Britain’s Lewis Hamilton drove a flawless final lap on Saturday to snatch pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix, where he is aiming to become Formula One’s youngest champion.
The 23-year-old McLaren Mercedes star delivered the fastest time in the dying seconds of a close-fought qualifying session to outstrip Ferrari’s outgoing champion Kimi Raikkonen and title rival Felipe Massa.
It was Hamilton’s seventh pole this season and the 13th of his career as he targets his first drivers’ championship, which he allowed to slip through his fingers in his rookie season last year.
With just the Chinese and Brazilian legs to go, Hamilton needs to beat Massa by six points here to wrap up the trophy provided BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica, the only other title contender, does not win.
Hamilton was under pressure after slipping to fifth in the opening run of the crucial final qualifying session, but he drove virtually faultlessly to take pole.
”That was as near to a perfect lap as I could have driven,” said Hamilton afterwards. ”I knew there was a job to do and I was just totally focused on my lap.”
Hamilton said he was able to clear his mind of the simmering controversy after several rivals accused him of driving too aggressively. Renault boss Flavio Briatore also said Hamilton would ”throw away” the title again.
”I did not feel under any extra pressure at all,” Hamilton said. ”To be honest, I had nothing else on my mind but the lap and the job.”
Massa admitted it had been a tough qualifying session for Ferrari but remained confident for Sunday’s race.
”We have been struggling a little bit to put together a perfect lap and this qualifying was a little difficult. But we have been here before and had very good pace for the race,” he said.
”It looks like the McLaren guys have got an easier car to drive for the lap.”
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who is seeking a hat-trick of consecutive wins and has said he would support Massa’s bid to overhaul Hamilton, will start fourth behind the Briton and the two Ferraris.
Hamilton’s McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalaien was only fifth ahead of Australian Mark Webber in a Red Bull. But Webber has to drop 10 places because of an engine change on his car in the morning.
On a clear dry afternoon, the first part of qualifying was dominated by the McLaren men with Hamilton fastest ahead of Kovalainen with German tyro Sebastian Vettel third for Toro Rosso.
Red Bull’s British veteran David Coulthard was livid that his final flying lap was spoilt by German Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber.
”This is one for the stewards, this is what they should pick up on,” he said afterwards.
”It was unsporting behaviour by Heidfeld. He had no intention of a faster lap. I have given him the benefit of the doubt, but this shows what sort of person he is.”
Ferrari’s Massa improved from fifth to second in the second session but he was again eclipsed by Hamilton, who had dominated Friday’s practice and again ran in fastest after a switch to soft tyres.
Kubica saw his slim title hopes take a knock when he could not find the balance in his car and wound up missing the top-10 cut for the final qualifying session. – AFP
