Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Valtteri Bottas are all of the opinion that Formula One should change the way pole position is granted in certain circumstances.
Hamilton’s performance of 1:22.868 in Q3 at Istanbul Park last time out was a tenth faster than teammate Bottas’, but with a ten-place grid penalty to account for after a new ICE was put to his W12, the Finn inherited the P1 spot and pole position reward.
This resulted in a fascinating debate between the two drivers, as well as Verstappen, who was third fastest ahead of the lights out on Sunday in Turkey.
LH: Well, I still… I get recorded the pole, right? No? Ah, dammit.
VB: Do I get the pole?
LH: So he gets the pole.
MV: I just don’t get that!
VB: So you need to give the tyre to me.
LH: You can have the tyre. I don’t know where they go.
MV: Lewis has a few spare.
VB: I don’t think it’s fair though.
LH: No, it’s alright.
VB: Even though it was my best pole.
MV: Lewis is going to start his own tyre factory.
Later, the trio was asked about the issue of pole position, which has been complicated even more by the presence of 3 sprint races, with pole position going to the winner of the Saturday sprint rather than the fastest driver in the conventional qualifying format, which has been moved to Fridays.
Hamilton stated that while he does not “really care” about the pole position issue, he believes that grid penalties should not have an impact on some Formula One statistics.
“I got pole,” Hamilton said. “I don’t think the penalty should affect that, necessarily but I don’t really care, to be honest.
Bottas added: “I think on the sprint weekends, definitely, the fast man in qualifying should be handed the official pole award and pole position for records and also in a situation like this, Lewis had the fastest single lap.
“He was technically on pole but then after he is dropped so I don’t think it’s really fair but obviously I will happily still take that tyre – but maybe next time it will be completely different.
“Yeah, similar comment,” Verstappen concluded. “The guy who does the fastest lap should deserve pole position.”
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