Supporting fans of Valtteri Bottas have been left disappointed after Lewis Hamilton captured pole position at the Portuguese Grand Prix, which is being hosted at Algarve Circuit. Nobody was anticipating that Hamilton would acquire pole after Bottas sustained three back-to-back first positions during free practice. That doesn’t mean Valtteri Bottas doesn’t have ample opportunity to acquire 1st Place during the Portuguese Grand Prix. It could be 2nd position during qualifying is superior for Algarve Circuit’s race start. Nobody will know until the lights go black.
Qualifying for Algarve Circuit saw considerable excitement for most teams. Max Verstappen from Red Bull Aston Martin Racing acquired P3, with Charles Leclerc from Scuderi Ferrari obtaining P4. Portuguese fans of Scuderia Ferrari were thrilled to witness Leclerc reach P4 in qualifying. It marks the highest qualifying position for Ferrari in 2020, with the team having struggled drastically to obtain track positions & pace this year.
Valtteri Bottas proved himself a viable opponent for Lewis Hamilton during the Portuguese Grand Prix Qualifying Session. Hamilton was able to overcome Bottas by 0.087s of a second. It’s the closest times the pair have maintained since becoming rivals in 2018. What angered Bottas was not receiving new tyres, while Hamilton did. Lewis would be released four minutes before the qualifying session ended & would find the necessary speed to obtain pole.
Mercedes AMG-Petronas wasn’t favouring Lewis Hamilton to Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton was given Medium Tyres, with Bottas provided Soft Tyres. Differences in their pace were minimal throughout the full session. Lewis Hamilton acquiring pole position over Valtteri Bottas on Medium Tyres shows the championship skillsets of the six-time world champion.
Verstappen Given Race Start Advantage
Mercedes AMG-Petronas have confirmed that Valtteri Bottas & Lewis Hamilton are both starting the Portuguese Grand Prix on Medium Tyres. This could mean a prominent advantage for Max Verstappen during the initial ten to fifteen laps at Algarve Circuit, with Red Bull Racing confirming that Verstappen is starting on Soft Tyres. When considering Charles Leclerc & his P4 placement for the race start, he’s been awarded Medium Tyres. It’ll be interesting to see which strategy is more beneficial.