“That was magic, that was full of star-dust,” said Mercedes sports chief Toto Wolff on the a Qualifying round, defending champion Lewis Hamilton in Singapore. The competition can only marvel at, including Sebastian Vettel.
Lewis Hamilton has shaken Sebastian Vettel’s hopes for a Comeback in the championship fight, and with a historic round in Singapore in the Pole Position for the night conquered race. The world champion in the Mercedes completed the Marina Bay Street Circuit in a record time of 1:36,015 minutes and referred to the strong Red-Bull-pilot Max Verstappen to second place – the supposed favorites, and Singapore record winner Vettel is only the third place remained for the race on Sunday.
To six-tenths of championship leader Hamilton had distanced his rivals, he was also more than three seconds under the Pole time from Singapore last year. “It felt magical,” not enthused about Hamilton, “I know where that came from. It was probably the best round I can remember.” Mercedes Motorsport boss Toto Wolff gushed at the RTL-microphone: “That was magic, that was star dust.”
Vettel and Ferrari disappointed the high expectations, however, all along the line. The supposedly fastest car on the tricky street circuit was struck not only by Mercedes but also Red Bull. “That was not a good Session for us, we wanted the Pole,” said Vettel: “We were simply not fast enough. Our car is good enough for the race, but from the rear it will be more difficult.” In fact, In ten Singapore-race the Pole-Setter have won seven Times.
Hamilton offers now, unexpectedly, the Chance, the advantage of 30 championship points to Vettel to further expand the German is threatening to the supposed Ferrari range a setback with a trend-setting character – still six races to be completed to Singapore. Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas was Fourth, Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari, starts right behind it. Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg is of the rank of ten in 150. Formula-1-Race.
Vettel: Training The Fastest
Of course three in the night, Vettel’s race on Sunday: Sebastian in the Ferrari
The weekend had already started with a shock for Vettel. On Friday, he damaged his car, as he grazed the guardrail with the rear wheel and missed a large part of the second Session. In the third Training on Saturday, the four-time world champion was first of all his pace, by far the fastest lap of the weekend, he went as the favorite in the fight for the Pole.
And in the first section, had to tremble first, Hamilton. Unlike the competition, Mercedes sent their drivers on the softer Hyper-soft tyres to the track, you should make it to the Ultrasofts into the second Qualifying session. This was more difficult than expected. Hamilton just took it to a satisfactory time, could not but add. “The tires are at the end,” he radioed, slipped on the 14. Rank – and survived the first section is quite brief.
In the second Qualifying session it was for Vettel tough. Well, Ferrari tried it unsuccessfully with the slower Ultrasofts, the German moved on to the faster tyre and had on his last fast lap a lot of traffic that would have him slowing almost. Only in Sixth, Vettel went to the section in the Conclusion. Then Hamilton had his big performance, Vettel could not counter.
sw (dpa, sid)