F1: Hamilton On Pole At Portimao Completing Mercedes 1-2

- Hamilton scored his 97th pole
- Bottas was looking good for pole till he got pipped at the last minute
- Charles Leclerc dragged the struggling Ferrari to P4
Lewis Hamilton scored yet another pole position by slightly edging out his teammate Valtteri Bottas who topped the timesheets through practice, Q1 and Q2 at the very first F1 race at Portimao for the Portuguese GP. Red Bull's Max Verstappen managed P3 who will be joined by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at P4 in the second row, who arguably drove the lap of the session to propel the struggling scarlet car. Sergio Perez in the Racing Point managed P5 who handily out-qualified his teammate Lance Stroll who just managed P12. Alex Albon managed a solid P6 in the Red Bull while the McLaren pair of Carlos Sainz Jr and Lando Norris managed P7 and P8 respectively.
Also Read: Toto Wolffe Is Against Converting Nordschleife For F1

Max Verstappen qualified in P3 and Alex Albon managed P6
Pierre Gasly again pulled in an impressive effort with the AlphaTauri with P9, while Daniel Ricciardo just managed P10 in the Renault after failing to run in Q3 after a crash at the end of Q2. His teammate Estaban Ocon was not far behind in P11. Daniil Kvyat in the other AlphaTauri just managed P13.

Ferrari's new update package seemingly worked as Leclerc qualified in P4
George Russell in the Williams put in a surprise performance that elevated him to P14 ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari who continued to struggle and managed just P15. Kimi Raikkonen again found himself behind his former teammate Vettel at P16 in the Alfa Romeo followed by his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi in P17.
The outgoing Haas pair of Grosjean and Magnussen managed P18 and P19 respectively, while Nicholas Latifi was the last car on the grid at P20.
Qualifying times:
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes - 1:16.652
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes - +0.102s
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull - +0.252s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari - +0.438s
5 Sergio Perez Racing Point - +0.571s
6 Alex Albon Red Bull - +0.785s
7 Carlos Sainz McLaren - +0.868s
8 Lando Norris McLaren - +0.873s
9 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri - +1.151s
10 Daniel Ricciardo Renault - no time
11 Esteban Ocon Renault - 1:17.614
12 Lance Stroll Racing Point - 1:17.626
13 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri - 1:17.728
14 George Russell Williams - 1:17.788
15 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari - 1:17.919
16 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo Racing - 1:18.201
17 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing - 1:18.322
18 Romain Grosjean Haas - 1:18.364
19 Kevin Magnussen Haas - 1:18.508
20 Nicholas Latifi Williams - 1:18.777
Latest News
car&bike Team | Mar 19, 2026Honda Plans Third Production Line At Tapukara, Capacity To Cross 20 Lakh UnitsHonda Two-wheeler India aims to grow from the current 62.5 lakh units to around 80 lakh units by 2028.1 min read
car&bike Team | Mar 19, 2026Mini Cooper S Victory Edition Launched In India At Rs 57.50 LakhSpecial edition of the Mini hatchback commemorates the brand’s 1965 Monte Carlo Rally victory.1 min read
car&bike Team | Mar 19, 2026Kia Carens Clavis EV Updated With 6-Seat Option And GT-Line, X-Line TrimsKia has updated the Carens Clavis EV with new GT-Line and X-Line trims, while introducing a 6-seat layout with captain seats across select variants.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Mar 19, 2026Mahindra Offers Buyback Option For First Batch Of BE 6 Batman Edition BuyersMahindra has introduced a limited-period buyback option for original BE 6 Batman Edition owners after backlash over a new batch affecting the model’s perceived exclusivity.1 min read
Bilal Firfiray | Mar 19, 2026BMW M2 CS Launched In India At Rs 1.66 Crore; Available In Very Limited NumbersThe most powerful M2 has landed here in India, and it will be sold in very limited numbers. With almost 530bhp on tap, the M2 CS is the most hardcore version of the M2 yet.1 min read
car&bike Team | Mar 18, 20262026 Renault Duster Hybrid Sold Out For 2026Renault has paused bookings for the Duster hybrid after it sold out for 2026, with prices set to be announced around Diwali this year.2 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Mar 10, 20262026 Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric Review: It’s Properly Good!The CLA moniker has returned but in an electric avatar. As impressive as it is, can this baby EQS become a success story?9 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Mar 9, 2026Citroen C3X Review: 3 Reasons To Buy & 3 Reasons To AvoidThe C3X, with its refined turbo-petrol engine and improved features, deserves your attention. Here’s what works, what doesn’t, and whether it’s worth your money.1 min read
Bilal Firfiray | Feb 28, 2026Tata Punch EV Facelift Review: More Range, More Sense, Less MoneyThe Tata Punch EV facelift gets a bigger 40 kWh battery, faster 60 kW DC charging, improved thermal management, and better real-world range, and all of that at a lower introductory price. But does it become a more complete package now?6 mins read
Preetam Bora | Feb 24, 2026Hero Destini 110 Review: Simplicity, RefinedThe Hero Destini 110 is a no-nonsense commuter that is simple, comfortable and above all, fuel efficient. In 2026, when buyers are spoilt for choice, is it good enough to consider?6 mins read
Preetam Bora | Feb 23, 2026TVS Apache RTX Road Test Review: Redefining the Entry-Level ADVAfter spending some time with the TVS Apache RTX in traffic, the daily commute, as well as on open highways, one thing becomes clear: the RTX is trying to redefine the entry-level ADV segment. But is it without fault?1 min read

















































































































