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The ritual driver George Russell narrowly missed a dream pole after being pushed into first place by Valtteri Bottas for the Sakhir Grand Prix on Sunday.
Russell, 22, who represented Hamilton after the seven-time world champion’s positive Covid-19 test for Lewis Hamilton, finished just 0. 026 seconds slower than Bottas in the other Mercedes.
Russell improved on his final run under the lights of the Sakhir Circuit, but he couldn’t do enough to usurp the Finn. Red Bulls Max Verstappen will be in third place with just 0. 056 sec. Behind Bottas. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth.
Hamilton has dominated this season, winning 11 of the 15 laps, but his forced absence here – the first Formula 1 qualifying without the record-breaking Brit since the end of the 2006 season in Brazil – has resulted in an unpredictable affair.
Russell, a Williams driver by day, received a fairytale appeal after Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff asked him to fill Hamilton’s cockpit, which had won the championship.
And the driver from King’s Lynn in Norfolk impressed and beat both practice sessions here on Friday before missing pole.
« It was incredibly tense learning so much and getting used to the car, » said Russell. « It felt very strange at first and it’s a different way of driving. I had to relearn how to drive this car fast.
« I was happy to have made it through the third quarter after last practice and if you had told me last week that I would qualify second, I would not have believed you.
« Valtteri has been a huge step forward in qualifying for Lewis over the years and we know how great Lewis is to be right behind Valtteri with three days of preparation. I’m glad.
« I have no one in front of me that I haven’t seen in a long time, so it’s going to be difficult. I will give all I have. « »
The sport is in Bahrain for a second race on as many weekends, but a new configuration of the Sakhir track will be used.
Registration with only 2. 2 miles and effectively only six corners, Bottas ’53. The second lap of 37 seconds was the lowest since Niki Lauda put his Ferrari on pole for the French Grand Prix 36 years ago at Dijon in 58. 79 sec.
Alexander Albon’s Red Bull future remains in doubt and a poor qualifying performance will deal another blow to the London-born Thai. Albon was eliminated from the second quarter and only finished 12th. Place in front of Sebastian Vettel, whose Ferrari career has long since stalled. Brit Lando Norris also had an unusually bad evening and finished 15 . . .
Jack Aitken, the Englishman who made his Grand Prix debut here, finished 18th as Russell’s substitute. Took place. The 25-year-old Aitken starts on Sunday in front of the 2007 world champions, Kimi Räikkönen and Pietro Fittipaldi.
Fittipaldi, the grandson of double world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, qualified last. The 24-year-old Brazilian stands up for Romain Grosjean after suffering a terrifying fireball inferno at 140 mph last weekend in Bahrain.
Grosjean suffered burns to his hands in the extraordinary accident, but continues to hope that he can end his career with a final appearance in Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1-Team, Formula 1, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Bahrain International Circuit, Max Verstappen
World News – GB – Qualification for the Sakhir GP: George Russell narrowly beaten to dream Pole
Ref: https://www.standard.co.uk
