 15:46
A Montreal-like cakewalk for Lewis is definitely possible tomorrow.
Wayne
24th June 2017, 15:49
Merc turns up the wick.
Another boring season about to transpire.
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:10
This was about tyres not wick
KaIIe (@kaiie)
24th June 2017, 15:51
Interesting that Mercedes (and Ferrari) managed to turn on the tyres for the last lap dash when previously they had to cruise around for at least two warm up laps. Where did the pace suddenly come from?
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:08
Yes, most odd?
Crom
24th June 2017, 18:28
Yes this had me scratching my head too, did the track really evolve so much?
Fran
24th June 2017, 19:42
l can’t see how, more likely the wood got in the way of the pit box techies
Ruben
24th June 2017, 15:52
Well done Baku.
For delivering the most boring qualifying of the year.
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:09
Which channel did you watch?
Aaditya (@neutronstar)
24th June 2017, 15:56
No matter how fast Mercedes was in qualy today, Hamilton still beat his teammate by almost five-tenths…Bottas is a pretty good driver, and neither did he seem to be struggling/all over the place like Hamilton was in Monaco. The gap between them was pretty large in Canada too.
I’ve come to believe that no matter which driver you put alongside Lewis in that Mercedes, he’s going to have a really tough battle on his hands.
Baron
24th June 2017, 17:00
Oh please. Bottas is still an unknown. Yes he beat Massa but that’s not exactly impressive.
We saw last year what the deal is when Hamilton has a hungry, fast teammate next to him.
Aaditya (@neutronstar)
24th June 2017, 17:21
So you’re saying that Rosberg didn’t have a hard time against Hamilton? That’s all I’m claiming…it’s really really hard to beat Lewis, especially when he’s on song like this.
Baron
24th June 2017, 21:12
Oh definitely. But Rosberg is no Alonso or Vettel.
He was always quick but never regarded as one of the quickest.
But in the end Rosberg did beat Hamilton. So Hamilton can be beaten and is therefor not as impeccable as you and Sky try to make him out to be.
Because for every brilliant race Hamilton can have an absolute stinker as well.
Patrickl (@patrickl)
24th June 2017, 22:39
Who says Rosberg wasn’t better than Vettel? Seeing how Vettel got humiliated by Riciardo and Rosberg also beaten Schumacher in all three seasons, I would not rate Vettel that highly and Rosberg that lowly.
Only Alonso was almost able keep up with Hamilton.
Fabien
24th June 2017, 21:01
You mean the year when Hamilton had 3 engine failures his teammate didn’t have, yet only beat him by a few points? … and then retired because he knew he got lucky and wouldn’t be able to repeat the feat without more luck?
bob
24th June 2017, 21:06
Also don’t discount Toto’s recent comments saying Rosberg employed all kinds of Psychological warfare behind the scenes in the 2016 season
Baron
24th June 2017, 21:18
Yes, the year where Hamilton made numerous atrocious starts that cost him the championship.
Meaning Rosberg did a better job.
Perhaps if Hamilton wasn’t so busy writing pop songs with Justin Bieber he would have had more time to figure out the start sequence.
Oh wait, I forgot, when something goes wrong it’s Mercedes’ fault. When it doesn’t it’s because of Hamilton’s brilliance…
pSynrg (@psynrg)
24th June 2017, 21:34
@Baron You do realise, pointing out Lewis messed up plenty of starts in 2016 just reinforces how much stronger than Rosberg he is. Bad starts, mechanical failures – and it still went down to the wire…
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
24th June 2017, 21:56
@Baron in the end, Rosberg won because he smashed into Lewis in Spain. Had he simply driven and competed, he would have also lost last year. That would have been a huge surprise given the troubles that Lewis faced during the season but not a surprise considering the fact that Nico didn’t win any other year and never managed to overtake Lewis on track…
Baron (@baron)
25th June 2017, 13:18
Guys, please stop tagging the untaggable!
Martin
24th June 2017, 15:59
Incredible lap from Hamilton today, showing his skill under massive pressure. I don’t think there is anyone in F1 today that you could have put in the other Merc and got a different polesitter.
nelson piquet
24th June 2017, 16:03
kvyat? vandoorne?
MXMXD (@mxmxd)
24th June 2017, 16:12
While we’re at it, Palmer?
Martin
24th June 2017, 16:12
Lmao if they are genuine suggestions you are really showing your lack of F1 knowledge there!
Todfod (@todfod)
24th June 2017, 18:28
Palmer, Vandoorne, Ericsson, Grosjean and Massa wouldn’t
Fran
24th June 2017, 19:27
Nor Raikkonen
Todfod (@todfod)
25th June 2017, 9:20
Nor would Vettel.. considering he finished behind Kimi.
Baron
24th June 2017, 17:02
What looked to be an interesting season looks to become a massive borefest.
Oh well. Maybe Max can hit a Merc wing or two.
Fran
24th June 2017, 17:07
One cold qualie session doesn’t make a season
Baron
24th June 2017, 17:17
True, but unfortunately it’s the second qualy in a row where Mercedes were easily quickest. Bottas made a mistake in his 2nd run in Canada which means he’d easily been 2nd if he had a clean lap.
What’s more is that the Merc is now easily fastest in the more technical sector where Ferrari was able to give them a run for their money in the first couple of races.
So now Merc is back to not only having an advantage in power but also in aerodynamics.
I can’t wait for Toto to tell us how close Ferrari is just before grabbing pole by a second in the upcoming races.
Fran
24th June 2017, 19:28
But not in the race
Baron
24th June 2017, 21:20
We’ll see. Canada wasn’t much of a comparison for obvious reasons but I doubt Ferrari has got the pace to attack Mercedes. And with puppy dog Bottas as a rear gunner Hamilton should be able to get a nice lead.
Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
24th June 2017, 17:33
Another great lap by a great driver, Hamilton.
Astonishing the work of Stroll!
Y think tomorrow we will see one safety car, maybe more. That can be interesting.
Bobby (@f1bobby)
24th June 2017, 17:53
Ham is really on it at the moment, great lap today. That pole record is in sight. The win record? Fugeddabowdit! Schumacher’s tally is unbelievable.
Fran
24th June 2017, 19:29
Today yes, yesterday no
Dave
24th June 2017, 18:05
I vote for Davide Valsecchi to replace David Croft in commentary, he’s hilarious!
Fran
24th June 2017, 19:45
Oh god no
Ju88sy (@)
24th June 2017, 20:08
I have not had chance to watch an F2 race this year, however Valsecchi was great value last year on the GP2 commentary.
Kim Philby (@philby)
24th June 2017, 18:21
Lewis makes a serious mistake. By blowing away his closest competitor by more than 1s and his teammate by 0.5s shows 2 things none particularly positive. a) His car is a rocket-ship giving him no credit for beating them and b) his teammate is more Kovalainen than Rosberg, in other words he is average.
Crom
24th June 2017, 18:33
True, the qualy gap is staggering, still points are only awarded on Sundays
Fran
24th June 2017, 19:31
Presumably Hamilton too is Kovalainen on occasion
Baron
24th June 2017, 21:22
He definitely wasn’t Senna in Russia or Monaco.
BigJoe
24th June 2017, 18:23
Nice pole, but when Vettel does it they say ‘it’s the car’
DonSmee (@david-beau)
24th June 2017, 22:22
Uhm but Vettel hasn’t done it more than once this year. Isn’t it like 5 – 1-1-1 for pole count this season among the top four drivers… Surely vettel could have evened the score if not for mistakes in australia and barcelona. Heck in bahrain too Vettel gave up a pole.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
24th June 2017, 18:40
I did not see qualifying yet (on the road),.. I love the result though. Valtteri was more comftable, likeley Hamilton had to dig deep. And I love that, great to see great drivers being pushed to greatness.
Now I have to find out what happend to Vettel.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
25th June 2017, 0:28
@jureo Vettel had to use an old engine with more miles and probably also less developed. Makes a big difference in Baku. I don’t think there were any real mistakes on his final lap.
Anil Sanagavarapu (@anilsk2013)
25th June 2017, 2:11
FYI – RAI had the ‘newer’ Ferrari engine but was unable to challenge HAM’s time in any of the sectors. Unable to confirm or challenge your comment about mistakes because the feed I viewed did not show Vettel’s lap till 1:31 into his flying lap.
ispookie666
24th June 2017, 20:08
Vettel prisoner of Azkaban or was it Azerbaijan
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
24th June 2017, 20:28
Hm it seems Mercedes still has a Massive advantage on this track, Ferrari was more than a second behind.
So tomorrow will be easy 1-2 for Merc?
Nunu
24th June 2017, 20:29
GRO lost it completely – nice to see MAG saving the day for the Haas team…maybe Ferrari should think twice before signing with GRO..
Rick Lopez (@viscountviktor)
24th June 2017, 22:55
Err Felipe what’s going? Stroll beating you? Really?
You better beat him in the race tomorrow.
geoffgroom44 (@)
25th June 2017, 12:12
Am I the only one that sometimes gets the feeling that Hamilton plays a game in practice, refining minor aspects of the trim…throwing a dummy at the contenders…..and then Hammers the opposition in qualifying?
To produce such a qual lap under such conditions is a clear demonstration of his skills, despite what some ‘commentators say’ about rocket ships. Even a rocket ship has to be controlled and managed. 2 more poles and MS’s record goes.
I wish Lewis well today in the race.
Merc have shown they are not invincible, but Merc AND Hamilton are sure getting very close to that definition