Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on pole position for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on Saturday with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez joining the seven-time Formula One world champion on the front row.

Perez’s Dutch teammate Max Verstappen qualified third, ending his bid for three poles in a row, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc a strong fourth on a home track for the Italian team.

The pole was a record-extending 99th of Hamilton’s extraordinary career, and it was one the 36-year-old Briton had to work for against resurgent rivals, with Mexican Perez only 0.035 slower.