Lewis Hamilton resurrected his fading hopes of beating Max Verstappen to the world championship title by qualifying first for Saturday’s sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Hamilton will have to drop back five places for Sunday’s main event after Mercedes changed his engine for the fifth time this season.
But with the new power unit strapped in the back of his car, Hamilton sent out a defiant message to Verstappen by taking top spot, 0.438 seconds clear of his Red Bull rival.
Lewis Hamilton goes fastest!
What a session for the @MercedesAMGF1 driver, incredibly strong 💪#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/9BW4A6OXbl— Formula 1 (@F1) November 12, 2021
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Hamilton’s Silver Arrows team-mate Valtteri Bottas will line up third ahead of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull.
Hamilton, 19 points behind Verstappen with just four rounds to go, has failed to win the championship when trailing at this stage.
And news of his second grid penalty, a month after he was demoted 10 places at the Turkish Grand Prix for his fourth engine change – only three are permitted in a campaign – is unlikely to have enhanced his mood.
However, at a cold, grey and windy Interlagos – the scene of his maiden title triumph 13 years ago – Hamilton’s emphatic performance will feed into his belief that he can yet rewrite history.
MAX: "When they take a new engine naturally they have a bit more power for the weekend, so for me it’s not a big shock. I’m just happy to be second" #BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/L59W2a0Fp8
Advertisement— Formula 1 (@F1) November 12, 2021
Hamilton’s Mercedes team believe taking the engine punishment this weekend will at least allow their driver to compete for points in Saturday’s 24-lap dash – the third and concluding sprint race of the season.
The winner is awarded three points, the runner-up two and third place one point. The result also determines the grid for the grand prix on Sunday.
But it means even if Hamilton wins the shortened race, he will start the 19th round of this record-breaking 22-round season no higher than sixth. Should Verstappen take second, he will be promoted to pole position, putting him in the driving seat to extend his championship lead.
Hamilton has been jeered by Verstappen’s travelling army at a number of venues this year but here in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, the British driver is the fans’ overwhelming favourite – his pole lap greeted with a deafening cheer.
Ayrton’s colours ride again at Interlagos. 💜💛😍 pic.twitter.com/nQgyFUYPQK
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 12, 2021
His popularity was endorsed, too, by his choice of helmet design – a one-off nod to his childhood hero, the Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna, who is revered in this part of the world.
“Firstly I am so happy to be back here in Brazil,” said Hamilton after qualifying fastest for the first time since the Hungarian Grand Prix, way back on the final day of July.
“One of the marshals that works here said I should use the Senna flag and colours more often because that is my first pole in a long time. It is crazy because it has been such a long time, it feels like my first.
“It has been so hard coming from the last race in Mexico, the team have worked flat-out and the man hours they have put in are insane.
“But today, was a really good qualifying session and I am super-happy with it.
🏁 Q3 CLASSIFICATION 🏁
A solid session for @LewisHamilton 👊#BrazilGP 🇧🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/tjcphP00Y9— Formula 1 (@F1) November 12, 2021
“We have got the penalty on Sunday but I will give it everything I have got. It is not easy to follow here. It is going to be hard to catch Max but I will do my best to come through the field.”
Verstappen added: “When they take on a new engine, naturally they have more power for the weekend so for me it is not a big shock, and I am just happy to be second.
“You always want to be closer but sometimes you have to be realistic and there was not much more in it today.
“There are not that many points to gain in the sprint race. I hope to have a good first lap and we will see from there. The most important race is Sunday.”
Pierre Gasly finished fifth for AlphaTauri. British driver Lando Norris took eighth in his McLaren.
George Russell was beaten by a Williams team-mate over one lap for the first time in his 56-race career with the British team.
Russell, who will join Hamilton at Mercedes next year, lines up in 18th, a place behind Nicholas Latifi in the sister car.
