F1 Eifel GP Live Updates - final practice and qualifying | Live text

By: Jake Boxall-Legge

Summary


	Bottas takes pole for the Eifel GP ahead of Mercedes team-mate Hamilton
	Verstappen best of the rest in P3 from Leclerc and Albon
	Eliminated from Q2: Vettel, Gasly, Kvyat, Giovinazzi and Magnussen
	Eliminated from Q1: Grosjean, Russell, Latifi, Raikkonen and Hulkenberg
	Hulkenberg replaces Stroll at Racing Point after Canadian feels unwell

Status: Stopped

16:22 It's normally about now that we'd be settling down for some F2 feature race action, but there's little by way of support racing action at the Nurburgring this weekend. Still, there's plenty going on elsewhere - including Rob Huff wrapping up the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship title. So make sure you're keeping tabs on Autosport.com for all the latest goings on from around the world of motorsport and join us again tomorrow for Live text commentary of the Eifel GP. Until then, so long folks!

16:21 So here's the full report from Eifel GP qualifying, as Bottas pulled out all the stops to deny Hamilton pole and give himself the best possible starting position for tomorrow's race.

F1 Eifel GP: Bottas takes pole position from Hamilton at Nurburgring

Valtteri Bottas beat Lewis Hamilton to pole in qualifying for Formula 1's Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, while Nico Hulkenberg qualified last as a last-minute replacement for Lance Stroll

16:18

Here's Mark Webber introducing himself to Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005. And they're certainly not the only ones to come a cropper at the tricky downhill braking zone on a first lap when the pack is jostling for position.

16:17 So what can we expect from the race tomorrow? Of course, there's no guarantee that the weather will play ball, but even if the grid doesn't look too different to the natural order, the limited amount of running the teams have been able to muster this weekend means there's still plenty of scope for a shake-up. And that's discounting Turn 1 from the conversation, which as anybody who has watched a race at the Nurburgring knows, can quickly put the cat amongst the pigeons.

16:15

16:09

16:08 Leclerc's P4, it should be noted, equals his best of the year so far in the Anniversary GP. A mighty effort once again from the Monegasque, with Vettel down in P11 on home turf still struggling to get the SF1000 working for him.

16:06 Behind the first two rows, Albon is joined by Ricciardo on row three after a late improvement for both Renaults, with Ocon also jumping up to seventh. Norris also managed to beat Perez's time and move himself up to eighth, with Sainz only able to muster P10 in the second McLaren.

16:05 Bottas joins some pretty strong company in the esoteric but nonetheless worthy 14 pole positions club. Alberto Ascari, James Hunt, Ronnie Peterson and Rubens Barrichello is a little gaggle most people would give their left arm to be a part of - but more importantly, Bottas has got a huge opportunity to win the Eifel GP.

16:02 The checkered flag is out, and Bottas has pole position after a poor run in Q2 - turning the tables on his team-mate to score his 14th career pole position and first since the Anniversary GP at Silverstone (coincidentally, the last time Hulkenberg was on the grid).

16:01 Verstappen is unable to improve, and is slower than Hamilton - after topping the first Q3 runs, it's only P3 for the Dutchman as Leclerc moves up into fourth place behind him, ahead of Albon by 0.012s.

16:00 Hamilton now goes quickest, but what can Bottas do? It's not enough, as Bottas darts back to the top on a 1m25.269s.

15:59 Track map shows a fair bit of bunching out of the final chicane, as the Renault pair back off to avoid being too close to the McLarens ahead.

15:58 Now Leclerc does come out as Perez returns to the pits. Doesn't look like the Mexican will be doing another run in the session, electing to do just the one run in Q3.

15:57 Speaking of which, the Renault-powered quartet now emerge for their second runs, as do the Mercedes pair and Red Bull twins, leaving only Leclerc still in the pits for the time being.

15:55 Perez now takes advantage of the empty track to move into sixth place, ahead of the Renaults and McLarens.

15:55 Perez yet to set a lap, so behind Leclerc it's Ocon sixth, Norris seventh, Sainz eighth and Ricciardo ninth.

15:54 just 0.068s the difference between Verstappen and Bottas in those first runs, but crucially all of the top three were slower than in their best Q2 laps.

15:53 Albon beats Leclerc's time and moves into fourth place, but he's half a second off his pace-setting team-mate at the moment.

15:52 There's the response from Bottas, who is 0.023s quicker than Hamilton on their first runs - but both are beaten by Verstappen, who goes top on a 1m25.744s.

15:51 Norris gets the upper-hand on Sainz in their first runs, a 1m27.325 for the Brit two tenths quicker than his team-mate.

15:50 "These used tyres are a little cool out of the blankets so good pace on this lap," McLaren engineer Tom Stallard tells Sainz.

15:48 McLaren are the keenest beans, Sainz and Norris leading Hamilton and Bottas out of the pits.

15:48 Here we go, Q3 is underway.

15:47 So who will join the Mercedes and Verstappen in the top 10 shootout? Albon for one will have a point to prove after a tough run in Russia, while both McLarens and both Renaults will hope to come out on top in the battle with Perez and Leclerc for the best-of-the-rest.

15:45

15:44 Can Bottas get in amongst their fight after his Russian GP win? He was a bit off the boil in Q2, half a second behind Hamilton in the final reckoning.

15:43 Meanwhile Verstappen did improve on his last run, but wasn't able to beat Hamilton - the Red Bull man was 0.077s adrift at the end, setting up for a tantalising fight for pole in Q3.

15:42 Giovinazzi beats Magnussen to go P14, but neither Vettel or the AlphaTauris are able to improve - so Ocon survives by the skin of his teeth.

15:40 And now Vettel is bumped himself by Leclerc, who takes fifth, ahead of Albon. Ocon is now the man on the bubble in P10 as the chequered flag comes out.

15:40 Ricciardo fires himself up to fourth, while Gasly briefly holds P10 but is bumped out by Vettel.

15:39 Hamilton, Bottas and Albon all in the pits, but Verstappen has come out again. I'd suggest he's not worried about missing out on Q3, but treating it rather as another qualifying simulation run before Q3.

15:38 Vettel has two tenths to find on Ricciardo to bump his 2014 Red Bull team-mate out of the top 10. What can the two AlphaTauris do, still currently P14-15?

15:37 Sure enough, Hamilton bumps Verstappen back to second with a 1m25.390s, as meanwhile the Ferraris and Ricciardo also take a new set of softs in an effort to secure their Q3 places.

15:36 Bottas now flies up to second, but is still 0.27s behind Verstappen. Hamilton is going purple though on his softs.

15:35

15:35 Hamilton too has come out again on softs, his 1m26.183s is 1.3s above the top-10 cut-off at the moment.

15:33 Sure enough, Bottas has come out again on a set of softs.

15:32 Shout out to Giovinazzi, who is running a giddy P12 at the moment ahead of Magnussen and both AlphaTauris, Kvyat P14 and Q3 regular Gasly in P15.

15:32 Bottas has been shuffled down to P8 and pits - he might need another run on the softs to ensure he makes it through to Q3. The Ferraris and Ricciardo face a similar problem, with Leclerc only P9, Ricciardo P10 and Vettel in P11.

F1 Eifel GP Live Updates - final practice and qualifying

Summary

F1 Eifel GP: Bottas takes pole position from Hamilton at Nurburgring

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