Stroll ends Mercedes' streak with shock pole in Turkish F1 Grand Prix

Canadian Lance Stroll has celebrated an astonishing first Formula One pole position for Racing Point in a crazy weather-hit Turkish Grand Prix qualifying.

The 22-year-old Racing Point driver's shock result on the slippery surface ended a run of 14 successive poles for dominant champions Mercedes dating back to last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mercedes never looked in contention while Stroll, whose father Lawrence owns the team, stepped up when it mattered as Racing Point made the right call to switch from wet to intermediate tyres.

Stroll, who has come back from missing a race and testing positive for Covid-19, will be the first Canadian to start on pole since 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

"I can't put it into words right now. I'm shocked. I didn't expect to be here," said Stroll, who greeted his pole with shouts of 'let's go, let's go' over the team radio.

"I had the confidence in the car and I just nailed pretty much every corner. It's such a nice way to bounce back after a few rough weeks, so it feels really good.

"It's a special moment for me, one of the biggest highlights of my career."

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Red Bull's Max Verstappen joined Stroll on the front row, a disappointment for the Dutchman after topping the time sheets in every practice session even if the Friday lap times were largely irrelevant.

"When you are first all the time and come out second it's not what you want to do. I just hope we have a good race tomorrow," he said.

Racing Point's Mexican Sergio Perez qualified third, dropping back after taking provisional pole on the intermediate tyres before Stroll's flying lap.

Six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth for a race that looks set to seal his seventh title, with team mate and sole title rival Valtteri Bottas ninth.

Bottas must score at least eight points more than Hamilton to remain in mathematical contention with three races remaining after Sunday.

If his chances of doing that appeared to have receded, the slippery conditions caused by the rain and newly-laid asphalt left plenty of uncertainty hanging over Sunday with neither Mercedes driver looking comfortable on track.

Hamilton, seeking to seal his record-equalling seventh drivers’ world title, ventured out for a couple of exploratory laps in his Mercedes, but without clocking a time.

"No grip out here at all, it’s shocking," he said.

"It's like ice driving, which I did in the winter," said Russian Daniil Kvyat after slithering and drifting across the glistening surface in his Alpha Tauri.

He was one of the few drivers laughing in conditions that may delay or even postpone qualifying later on Saturday.

'Low grip conditions'

After Friday’s ‘ice rink’ conditions, the drivers had colder weather and rain to add to their challenge as third practice began. A message from Race Control confirmed it was official: ‘Low Grip Conditions’, it stated.

Out on track, the spinning began almost immediately.

By the half-hour mark, the heavy rain had persuaded everyone to retreat to the pits.

With 20 minutes remaining, there was little prospect of further action – everyone being aware that one error in the rain could ruin their prospects for qualifying and use up sets of the limited supply of full-wet tyres.

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