Lewis Hamilton "doesn't care" about pole record despite questioning FIA and F1

Hamilton, Mercedes, Turkey — Photo: © LAT Images

Turkish Grand Prix

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Hamilton "doesn't care" about pole record despite questioning FIA and F1

Hamilton was fastest in qualifying but will not be given pile in the record books

Ewan Gale

Sunday 10 October 2021 10:30

Lewis Hamilton has said he "doesn't really care" about losing a pole position from the record books after taking a 10 place grid penalty despite questioning the FIA and F1 over the rules.

The championship leader dominated qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix but despite finishing over a tenth faster than anyone else, Hamilton was not credited with his 102nd pole position.

It is the second controversy surrounding the awarding of pole this season after it was determined the winner of the sprint events would be given pole in the record books, not the fastest driver in Friday qualifying.

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Clearly in the belief pole was his, asked how it felt to have pole taken away from him, Hamilton replied: "Well, I still… I get recorded the pole, right? No? Ah, dammit."

On if the FIA and F1 needed to put their heads together and change that, he added: "I don’t really know. I mean, I got pole.

"I don’t think the penalty should affect that necessarily but I don’t really care, to be honest."

Team-mate Valtteri Bottas was the beneficiary of the penalty and has now equalled the number of pole positions achieved by fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen on 18, trailing only Mika Hakkinen in the Finnish statistics.

Bottas agreed with Hamilton's view and thought taking the recorded pole away from the fastest driver was unjust.

"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," said Bottas.

"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 the tyre [the trophy awarded by Pirelli for pole] but maybe next time it will be completely different."

Offering the tyre, given to Bottas, Hamilton said: "I signed it. You can have it."