Austin: Defending champion Lewis Hamilton powered to pole position for the United States Grand Prix when he out-paced Mercedes teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg with a blistering lap in a tense qualifying session here Saturday.
The 31-year-old Briton dominated the action with a record best lap in one minute and 34.999 seconds – to become the first driver to break the 1:35 second barrier – to outstrip the German by 0.216 seconds as the Silver Arrows pairing reeled off their 10th front row lockout of the year.
It is the 58th pole position of Hamilton’s career, but his first at the Circuit of the Americas where, despite winning three of the four previous races, he had failed to dominate qualifying.
Daniel Ricciardo qualified third for Red Bull ahead of his teammate teenager Max Verstappen with the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel taking fifth and sixth.
Renault-bound Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Force India ahead of Valtteri Bottas and his Williams teammate Felipe Massa and Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso.
Hamilton is seeking his 50th Grand Prix win to stay in contention in the title race in which he trails Rosberg by 33 points with four races remaining. Even if he wins all four, Hamilton could be pipped to the title by Rosberg if he finishes second behind him.
“I must really say thank you to the crowd because I could hear them on my slow-down lap and that really gives me energy,” said Hamilton. “This is my first pole position here and it is amazing. It has been many years of trying.”
Rosberg said he had done all he could to take pole again – he and fellow-German Vettel were the only drivers before Hamilton to have won pole here – but could not match Hamilton’s speed.
“Lewis did a great job today (Saturday) and I was not quite able to do it,” he said. “That’s the way it goes sometimes. But as leader in the championship race, I have the advantage.”
Associated Press
