MANAMA – Triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton smashed the Bahrain circuit lap record on Saturday to take pole position ahead of Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg for Sunday’s grand prix.
The Briton’s lap of one minute 29.493 seconds was the fastest ever at the Sakhir track, beating the previous best of 1:29.527 set by Australian Mark Webber in 2005 practise during the V10 era.
Ferrari’s four-times champion Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen qualified third and fourth for the second race of the season.
The much-criticised new qualifying format was again in the spotlight, still underwhelming even if the outcome was marginally more exciting than the disappointing debut at the Australian season-opener two weeks earlier.
The pole was still decided with minutes to spare, with periods without cars on track and drivers eliminated as they sat in the pits.
Hamilton is chasing his third successive Bahrain Grand Prix victory on Sunday while Rosberg, the winner in Melbourne, is seeking a fifth win in a row after ending last season with three straight victories. (Reuters)
