Lewis Hamilton has earned his first pole position of his Mercedes career in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Kimi Raikkonen will start alongside him on the front row, the first time he has done so since 2008. Fernando Alonso is 3rd, while the Red Bulls had a torrid session, struggling with fuel pressures and the option tyres. Sebastian Vettel is 9th, while Mark Webber drops all the way to 22nd after running out of fuel in Q2.
Here is what happened this morning:
Q1
Q1 saw a suspiciously slow start to the session, taking almost 10 minutes for a single car to venture out on track.
This was due to the option tyre being weaker than Pirelli had predicted, and teams feared they would only be good for one or two flying laps.
Eventually the Mercedes drivers set the pace, almost half a second faster than anybody else. Felipe Massa continued his good run of form, finishing higher than teammate Alonso, while Webber and Vettel attempted to minimise the amount of time spent on track.
Jules Bianchi impressed again, running as high as 16th until the Toro Rosso’s final runs, but he was still within 0.7 seconds of Esteban Gutierrez’s Sauber.
Drivers knocked out in Q1:
17) Valtteri Bottas – 1:37.769
18) Esteban Gutierrez – 1:37.990
19) Jules Bianchi – 1:38.780
20) Max Chilton – 1:39.537
21) Charles Pic – 1:39.614
22) Giedo van der Garde – 1:39.660
Q2
The second part of qualifying saw most of the focus on Red Bull. They started the session on scrubbed option tyres, landing them 5th and 8th places initially.
But disaster struck Mark Webber, who slowed to a halt at Turn 14 with a fuel pressure problem. It later emerged that Mark’s car was underfuelled, and he will drop to the back of the grid as punishment.
After a disappointing Friday, Sergio Perez was in for more bad form today, as he exited Q2 only 12th, while his teammate easily slotted into Q3.
Daniel Ricciardo impressed with 9th place, well ahead of his teammate, and the first time he has gotten into Q3 since Bahrain 2012.
Drivers knocked out in Q2:
11) Paul di Resta – 1:36.287
12) Sergio Perez – 1:36.314
13) Adrian Sutil – 1:36.405
14) Mark Webber – 1:36.679
15) Pastor Maldonado – 1:37.139
16) Jean-Eric Vergne – 1:37.199
Q3
Again, it was a slow start to Q3, with only Sebastian Vettel venturing out on track in the opening minutes. However, he pitted soon after, indicating he was not about to set a fast lap in this session.
Nico Hulkenberg attempted the same strategy, while Jenson Button set a slow lap time on the primes to ensure he was to qualify ahead of the two Germans.
It was surprising to see two of the big names participate, but the other drivers weren’t so conservative. Kimi Raikkonen set the initial pace with a 1:34.7, but this was smashed by Hamilton by nearly 3 tenths of a second.
Nico Rosberg made a mistake in the final corner, and could only manage 4th, behind Fernando Alonso, who avoided being out-qualified by his teammate for the 5th time in a row. Romain Grosjean and Daniel Ricciardo went almost unnoticed in Q3, taking 6th and 7th respectively.
Obviously, Hamilton is in the best starting position for the win tomorrow, but he has some stiff competition breathing down his neck – Raikkonen, Alonso, Rosberg and even Vettel will also be in contention.
The use of team orders by more than one major team this weekend has left a sour taste with many F1 fans. The fanbase is divided – at Red Bull, there are those who feel Sebastian Vettel should have respected the order to hold position, and those who claim that he should race as hard as he could, regardless of the situation.
In the case of the Mercedes team orders, things are more clear-cut. Nico Rosberg passing fuel-saving Lewis Hamilton would have had no adverse affect on the team’s standing in the championship, and it was a more “pure” outcome – if they weren’t teammates, Rosberg would have passed Hamilton easily.
I fully agree with those who argue that Nico shouldn’t have been held up, and that he deserved to take the podium spot. However, the fact that he still obeyed team principal Ross Brawn shows a degree of respect within the team, something that is not apparent at Red Bull.
If another team orders debate arises at Red Bull, neither driver will think twice about ignoring such an instruction from the pit wall. This might be fun to watch, but it raises huge risks for the team, and can destroy any professional friendship between the drivers and/or their bosses. Sebastian and Mark would do well to avoid a repeat of Turkey 2010 in the future.
Whether the fans like it or not, Formula 1 is a team sport at heart, and the team should always come first. Ferrari understand this, having ironed out any hope of a rivalry between Alonso and Massa in recent years. Meanwhile, the current constructors’ champions are faced with dealing with two ego-fuelled rebels, who will now lock horns on-track at the first opportunity. It doesn’t take a genius to calculate that Ferrari’s system is more consistent and safe.
Vettel’s ignoring of his team’s instructions has unraveled any remaining friendliness between himself and Webber, that much is certain. Compare this to Rosberg’s choice, which has gained him respect within the team, and by Hamilton. If such an issue arises again, both drivers should be able to deal with it in a professional manner which benefits the team. Red Bull have no hope of this.
This isn’t about adrenaline-fueled glory runs, or brazen chest-bashing. It’s about understanding that the team is more important than the individual driver, and how sacrifices should be made for long-term benefits. If a three-time world champion can’t comprehend this, the Red Bull have a serious problem on their hands.
Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes career hasn’t gone off to the best start, as the Brit crashed out of the second test day in Jerez today.
The W04 failed to slow for the Curva Dry Sack – where Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve clashed in 1997 – and speared into the barriers, travelling as fast as 160mph before being slowed down by the gravel trap before impact.
Mercedes have confirmed that the shunt was caused by a brake failure. Hamilton had only completed 15 laps before the incident, and had only driven the new car today.
Lewis described the incident soon after:
"I just hit the brake and for a split second it was working and then the pedal
just went straight down and wouldn’t work. I don’t know, I just had to brace for
impact. This is what testing is all about, but of course we’d like to have done
several days.
It’s disappointing for all of us here in the team because everyone worked so hard
over the winter. We didn’t anticipate this but I’m glad we get it out of the way
now so we don’t have to worry about it happening in the future."
After two days of testing, Jenson Button and Romain Grosjean have topped the timesheets so far. Instead of daily reports, an article summarising the 4-day session will be put up here after its conclusion.
In the last of 4 articles, I rank the 25 drivers from the 2012 season in terms of their performances.
This final section deals with Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Raikkonen – but in which order? Let’s find out…
3rd – Kimi Raikkonen
Previous ranking: 5th
Previous quote: “Overall he has been hugely impressive, and I am tipping him as the dark horse for the 2012 title.”
While he was unable to keep up the pressure for the world title, Raikkonen did a hugely impressive job this year, establishing himself as one of the sport’s finest drivers.
Victory could have come as quickly as his third race since his return, but Kimi initially appeared rusty in racecraft. This cost him a well-deserved win, and was his only major flaw across the entire year.
If it wasn’t for his tyres falling off the cliff in China, he would have finished every single race in the points. Not spinning and making a slow recovery in Brazil would have meant that he would have completed every single racing lap in 2012. These are very impressive feats from a driver only just returning to the sport.
Kimi only got more impressive as the season progressed. He took three podiums in a row from Germany to Belgium, then a string of good finishes kept him within striking range of Alonso and Hamilton. A worthy win followed up in Abu Dhabi, but it was too late to keep him in contention for the title battle.
Raikkonen appears perfectly at home within Lotus, a team that actively encourages his laid-back behaviour. Is it a match made in heaven? I think it might just be.
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
Previous ranking: 2nd
Previous quote: “2012 has seen a new evolution in Lewis Hamilton”
Hamilton’s 2012 title challenge will go down as a failure, forgotten within only a decade or two. However, this doesn’t do justice to what was a magnificent flourish in form for Lewis.
From the offset, he was quick. He deserved wins immediately, but luck was not on his side – being passed by Button in Melbourne, Alonso and Perez in Malaysia, and crucially, a series of disastrous pit stops.
McLaren are entirely to blame for Hamilton losing the championship. Once they had sorted out their horrifically slow pit stops, the car began to fall apart. Technical failures robbed Lewis of good results in Germany, Korea, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.
Nevertheless, we were able to see how good a driver he really is. Outstanding victories in Canada, Hungary, Italy and USA were a joy to watch – when the team and car allowed him, Lewis was unstoppable. After announcing his move to Mercedes, he was freed from the shackles of a restrictive contract, and the next few seasons will show if he is legend material.
Will 2013 yield any results at Mercedes? I doubt anything will come just yet. But it will be hugely interesting to watch – if Hamilton can transform the team like Schumacher did to Ferrari, he will go down as one of the best drivers of the modern era.
1st – Fernando Alonso
Previous ranking: 1st
Previous quote: “For Alonso never to get a third title would be a tragedy.”
To put it simply, Alonso’s performances this year have been nothing short of astounding. I would even suggest that this is the best season performance we have ever seen from a Grand Prix driver.
By pre-season testing, it was already clear that the Ferrari was several seconds off the frontrunner’s pace. Yet Fernando managed to drag the car into 5th by the first race. When the opportunity arose in Malaysia, he grabbed it and never looked back. He battled tooth and nail with Pastor Maldonado in Spain, never giving up despite the Williams’ speed advantage.
At no point in 2012 did Alonso have the fastest car. Yet he managed 3 wins and another 10 podiums, more than any other driver on the grid. If it wasn’t for crashing out on the first laps of Spa and Suzuka, he could have taken 9 podium positions in a row.
His determination and raw speed throughout the season cannot be underestimated. It is something of miracle that he found himself battling Vettel until the final lap of Brazil, but he somehow pulled it off. A mere 3 points separated him from the greatest championship victory in the history of the sport.
Fernando has already said that he can never recreate this season’s performance again, and to an extent I believe him. In 9 years of watching F1, this was the closest thing to perfection I’ve ever seen.
Like the previous year, 2012 was a fantastic season for overtaking. Without further ado, let’s have a look at the best passes of the 2012 season:
10th – Sergio Perez on Lewis Hamilton, Japanese Grand Prix
Perez eliminated himself from the Suzuka race later on with an ill-judged pass on Hamilton at the same corner. But his first move was brave, albeit slightly clumsy.
The Sauber came from miles behind at the Turn 11 hairpin, threw his car into the corner, and just about made it stick.
9th – Lewis Hamilton on both Toro Rossos, Spanish Grand Prix
An overtaking article wouldn’t be complete without Lewis Hamilton. Recovering from a disastrous 2011 season, he immediately set out to prove that he is one of the finest drivers on the grid.
Arguably his best pass was on Ricciarado and Vergne in quick succession in Barcelona:
8th – Kimi Raikkonen on Nico Hulkenberg, Grand Prix of America
Nico Hulkenberg performed admirably in the second half of 2012. But he was left completely helpless when Kimi made a ruthless move around the outside in Austin.
Passes like these are very underrated – the sheer level of bravery and confidence required is unparalleled.
7th – Romain Grosjean on Lewis Hamilton, European Grand Prix
Despite the (justified) criticism of Grosjean’s antics this year, he remains a fiesty racer when the opportunity arises.
His best move of the year was this ballsy pass on Hamilton, where he refused to budge and forced the McLaren off the racing line.
6th – Fernando Alonso on Romain Grosjean, European Grand Prix
Before this season, who would have guessed that the Valencia street circuit would throw up one of the best races of 2012?
Another great pass from that race was Fernando Alonso’s incredible move around the outside of turn 1. It’s even tougher than it looks – the exit barriers of that corner close in rapidly, so even a few kp/h too many, and you’re in the wall.
5th – Kimi Raikkonen on Paul di Resta, German Grand Prix
Raikkonen spent several laps behind the Force India before he made a proper attempt to overtake. But it was well worth it.
After attempting to undercut Di Resta exiting the Spitzherhe, he dived around the outside of the following corner, and muscled his way through.
4th – Kimi Raikkonen on Michael Schumacher, Brazilian Grand Prix
Raikkonen and Schumacher were back to their old antics in Brazil. At the same corner, Raikkonen squeezed past Michael on the race of his first retirement in 2006.
This time though, it was around the outside, and not a millimetre of space was shared between the two. Just look at that photo, and that tells you everything you need to know.
3rd – Kimi Raikkonen on Michael Schumacher, Belgian Grand Prix
As you can tell, I’ve hugely enjoyed Raikkonen’s performances this year. He’s been absolutely outstanding all year – but more on that in another post.
This time, he bravely shot down the inside of Schumacher’s Mercedes entering Eau Rouge. It wasn’t as brilliant as Mark Webber’s similar move last year, but still very commendable.
2nd – Felipe Massa on Bruno Senna, Singapore Grand Prix
After a miserable start to the season, Massa picked up his game hugely.
The first sign of Felipe’s comeback was in Singapore, where an incredible slice up the inside of Bruno Senna netted him an extra place. Bonus marks go for the dramatic slide entering the corner. Awesome stuff.
1st – Nico Hulkenberg on Lewis Hamilton & Romain Grosjean, Korean Grand Prix
While the Korean Grand Prix wasn’t a standout race, it brought one of my favourite passes from one of the best upcoming drivers on the grid.
Hulkenberg has been brilliant in the final few races of 2012, and this move was icing on the cake. After waltzing past Grosjean, he proceeded to barge his way alongside Hamilton, and then shoved his way past entering the next corner. Brilliantly calculated, and fantastic to watch – a classic overtake.
To put it simply, the Brazilian Grand Prix of 2012 was one of the best races I’ve seen in my life. Aside from 2008, you couldn’t ask for a better conclusion to a fabulously entertaining season.
What make the race even more special was that it wasn’t just the two title contenders driving their hearts out. Throughout the field, we saw some astounding performances, resulting in a race that will be talked about for years to come.
Let’s have a look at the stars of Brazil 2012:
Sebastian Vettel
Couldn’t write this article without him. Punted into a spin at turn 4, his championship battle appeared to be over before it even begun.
What happened next was pure magic. Vettel blitzed through the field at an astounding pace, even with a damaged floor and exhaust. He tore his way up to an incredible 6th place after only 10 or so laps.
A mistake deciding what tyres to go onto, and then a slow pit stop, left him down in 12th as the race entered its final 20 laps. However, he again laid waste to the midfield, tearing back up to 6th to seal the title.
What was even more impressive is how he continued to push his way up the field, even when the championship was effectively decided. A true triple world champion’s performance.
Nico Hulkenberg
This was the true shock of the day. With the rain falling, a smart tyre choice helped Hulkenberg gain 25 seconds over most of the grid.
With this opportunity, he kept Button and Hamilton under massive pressure, and shocked most viewers by putting a pass on the McLaren.
Even more amazing was how he managed to pull away from the fastest cars on the grid. A small error at turn 1 ruined his chances of victory, but the subsequent penalty was too harsh in my opinion. Still, it doesn’t detract from an absolutely enthralling performance.
Felipe Massa
The fast-starting Ferraris laid waste to the Red Bulls at the start, and surprisingly were able to pull away comfortably for most of the race.
Massa’s start was particularly impressive, moving up as high as 2nd before shuffling down the order soon after. After losing a lap to the leaders after a delayed pit stop, the safety car period gave him an opportunity to fight back, and he seized it with both hands. He picked off car after car, and eventually relieved 2nd to Alonso.
His resurgence in form has been extremely impressive, and I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him fighting on equal terms with Fernando next season.
Lewis Hamilton
Again, Lewis did everything right, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
After taking his 7th pole of the year, he was all set to dominate the race, but several factors collided to take him out. The first period of rain allowed Jenson Button to briefly take the lead off the sister McLaren. A poor call for intermediate tyres dropped him down the order, but the safety car slashed a 45-second deficit, and gave him another chance to take a final win with his childhood team.
But like so many times this year, it didn’t happen. A mistake by Nico Hulkenberg took Hamilton out on the spot, and ruined what could have been a beautiful end to the McLaren-Hamilton relationship.
Kimi Raikkonen
All set to finish every single lap of the 2012 season – an incredible record – Raikkonen decided to entertain the fans watching at home instead. A true heroic performance!
Lewis Hamilton has continued his streak of winning every single United States Grand Prix he has competed in, with an excellent drive today at the Circuit of the Americas.
The McLaren driver hunted down Sebastian Vettel for the majority of the race, then had to hold him off in a tense final few laps. Fernando Alonso did all he could to minimize his championship losses, but was half a minute behind in 3rd place.
At the start, all the even-numbered starters slided down the field, with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen losing out in particular. Alonso leaped up to 4th place, while Jenson Button couldn’t get his hard tyres up to temperature, falling to 16th.
As is the case these days, Michael Schumacher began to slip away, causing a large train of cars to form from 8th all the way down to 15th. Hamilton quickly recovered from his disappointing start, dispatching of Mark Webber for 2nd place.
As Michael slipped down the order, Button began his recovery drive, his prime tyres proving to be particularly effective once they were up to temperature. Up front, Hamilton began to close on Vettel, but was unable to get close enough to make a move just yet. Red Bull’s reliability fears were proved, as teammate Webber pulled over with an alternator failure on Lap 17.
This elevated Alonso to 3rd, which he immediately lost after a slow pit stop. Kimi Raikkonen opted to stay out while the frontrunners pitted, and spent several laps just behind Sebastian before stopping. However, a similar mistake with the right rear tyre resulted in the Lotus falling behind the Ferrari.
Felipe Massa’s gearbox penalty seriously disadvantaged the Brazilian, but he shrugged it off, and pulled off an impressive performance to pull himself back into contention. By the end of the pit stops, he was able to reel in and put a move on Raikkonen, who was not as fast initially on a new set of rubber.
On a completely different strategy to everyone else, Jenson Button stayed out until Lap 36, pulling out a string of impressive – and fastest – laps to rejoin the race behind the Raikkonen/Massa fight.
Nico Hulkenberg – who was the subject of an epic pass by Raikkonen earlier – had made it as high as 5th in the opening stages, but the Force India proved to be uncompetitive in race trim, and lost another place to the other Lotus of Romain Grosjean.
After a brief lull in activity at the front after the stops, Hamilton again got up close behind Vettel. Lap after lap he tried to get close using DRS, but the gap to the Red Bull was just too big. However, an opportunity arose when Narain Karthikeyan’s HRT held up Vettel in the first sector, and Hamilton wasted no time in punishing Sebastian’s misfortune. Once he got past, he did his best to pull out a gap.
Further back, the two Williams drivers began to tussle, with both drivers’ contracts on the line for 2013. Bruno Senna had got up as far as 9th, but an ambitious pass by Pastor Maldonado relegated him to the final points-scoring position.
Although Lewis had done his best to pull away from Sebastian, the Red Bull’s pace proved to be undeniable. Vettel was able to reduce the gap to around a second in the final few laps, and chased Hamilton all the way to the flag in an extremely tense finish.
Alonso was over half a minute off the battling duo, but later stated that his podium finish felt as good as a win. Felipe Massa was able to find his way past Raikkonen and Button to take an excellent 4th position. After a decent grid position, race day was a disaster for Michael Schumacher, falling all the way to 16th.
The most important piece of news from this race is that the title fight will go on to Brazil. Vettel now has a 13-point lead over Alonso, while at the same time Red Bull have clinched the constructor’s championship with one race to spare.
Lewis Hamilton has taken his first pole position in Abu Dhabi since the Singapore Grand Prix. The McLaren driver was miles ahead of anyone else, taking pole by over 0.3 seconds ahead of Mark Webber.
Sebastian Vettel was disappointed with 3rd, but Fernando Alonso was even angrier with 7th position. Here is what happened:
Q1
Pastor Maldonado was the first driver to set a 1:42, while the Lotuses could only manage 1:43s.
Fernando Alonso was out on track early, but could only pip Maldonado’s time. Jenson Button could only take 3rd place, even when most frontrunners hadn’t left the pits yet. Surprisingly, Maldonado set another good lap time, retaking the fastest time by 0.2 tenths.
Lewis Hamilton had a momumental lock-up on his first flying lap, ruining his front right tyre. Alonso retook the lead, until Lewis’ next attempt slashed the top time by 0.6 seconds.
Sebastian Vettel typically left his laps until late, but scraped the barrier on his first lap, causing a huge array of sparks to come out of his right rear tyre. His next lap left him 5th, while Mark Webber took 2nd.
Jean-Eric Vergne had a huge spin while lying 18th, which sealed his exit from Q1. Charles Pic impressed his team by splitting the Caterhams.
Drivers knocked out of Q1:
18) Jean-Eric Vergne – 1:44.048
19) Heikki Kovalainen – 1:44.956
20) Charles Pic – 1:45.089
21) Vitaly Petrov – 1:45.151
22) Timo Glock – 1:45.426
23) Pedro de la Rosa – 1:45.766
24) Narain Karthikeyan – 1:46.382
Q2
Again, Maldonado impressed right away in Q2, setting a 1:41.9 to take top spot in the early parts of Q2, until he was displaced by both Lotus drivers.
Following a dominative lap in Q1, Hamilton again went fastest in Q2. Vettel’s first lap was aborted, after he took too much kerb on the exit of a corner.
On his next lap, he took 2nd place, while teammate Webber pipped Hamilton’s time by just under a tenth of a second. However, that didn’t last long, as Lewis immediately responded with a 1:40.901.
It appeared as if Mercedes were going to have another embarassing exit from Q2, but Nico Rosberg pulled off a good lap to put himself 7th. After their impressive showing in Friday practice, Force India could only manage 11th and 13th.
Drivers knocked out of Q2:
11) Nico Hulkenberg – 1:42.019
12) Sergio Perez – 1:42.084
13) Paul di Resta – 1:42.218
14) Michael Schumacher – 1:42.289
15) Bruno Senna – 1:42.330
16) Kamui Kobayashi – 1:42.606
17) Daniel Ricciardo – 1:42.765
Q3
Kimi Raikkonen was the first out of the pits, his Lotus sparking heavily as he undertook his first lap. A 1:41.756 set the benchmark, which was quickly annihilated by Alonso, Rosberg, Hamilton, Button and Webber.
Sebastian Vettel took 2nd, but was almost half a second away from the charging Hamilton. A lock-up for Felipe Massa put him out of contention, with the second Ferrari only taking 6th place.
After good showings in Q1 and Q2, Pastor Maldonado was able to split the Red Bulls, taking 3rd position. After Mark Webber displaced the Williams and his teammate, Vettel was unable to improve, finishing in 3rd. He pulled over at the end of the session, indicating a car problem.
Fernando Alonso struggled on his final lap, and was knocked all the way down to 7th place by Button and Raikkonen.
Hamilton was left unchallenged to pole, and was absolutely ecstatic as he aborted his final lap. The championship battle has taken another twist, with both Vettel and Alonso further back than they would have wanted.
In a move which has taken place amongst immense speculation in the past few weeks, Mercedes have finally confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the squad in 2013.
Hamilton, being the key to the 2013 driver market, has been under huge pressure to announce his future for some time now. It is believed that his move to Mercedes will allow him and his management team to enhance and market the Hamilton brand around the world.
This new 3-year deal will partner Lewis with his former karting teammate Nico Rosberg. The two shared a podium at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix for the first time since their childhood racing days.
Hamilton today said:
"It is now time for me to take on a fresh challenge and I am very excited to begin
a new chapter racing for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Mercedes-Benz
has such an incredible heritage in motorsport, along with a passion for winning which
I share.
Together, we can grow and rise to this new challenge. I believe that I can help steer
the Silver Arrows to the top and achieve our joint ambitions of winning the world
championships."
Team principal Ross Brawn was extremely cagey when he talked about Michael Schumacher’s future:
"On behalf of Mercedes AMG Petronas, I would first of all like to thank Michael
Schumacher for the important contribution he has made to the growth of our team
over the past three seasons.
His energy and commitment have never wavered, even when results have not matched
our own expectations, and we are determined to finish the 2012 season together on
a high. As always, it has been a pleasure to work with Michael."
Mercedes have also announced that former world champion Niki Lauda will join the team as a non-executive chairman on the board of directors.
Lewis Hamilton has taken his fifth pole position of the year at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Hamilton comfortably led both Q2 and Q3, while Sebastian Vettel was unable to maintain his pace from the practice session. Pastor Maldonado impressed hugely with second, while championship leader Fernando Alonso is down in 5th.
Q1
As expected, the huge gap between the softs and super-softs caught out a few drivers. The Lotuses were both forced to expend a set of options in order to secure their place in Q2.
After hitting the wall in Friday practice, Bruno Senna again clipped the barriers, but got away with it, taking 17th.
Fastest laps were exchanged between Vettel and Hamilton, before Grosjean topped the timesheets on the super-softs.
Further back, Kamui Kobayashi was knocked out of Q1 for the first time this year.
Drivers knocked out of Q1:
18) Kamui Kobayashi – 1:49.933
19) Vitaly Petrov – 1:50.846
20) Heikki Kovalainen – 1:51.137
21) Timo Glock – 1:51.370
22) Charles Pic – 1:51.762
23) Pedro de la Rosa – 1:52.372
24) Narain Karthikeyan – 1:53.355
Q2
Again, Senna was involved in an incident with the walls – and didn’t get away with it this time. The Williams driver smashed his rear suspension at turn 21, and was out of Q2.
Romain Grosjean also spun and hit the barriers, but was able to continue after checks.
Again, the battle up front was between Vettel and Hamilton, with Lewis winning out by a tenth of a second.
The last-gasp scramble saw Nico Hulkenberg, Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez all eliminated, while Michael Schumacher just pipped his way into the final qualifying session.
Drivers knocked out of Q2:
11) Nico Hulkenberg – 1:47.975
12) Kimi Raikkonen – 1:48.261
13) Felipe Massa – 1:48.344
14) Sergio Perez – 1:48.505
15) Daniel Ricciardo – 1:48.774
16) Jean-Eric Vergne – 1:48.849
17) Bruno Senna – N/A
Q3
Most cars exited the pits at the start of Q3, but only Hamilton, Vettel and Button actually set laps.
The Mercedes drivers made a brief appearance, but soon dived into the pits, indicating that they would be starting on the prime tyre.
Vettel’s next attempt was able to put him past one McLaren, but a 1:46.362 from Hamilton put him well ahead of the Red Bull. Sebastian was further surprised, when Pastor Maldonado put in an excellent lap to put him second on the grid.
Fernando Alonso was never on the frontrunners’ pace, and lined up 5th. The same went for Mark Webber, who starts a disappointing 7th, behind Paul di Resta.
With only a slight improvement from Vettel in the dying seconds, it was an easy pole position for Lewis Hamilton – even if he clipped the wall on his final attempt.
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