#F1 @LewisHamilton Takes Masterful Pole 2.2 Sec Faster than ’15 @PirelliSport #ItalianGP

LEWIS HAMILTON CLAIMS POLE POSITION: 2.2 SECONDS FASTER
THAN 2015 POLE, USING P ZERO SUPERSOFT TYRES

AS IN BELGIUM, SOFT TYRES CHOSEN IN Q2 BY MERCEDES DRIVERS,
WHO WILL START THE RACE ON THIS COMPOUND

Monza, September 3, 2016 – Temperatures remained warm in qualifying for the Italian grand prix, with track temperatures of 44 degrees centigrade and 31 degrees ambient as the session got underway at the ‘Temple of Speed’.

In the past, strategy has tended to focus on a one-stopper for the Italian Grand Prix, but the introduction of the supersoft tyre for the first time – with three compounds now nominated for each race – could bring in a new variable with a two-stopper chosen by some drivers.

For the last six years, the driver starting from pole position has won at Monza, making qualifying absolutely crucial. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton took pole, as he did last year (when he claimed a grand slam with fastest lap and race victory too) using the supersoft tyre smashing the 2015 pole time by around 2.2 seconds.

Ferrari was the only team to get through Q1 using the soft tyres only, where Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen placed third and fifth compared to their supersoft-equipped rivals.

In Q2, both Mercedes drivers were the only ones to get through with the soft tyres only (although Red Bull also tried, before switching to supersoft) – meaning that this is the compound that they will start on tomorrow.

The Q3 battle was run entirely on the supersoft, with Hamilton setting his pole time of 1m21.135s during his second run right at the end of the session, ahead of team mate Nico Rosberg.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “Track temperatures were about the same than we saw yesterday for free practice, with strategy already at the forefront from the start of qualifying. In Q2 the Mercedes drivers were the only ones to get through on the soft tyres only. Both saved a set of supersoft, while the Mercedes drivers will be the only ones in the top 10 to be starting the race tomorrow on the more durable soft tyre – from the first two places on the grid. So it remains to be seen whether or not this will affect their thinking on strategy tomorrow. With both one or two stops possible, the tactics for the grand prix will be extremely interesting.”

 

Free practice 3 – top three times

Hamilton	1m22.008s	Supersoft New
Rosberg	1m22.401s	Supersoft New
Vettel	1m22.946s	Supersoft New

Qualifying top 10

Hamilton	1m21.135s	Supersoft New
Rosberg	1m21.613s	Supersoft New
Vettel	1m21.972s	Supersoft New
Raikkonen	1m22.065s	Supersoft New
Bottas	1m22.388s	Supersoft New
Ricciardo	1m22.389s	Supersoft New
Verstappen	1m22.411s	Supersoft New
Perez	1m22.814s	Supersoft New
Hulkenberg	1m22.836s	Supersoft New
Gutierrez	1m23.184s	Supersoft New

Most laps by compound so far

Medium	Rosberg	23 laps
Soft	Vettel	27 laps
Supersoft	Gutierrez	22 laps
Supersoft	Raikkonen	22 laps
Prototype	Massa	11 laps

Best time by compound so far

Medium	Rosberg	1m24.569s
Soft	Hamilton	1m21.498s
Supersoft	Hamilton	1m21.135s
Prototype	Hamilton	1m24.123s

How the tyres behaved today:

Medium: Not used in qualifying but likely to be an essential part of any one-stop plan.
Soft: Only used by Ferrari in Q1, then also used by others in Q2 as the race start tyre.
Supersoft: Pole tyre, but only a relatively small speed advantage here compared to soft.