MADRID, 12 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The English Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) will start first this Saturday in the sprint that will decide the grid of the Brazilian Grand Prix, a first blow in Sao Paolo on the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), second.
The seven-time world champion has more task and obligation than a Verstappen with 19 income points overall. In addition, the Englishman started with a bittersweet free practice session, as despite being the fastest he suffered a five-place penalty for Sunday’s grid for changing engines.
That new unit that did give him the four of tenths that put the leader of the World Cup in Q3 this Friday. It seemed that Verstappen was keeping something but it was not like that, Hamilton stayed on a Friday against the clock with colder on the asphalt than expected for the weekend, more surprises for sure.
The Englishman left a time of 1: 07.934 in Q3 and Verstappen accepted the script this Friday with Hamilton ahead. However, the Briton also needs the collaboration of his teammate, a Valtteri Bottas who was third, heading into Sunday. There Hamilton will lose those five positions, with which he will defend his first position with all this Saturday in the sprint.
The Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) will start fourth and the French Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), fifth. Meanwhile, the Spanish driver Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) will start from sixth place in search of a good grid to continue his streak, 11 races in a row scoring, although he did not improve everything he expected after being second in Q1.
In addition, Fernando Alonso (Alpine), on the track where he signed his two world titles, managed to be in Q3, saved by the hair, and will start tenth in a sprint qualifying that he has done well this season.