Lewis Hamilton takes Bahrain GP pole
Lewis Hamilton stormed to a 98th career pole on Saturday with a record lap in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Briton lapped the floodlit 5.4-kilometer long Sakhir track in one minute, 27.264 seconds, the fastest ever around the desert venue, to beat Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas by 0.289 seconds.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was third.
“I think with the pressure a little bit off it was a release to go and drive like that,” said Hamilton who equalled Michael Schumacher’s record haul of seven titles two weeks ago in Turkey.
“I am on the ragged edge, naturally, and it is about trying to find that perfect balance and chipping away.”
