Home

F1

Lewis Hamilton Vows to Give Red Bull ‘Run for Their Money’ after Losing to Verstappen in Qualifying

Published 12/12/2020, 9:58 AM EST

Follow Us

via Reuters

At the qualifying for Abu Dhabi GP, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were looking like the primary contenders for pole position. However, unexpectedly, a Red Bull emerged in the distance as the checkered flag waved over Q3, and all of a sudden, the timesheet witnessed Max Verstappen sneak ahead of Bottas by 0.025 seconds into P1.

Nevertheless, a weekend is all about the race day, and Mercedes hold better chances of standing on the top step. Hence, Lewis did not sound concerned, as he is hoping that Mercedes will give Red Bull “a run for their money” on Sunday.

What did Lewis Hamilton say?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Following the qualifying session, Lewis opened up about his struggles over the weekend under the lights in Abu Dhabi.

It’s been a difficult weekend, I would say. Just getting back into rhythm, even though it’s only a couple of weeks off,” Lewis said. “It felt like I’d lost the momentum. And I really struggled so far with the balance this weekend.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

I gave it my all. And congratulations to Max. It’s a great way for him to seal the year. Great Performance. We’re gonna hopefully give them a run for their money tomorrow.”

During the final run in Q3, Lewis did purple times in both sector 1 and sector 2. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Bottas was still strolling and was nowhere near his teammate’s lap time.

Lewis, unsurprisingly, topped the timesheet, but Bottas produced a stunning final sector, as he beat the Briton to provisional pole. However, it was not all over, as a Red Bull was still on a flying lap.

What to expect from the race?

Max produced a brilliant final lap to beat both Mercedes drivers to pole, as the entire paddock went in awe. It was definitely a sight to watch for the Formula 1 fans in what has been a rather Mercedes-dominant season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Looking at the way the grid has lined up, it should be an interesting race to watch in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Max, with nothing to lose, will defend harder than usual from the constructors’ champions.

via Reuters

Hence, the race start is definitely something to watch out for. However, it is unlikely that either of the Mercedes will rush into getting past Max, as they hold the advantage despite starting behind the Dutchman.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Considering Mercedes’ incredible straight-line speed, the move should be quite straightforward. Worst-case scenario, the Silver Arrows will rely on the strategy and see if they could pull off a jump ahead of the Red Bull driver.

Will Mercedes end their season on a high? Or will the F1 community witness an electric race and watch Max win the race from pole position?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Rohit Kumar

1,915Articles

One take at a time

Rohit Kumar is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. He has been an ardent follower of the racing series since 2007, with his love for the sport coinciding with his love for Kimi Raikkonen. He is also an ardent follower of Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin Racing.
Show More>