Lewis Hamilton takes 99th career pole at Emilia Romagna GP + final grid

Lewis Hamilton claimed his 99th career pole position in qualifying on Saturday for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez set to start alongside him at Imola.

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Max Verstappen, runner-up to Hamilton at the season-opening race in Bahrain last month, will begin third on the grid in the other Red Bull as the top three were separated by less than one-tenth of a second.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified in fourth ahead of Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, who was heading for second but had his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas could only manage eighth, with Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll rounding out the top 10. 

Carlos Sainz failed to make it to Q3 and will start in 11th position in the second Ferrari.

Two-time former world champion Fernando Alonso was a disappointing 15th, six places behind Alpine team-mate Ocon.

Yuki Tsunoda, who impressed by coming ninth on his F1 debut in Bahrain, planted his Alpha Tauri into the wall in Q1 and will set off from the back on Sunday.

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Grid for Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at Imola, the second round of the 2021 world championship:

Front row

Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)

Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull-Honda)

2nd row

Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-Honda)

Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)

3rd row

Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Honda)

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes)

4th row

Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes)

Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes)

5th row

Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault)

Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes)

6th row

Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari)

George Russell (GBR/Williams-Mercedes)

7th row

Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin-Mercedes)

Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes)

8th row

Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine-Renault)

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari)

9th row

Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari)

Mick Schumacher (GER/Haas-Ferrari)

10th row

Nikita Mazepin (RUS/Haas-Ferrari)

Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Honda)