Abu Dhabi GP: Lewis Hamilton applauds pole-sitter Max Verstappen, ‘optimistic’ about his chances in the final race
Follow Us
Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen
In a turn of events, Lewis Hamilton managed to finish only second in the qualifying session on Saturday. The Mercedes driver was absolutely flying in the FP2 and FP3 sessions, and was destined for his sixth pole position of the season.
However, it was Red Bull’s team work which paid the dividends, as Sergio Perez gave Max Verstappen a slip stream in Q3, helping him register the fastest timing. Lewis Hamilton will start on the medium tyres, whereas, Max Verstappen will be out there on the soft compound.
Firstly, Lewis Hamilton applauded Max Verstappen for his incredible lap, and stated that he deserves the pole position. “Max did a great lap and we couldn’t answer that today. He fully deserves the pole,” Lewis commented after the qualifying session.
Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes are in a good position with their tyres
One crucial factor which might play against Red Bull is that both their drivers will be softs, whereas, Lewis Hamilton will be on medium tyres. This means that barring a cheap pit-stop during a virtual safety car, Verstappen will have a two-stop pit strategy.
Lewis Hamilton believes that starting on the medium tyres and on the front row is an ideal scenario for him. “But we think we’re in a good position with our tyres tomorrow and we’re hoping for a good race. I’m still on the front row and we’ll navigate from there,” he added.
Lewis Hamilton will have to score more points than Max Verstappen if he is to win his record eighth championship. Level on points for the final race of the season, if both drivers end the race without scoring any points, it is Verstappen who will clinch his first ever title, given his superior number of wins, 9.
Stay Updated!
Nirmit Mehta
(2425 Articles Published)