Lewis Hamilton beaten to Eifel Grand Prix pole by Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas seized pole position with a last lap blast at the Eifel Grand Prix on Saturday as Mercedes team mate and Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton joined him on the front row at the Nuerburgring.

Red Bull`s Max Verstappen, who had been on provisional pole after the first flying laps of the final session at the German circuit, qualified in third place with Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc fourth.

Bottas`s pole was his third of 2020 and an 11th in 11 races this season for Mercedes but it looked in the balance right to the end, when the Finn pulled out a big effort to beat Hamilton by 0.256.

"It`s such a nice feeling when you get it on the last lap, with the last chance," said Bottas after celebrating his 14th career pole.

"The last lap in qualifying three was spot on, just what I needed. It was nice to get it together."

The Finn is 44 points behind six times world champion Hamilton, who will still fancy his chances of equalling Michael Schumacher`s all-time record 91 career wins on Sunday at a track that last hosted an F1 race in 2013. Both drivers will start on the soft tyres.

"He`s two tenths ahead, he did a great job so congrats to him," said the Briton, who like everyone else had only one practice session to set up the car after Friday`s track action was wiped out by bad weather.

"Going around behind the safety car in these conditions is going to be tough," said Hamilton of the low temperatures and the problems of getting heat into the tyres.

"There`s a lot to play for tomorrow so I need to get my head down."

Verstappen said his car had started understeering just at the key moment.

"When it`s so cold, when you`re understeering you`re graining the front tyres so basically eating up the rubber which cost me a bit of lap time," said the Dutch 23-year-old.

"We`re getting closer towards Mercedes which I think is very positive."

Red Bull`s Alexander Albon qualified fifth, with Renault team mates Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon sixth and seventh respectively.

Britain`s Lando Norris will line up eighth for McLaren, with team mate Carlos Sainz 10th and Sergio Perez in between for Racing Point.

German super-sub Nico Hulkenberg, called in as a late replacement for the unwell Lance Stroll at Racing Point, will line up last on the grid.

One place ahead of him, in 19th, will be Alfa Romeo`s Kimi Raikkonen, making a record 323rd start -- one more than retired Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.