IMOLA: Valtteri Bottas powered to pole position for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on Saturday with the Finn's team mate and Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton locking out the front row for dominant Mercedes.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen qualified third, after a power unit scare in the second phase sent mechanics scrambling to fix his car, with AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly a stunning fourth on the grid.
Mercedes need only a fourth place finish in Sunday's race to secure a record seventh successive constructors' world championship.
The pole, with a time of one minute 13.609 seconds, was a 13th in 13 races this season for the champions.
Sunday's race will be the first grand prix at Imola since 2006, with the track returning to flesh out a calendar ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the third in Italy this season.
"This track, when you push flat out, it's beautiful. I knew I had to improve in the last lap and I found those small gains that were needed," said Bottas, who was 0.097 quicker than Hamilton.
"It's a great feeling when you get those.
"It's going to be a good fight. It's one of the longest runs in the calendar into Turn One so no doubt Lewis and Max will be chasing me, but it's a good place to start and hopefully the pace is good."
Hamilton leads Bottas by 77 points, having won eight times so far this season, and is closing on a record-equalling seventh drivers' title although he will have to wait at least until Turkey in two weeks' time for a chance to clinch it.
"Valtteri did a great job. It was a pretty poor lap from myself. These things happen, you can't always get it perfect," said Hamilton, who had been quickest after the first flying laps in phase three.
Valtteri Bottas on pole at Imola with Lewis Hamilton alongside
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Valtteri Bottas on pole at Imola with Lewis Hamilton alongside
- Bottas pips Hamilton to pole at Imola as Mercedes lock out front row
- Champions can clinch seventh constructors' title in a row
Dubai Basketball edge Milan to secure EuroLeague victory
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball strengthened their home-court reputation with a 99-92 win over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 18 of the EuroLeague at Coca-Cola Arena on Tuesday, cheered on by more than 5,000 fans.
The hosts made a fast start and immediately imposed themselves at both ends of the floor. Canadian center Mfiondu Kabengele and Serbian big man Filip Petrusev controlled the paint early, creating close-range scoring opportunities and forcing Milan into defensive adjustments. With McKinley Wright IV and Dwayne Bacon adding pace and penetration, Dubai surged into a double-digit lead and dictated the tempo of the opening quarter.
Milan struggled to settle and spent much of the first period on the back foot, as Dubai’s advantage stretched to 15 points. Although the visitors steadied themselves as the quarter progressed, the early deficit proved costly.
Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac praised the impact of the home crowd after the game, saying: “Congratulations to the fans. We were missing them for sure in the last home game, and they helped us a lot. In the first quarter, we played one of our best quarters this season. The next game is at home in three days, so there is no time to rest too much. We need to prepare for that game first. We are not thinking three games ahead — we prepare for every game and try to win every game.”
Milan showed improved rhythm in the second quarter, but Dubai responded before the break. Bacon punished defensive lapses from beyond the arc, while Kabengele finished strongly inside to help the hosts take a seven-point lead into halftime.
The final period was defined by composure rather than flair. Milan threatened to draw level on several occasions, but missed free throws and execution errors halted their momentum. Bacon sealed the outcome from the free-throw line in the final two minutes, pushing Dubai back into a double-digit advantage and closing out the contest.
Bacon led all scorers with 25 points, while Wright recorded 19 points and nine assists. Kabengele added 17 points, and Petrusev contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. For Milan, Guduric topped the scoring with 11 points, alongside seven rebounds and seven assists.
Dubai Basketball now turn their attention to the ABA League, where they remain unbeaten. The team return to Coca-Cola Arena to face Slovenia’s KRKA in Round 12 of the competition.
