70th Anniversary GP 2020
AUGUST 8, 2020
Qualifying Report - Nipped Ahead
© Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
By Dan Knutson
Valtteri Bottas managed to nip ahead of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in the final moments of qualifying to grab the pole position for the70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone.
“Set-up wise we made good steps from last weekend,” Bottas said, “and that is why we are on pole.”
The line-up for the weekend was: Mercedes – Hamilton and Bottas; Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc; Red Bull Honda – Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon; McLaren Renault – Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris; Renault – Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon; AlphaTauri Honda – Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly; Racing Point Mercedes – Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll; Alfa Romeo Ferrari – Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi; Haas Ferrari – Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Williams Mercedes – George Russell and Nicolas Latifi.
Hamilton was quickest in Free Practice 3 earlier in the day with a time of 1:26.621.
QUALIFYING 1
The ambient temperature at the start of the session was 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Centigrade).
Hulkenberg took the early lead with a time of 127.279, but only seven drivers clocked times in the first seven minutes.
lasted 18 minutes.
Bottas slid into first with a 1:27.175, and Verstappen beat that at 1:27.154.
With six minutes to go, Hamilton jumped ahead with his 1:26.818.
When there two minutes remaining in Q1, Russell was 15th and on the cutoff line. Stroll was 14th and Albon was 16th. All of the drivers had set their times on Pirelli’s soft compound tires except Russell who used the mediums.
The five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q1 were: . Kvyat, Magnussen, Latifi, Giovinazzi, and Raikkonen.
The fastest 15 drivers who moved on to Q2 were: Bottas, Hamilton, Albon, Verstappen, Gasly, Stroll, Norris, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Russell, Latifi, Vettel and Grosjean.
QUALIFYING 2
With the soft tire being not very durable at all, most of the drivers were on the medium or even the hard compound (Verstappen) Pirellis for Q2 because those would be the tires on the car at the start of the race.
Hamilton clocked a 1;26.266, but Bottas beat that with a 1:25.785.
Ricciardo took third ahead of Verstappen, Stroll, Albon, Norris and Ocon.
Tenth and on the bubble with four minutes to go was Gasly, and Ocon was ninth while Vettel was 11th.
Vettel had to try a set of the soft compound Pirellis to try to get into Q3.
The Mercedes drivers, meanwhile, tried the softs just to get a feel of the tire for Q3.
The five drivers who were eliminated at the end of Q2 were: Ocon, Vettel, Sainz, Grosjean and Russell.
The fastest 10 drivers who moved on to Q3 were: Bottas, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Gasly, Ricciardo, Albon, Stroll, Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris.
QUALIFYING 3
Q3 lasted 12 minutes. And all 10 drivers were soon on track. Ricciardo, Albon and Verstappen were on the medium compound tires while the rest were on the softs.
Hamilton took the provisional pole at 1:25.284, 0.116 of a second quicker than Bottas.
Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Verstappen, Albon, Leclerc, Stroll, Gasly and Norris rounded out the top 10 after the first runs.
All 10 drivers headed to the pits to get ready for their final runs.
Hamilton, Bottas and Ricciardo went out on the mediums, and the rest of the drivers were on the soft tires.
Hamilton clocked a 1:25.217 And Bottas turned a 1:25.154 to grab the pole.
Hulkenberg grabbed third place while Verstappen slid into fourth ahead of Ricciardo. Stroll, Gasly, Leclerc, Albon and Norris rounded out the top 10.