Lewis Hamilton gains 70th pole

Briton’s Lewis Hamilton has gained his seventieth pole position in Formula One, driving for Mercedes in Malaysia.

He’d been sixth on Friday and only fifth in Saturday’s final practice but he put in the lap that mattered after engine problems sidelined Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton’s now 28 points clear of Vettel with six races to go, and he’s been in pole position for four years in a row in Malaysia.

That’s five times in total – equalling Michael Schumacher’s record at the circuit.

Although Hamilton pipped Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen to pole, his Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas will start only fifth on the grid.

Vettel from Germany will now start at the back of the field.