Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), the drivers’ championship leader with a 19-point lead over Hamilton, will accompany him on the front row.
The starting positions for Sunday’s Grand Prix will be determined from the results of Saturday’s qualification.
Hamilton’s position in the sprint will be vital to counteract a five-seater penalty for Sunday’s start, imposed by a new engine change that exceeds the authorized quota per season.
The Brazilian GP is the third and last this season (after Great Britain in July and Italy in September) to offer the sprint race format, a 30-minute or 24-lap competition that also spreads from three to one point.
In the absence of four dates to go, for Hamilton, the fastest in practice this Friday, winning the qualifying run would mean reducing the distance with his greatest rival, who has won the last two Grand Prix (United States and Mexico).
The teammates of Hamilton and Verstappen in Mercedes and Red Bull, the Finn Valtteri Bottas and the Mexican Sergio “Checo” Pérez, will start on the second row.
A penalty at a crucial moment
Hamilton received a penalty of five places for the grid of the Brazilian Grand Prix as a result of the change of the internal combustion engine in its Mercedes, as confirmed by the official website of the Formula 1.
The sevenfold world champion will fight to, in the best of cases, obtain the sixth position in Sunday’s race although he will be able to argue with the Dutchman Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver and championship leader, first place in tomorrow’s sprint that distributes points.
The decision of the Mercedes team occurs when Hamilton (293.5) is second to 19 units behind Verstappen (312.5) with four dates remaining for the end of the tournament. Last October, the English pilot received a penalty of ten places for another change in the internal combustion engine.
In the first free practice of the day, Hamilton finished first with a time of 1: 09.050 and edged Verstappen (+0.367). The Mexican Sergio “Checo” Pérez finished third (+0.442), the Finn Valteri Bottas (Mercedes) in the fourth position (+0.517) and the French Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), in the fifth place (+0.830).
The Brazilian Grand Prix will take place at the Interlagos racetrack with a new format: Friday qualifying, sprint qualifying race for Saturday and traditional race for Sunday.
Source From: Ambito
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