Formula 1: Germany starting lineup – Valtteri Bottas takes pole
By Asher Fair
Valtteri Bottas took the pole position for the 11th race of the 2020 Formula 1 season, the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.
Valtteri Bottas kept Mercedes’ perfect pole streak alive to start the 2020 Formula 1 season with his third pole position of the year at the Nürburgring for the Eifel Grand Prix, a race which was added to the schedule as result of the other cancellations caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Mercedes are now 11 for 11 this season in terms of taking pole positions, and they have taken 12 in a row going back to last season.
Lewis Hamilton, who has taken the other eight pole positions this season, is set to start alongside Bottas on the front row in second place, giving Mercedes eight front row lockouts in 2020.
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Bottas took the pole position for this 60-lap race around the 16-turn, 3.199-mile (5.148-kilometer) road course in Nürburg, Germany by recording a top lap time of 85.269 seconds (135.060 miles per hour) in the third and final round of qualifying for this race.
Set to start behind the two Silver Arrows on the second row are Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third place and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth. Red Bull’s Alexander Albon qualified in fifth and is set to start alongside Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in sixth on the third row.
Renault’s Esteban Ocon and McLaren’s Lando Norris are set to occupy the fourth row in seventh and eighth place, respectively, while Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. are set to share the fifth row in ninth and 10th, respectively.
Eliminated after the second round of qualifying were Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, AlphaTauri teammates Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat, Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen. They qualified in 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th place, respectively.
Eliminated after the first round of qualifying were Haas’ Romain Grosjean, Williams teammates George Russell and rookie Nicholas Latifi, Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen and Racing Point’s Nico Hulkenberg. They qualified in 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th place respectively. Hulkenberg is replacing the ill Lance Stroll for the weekend.
Russell is now 32 for 32 in terms of outqualifying his teammates throughout his Formula 1 career.
Here is the full starting lineup for the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix at Nürburgring.
Starting Lineup
1st – Valtteri Bottas
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
3rd – Max Verstappen
4th – Charles Leclerc
5th – Alexander Albon
6th – Daniel Ricciardo
7th – Esteban Ocon
8th – Lando Norris
9th – Sergio Perez
10th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
11th – Sebastian Vettel
12th – Pierre Gasly
13th – Daniil Kvyat
14th – Antonio Giovinazzi
15th – Kevin Magnussen
16th – Romain Grosjean
17th – George Russell
18th – Nicholas Latifi
19th – Kimi Raikkonen
20th – Nico Hulkenberg
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The 2020 Eifel Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from the Nürburgring tomorrow morning beginning at 8:10 a.m. ET.