Hamilton wants to beat Verstappen: 'A lot of points lost this year'

Lewis Hamilton looked set to grab pole position during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, but Valtteri Bottas was just a fraction faster. The British driver was happy for his teammate, however.

"Especially with the news that came out earlier this week, it's great to see Valtteri driving so well," Hamilton said in the press release. "For my part, I had a bit of trouble in that last session for some reason, so not the best qualifying for me. But overall we were all close and I'm happy that the team occupied the front row."

Hamilton realises, however, that he is not there yet. "We need to get off to a good start tomorrow and try to maximise our chances. A lot of points have been lost this year, so every point really counts and we need to try and capitalise during this sprint race weekend. The format is exciting and it's great to see the Italian fans back. I hope we can give them a good show."

For now, Hamilton is three points behind Max Verstappen in the world championship. However, the British driver needs just one win to regain the lead.