MONZA: Lewis Hamilton drew level with legendary racing drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Ayrton Senna in the record books on Saturday when he flew to pole ahead of Nico Rosberg for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
The championship leader and defending three-time champion clocked a best lap time of one minute and 21.135 seconds to outpace the German by nearly half a second.
The ‘silver arrows’ dominated the session to finish comfortably ahead of the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
“I was right in the sweet spot today and I was able to get an exceptional lap time out of it,” said Hamilton. “What this team has achieved in phenomenal.”
It was Hamilton’s third successive pole at the Italian event and his fifth in all at Monza, a feat that equalled those of Argentine Fangio and Brazilian Senna.
It was also the 56th pole of Hamilton’s career.
Senna was the last man to achieve a hat-trick of Italy poles.
Hamilton and Rosberg’s front row lockout was Mercedes’ 41st and enabled them to equal the record of dominance set by Red Bull pairing Vettel and Mark Webber in their heyday.
{{/usCountry}}Hamilton and Rosberg’s front row lockout was Mercedes’ 41st and enabled them to equal the record of dominance set by Red Bull pairing Vettel and Mark Webber in their heyday.
{{/usCountry}}Hamilton will be bidding on Sunday to register a hat-trick of Italian wins with his 50th career victory to enlarge his nine points lead in the title race ahead of Rosberg.
His pole made a pleasant change from last weekend’s grid when Hamilton started last in Belgium after penalties, charging through the pack at Spa-Francorchamps to claim third.
Valtteri Bottas was fifth for Williams ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo and his Red Bull team-mate, Dutch teenager Max Verstappen.
Sergio Perez was eighth ahead of his Force India team-mate Nico Hulkenberg with Esteban Gutierrez taking 10th for Haas.