F1 News
Pole sitter Hamilton: Portimao "is a really hardcore circuit"
Lewis Hamilton was behind teammate Valtteri Bottas for the majority of the weekend, but he was again the fastest of the two Mercedes drivers in qualifying when it matters. The reigning world champion can start from pole position on Sunday.
Dig deep
Lewis Hamilton takes the very first pole position in Portimao. It is the 97th pole position of his career. For a moment it seemed that he would not get any further than third place, but in the nick of time he managed to improve his time. "I can't tell you how hard that was today," Hamilton said after qualifying. "Yes, we've got a great car but you have to drive the nuts off of it to pull out a lap. Valtteri's been so quick this weekend, he's topped every session."
The key to pole position in Portugal lay on the tactical choice Hamilton makes at the end of Q3. In his last run, on the medium tyre, he decided to do not one but three laps. This while Bottas only drove one fast lap. "At the end, I chose to do three laps to give me a chance at beating his time. That last lap, it got better and better as I went through it," Hamilton explains the difference.
Hardcore circuit
It is the first time that Formula 1 will drive in Portimao and there is also a new layer of asphalt. According to Hamilton, the circumstances are not easy this weekend. "It's a really really hardcore circuit. There's places where you can't see where you're going, you're looking at the sky for long periods. It really is one of the most challenging circuits that I've been to," he added.