Sebastian Vettel storms to sensational pole amid Ferrari dismay at Monza
Sebastian Vettel has stormed to his 40th pole position in sensational fashion at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, amid a dismal performance from Ferrari after the Scuderia strove to perfect their synchronized slipstreaming. The German will start tomorrow’s race alongside team-mate Mark Webber with Nico Hulkenberg 3rd.
In stark contrast to last time out at the Belgian Grand Prix, the all-important qualifying hour around the Autodromo di Monza began in glorious sunshine. As the opening segment of qualifying began, Esteban Gutierrez became the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was quickly followed out by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg. Naturally Esteban Gutierrez managed to produce the initial benchmark with a 01:26.293, before the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg immediately obliterated the Mexican’s reign with a 01:25.276.
As the opening segment progressed, the times at the top continued to tumble as the likes of Jean-Eric Vergne and Fernando Alonso rose to the top with the latter producing a 01:24.938 for the Scuderia. However, the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne was quick to return to the top with a 01:24.630 as the Faenza-based outfit continued to impress on home soil. However, their reign was soon brought to a conclusion in the form of Lewis Hamilton and then Sebastian Vettel, with the latter rising to the top with a 01:24.319 behind the wheel of his RB9.
Whilst the familiar faces gradually rose to the top, the equally familiar faces were eventually eliminated from proceedings as the opening segment of qualifying drew to a conclusion. Former GP3 Champions Esteban Gutierrez and Valtteri Bottas were joined by Giedo van der Garde, Charles Pic, Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton at the back of the grid.
The second segment of qualifying saw Daniel Ricciardo become the first driver to take to the track and eventually produce the first timed lap, with the future Red Bull driver setting a 01:24.746. His initial benchmark was soon thwarted by the Ferrari duo of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, as they stormed through a cloud of dust kicked up by the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton who ran extensively wide at the final corner. This mistake from the 2008 World Champion saw him limp back to the pits for a new set of Pirelli tyres, before he returned to the track in a bid to progress out of the drop zone.
As the Mercedes ace struggled to produce a competitive lap time, reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel flew back to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:23.977. Further down the order both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton were eliminated from proceedings, drawing to a conclusion a dismal display from the former Champions. Despite Hamilton’s mistake at the final corner several laps earlier, replays showed Adrian Sutil blocking the Briton on not one but two separate occasions. This led to a stewards investigation, yet failed to raise the mood within the Mercedes garage.
After the frenetic proceedings of the second segment of qualifying, both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton were joined by Romain Grosjean, Adrian Sutil, Pastor Maldonado and Paul di Resta, in what was considered an incredibly competitive midfield.
Without any further ado, the all-important top-ten shootout began with the remaining Mercedes of Nico Rosberg taking to the Autodromo di Monza first, as the Ferrari duo filed out onto the track in unison with intentions of mastering their now annual feat of synchronized slipstreaming. During his first timed lap, Nico Rosberg could only manage a dismal 01:28.332, which was instantly thwarted by the Red Bull of Mark Webber with a 01:23.990. Despite the competitive lap time from the Australian driver, team-mate Sebastian Vettel eased to the top with a 01:23.859, practically cementing his position at the top.
In traditional top ten shootout fashion the majority of the drivers’ returned to the pits for new tyres, before then returning to the track for the final set of all-important timed laps. Mark Webber produced the fastest middle sector on his final lap, but lost copious amounts of time in the final sector as Jean-Eric Vergne ran extensively wide at the final corner and kicked up a huge plume of dust into the oncoming drivers’ faces. Sebastian Vettel, however, was undeterred as he improved once again with a 01:23.755 to secure his 40th career pole.
As the rest of the field completed their final laps Nico Hulkenberg amazed many by storming into 3rd position for Sauber, their best qualifying result since last season’s Japanese Grand Prix. The Ferrari duo were unable to perfect their synchronized slipstreaming, as Felipe Massa amazingly managed to out-qualify team-mate Fernando Alonso in 4th.
With the threat of rain lingering over tomorrow’s 53-lap race, Sebastian Vettel could well find his road to victory slightly trickier than expected. However, the German won his first ever race in extremely treacherous weather conditions at the same circuit in a Toro Rosso back in 2008, and will surely be confident whatever the weather come race day.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m23.755s 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m23.968s +0.213s 3. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.065s +0.310s 4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.132s +0.377s 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.142s +0.387s 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m24.192s +0.437s 7. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.209s +0.454s 8. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.502s +0.747s 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.515s +0.760s 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.050s +4.295s Q2 cut-off time: 1m24.776s Gap ** 11. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m24.610s +0.633s 12. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m24.803s +0.826s 13. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m24.848s +0.871s 14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m24.932s +0.955s 15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m25.011s +1.034s 16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m25.077s +1.100s Q1 cut-off time: 1m25.030s Gap * 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.226s +0.907s 18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m25.291s +0.972s 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m26.406s +2.087s 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m26.563s +2.244s 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.085s +2.766s 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.480s +3.161s
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Lewis Hamilton denies Sebastian Vettel pole in thrilling qualifying at Budapest
Lewis Hamilton has denied Sebastian Vettel the luxury of securing pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, after a thrilling qualifying session around the Hungaroring which saw the Briton eventually secure his third successive pole for Mercedes. The second row will consist of Romain Grosjean and Nico Rosberg.
The all-important qualifying hour got underway in intense summer heat around the Hungaroring, with Esteban Gutierrez unsurprisingly becoming the first driver to take to the track after recovering from his earlier engine woes and subsequent engine change. The Mexican rookie proceeded to produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:23.998, as the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg completed an installation lap reminiscent of the earlier practice sessions.
As the majority of the front runners remained in the cool confines of the pit-lane, Paul di Resta stormed to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:23.484, before the Williams of Valtteri Bottas obliterated the opposition with a 01:21.532. Daniel Ricciardo soon lowered the benchmark even further, with the majority of the drivers still opting to remain in the pits. Eventually Fernando Alonso stormed to the top for Ferrari with a 01:20.652, before Romain Grosjean continued to impress many up and down the paddock with a 01:20.447. Sergio Perez finally managed to take to the circuit, with his McLaren mechanics masterfully repairing his car in time to produce a lap after his earlier incident.
The Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton rose the German marque to the top as the opening segment drew to a close, with the former producing a 01:20.350 ahead of his British team-mate. Further down the order the usual Q1 freneticism ensued, with Esteban Gutierrez, Paul di Resta, Charles Pic, Giedo van der Garde, Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton eventually being eliminated from proceedings.
Kimi Raikkonen became the first driver to take to the track as Q2 got underway, with the Finn eventually producing the first timed lap in the process with a 01:20.987. Mark Webber’s severe lack of pace in relation to team-mate Sebastian Vettel was confirmed as a KERS-related issue on his RB9, as Romain Grosjean returned to the top with a 01:20.442 with Adrian Sutil 2nd. Lewis Hamilton continued to lower the benchmark as the session progressed with a 01:20.303, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finally asserted his authority over proceedings with a sensational 01:19.992.
Despite the German’s sudden surge of pace, the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton continued to deny the Red Bull driver at the top with the former producing a terrific 01:19.778, in what was shaping up to be a thrilling top ten shootout. Although McLaren had visibly improved throughout practice earlier in the weekend, Jenson Button still failed to progress to the top ten shootout. The 2009 World Champion was joined by Adrian Sutil, Nico Hulkenberg, Jean-Eric Vergne, Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas in elimination after Q2.
Once again the stage was set for a climactic conclusion to qualifying ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Red Bull’s authority clearly being questioned by the likes of Mercedes and Lotus. Mark Webber became the first driver to take to the track as the final ten minutes got underway, and was followed out by potential 2014 replacement Daniel Ricciardo. The duo proceeded to return to the pits after only completing installation laps, as Sergio Perez and then Kimi Raikkonen rose to the top for their respective outfits. Mercedes then showed their hand with at the top, as Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton rose to the top with the latter producing a 01:20.324.
However, Sebastian Vettel blitzed the opposition on new soft Pirelli tyres, with the German producing a 01:19.506 to propel himself into provisional pole position. In traditional top ten shootout fashion the entire field gradually returned to the pits for new tyres, before then reconvening the battle for supremacy. Mark Webber was the only driver left in the pits as the field retook to the circuit, with the Australian ace succumbing to his ongoing KERS issue on his RB9.
As the checkered flag emerged the times up and down the order were set, with Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg and Romain Grosjean each rising into 2nd position and failing to question Sebastian Vettel’s dominance. Lewis Hamilton then rounded the final corner and utterly obliterated the German’s benchmark with a 01:19.338, securing his hat-trick of pole positions for the German marque.
Despite the 2008 World Champion’s impressive qualifying performance, it is well known within the paddock that Mercedes’s race pace could well prove to be their achilles-heel during tomorrow’s 70-lap race. Sebastian Vettel will be aiming to produce a start reminiscent of Germany last time out, when he stormed into a commanding lead at Turn 1. However, the Lotus of Romain Grosjean will be eager to pick up the pieces of any shenanigans into Turn 1, in what will surely be another thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m19.388s 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m19.426s +0.038s 3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m19.595s +0.207s 4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m19.720s +0.332s 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m19.791s +0.403s 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m19.851s +0.463s 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.929s +0.541s 8. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m20.641s +1.253s 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.398s +3.010s 10. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault no time set Q2 cut-off time: 1m20.545s Gap ** 11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m20.569s +0.791s 12. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m20.580s +0.802s 13. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m20.777s +0.999s 14. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m21.029s +1.251s 15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m21.133s +1.355s 16. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m21.219s +1.441s Q1 cut-off time: 1m21.612s Gap * 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m21.724s +1.374s 18. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m22.043s +1.693s 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m23.007s +2.657s 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m23.333s +2.983s 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m23.787s +3.437s 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m23.997s +3.647s 107% time: 1m25.974s
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Lewis Hamilton Secures First Mercedes Pole In Germany Since 1954
Lewis Hamilton has stormed to his 29th career pole and the first for Mercedes on home soil since 1954, after a throughly entertaining qualifying session ahead of tomorrow’s 60-lap race. The Briton will start the race alongside the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.
The all-important qualifying hour began in glorious sunshine over the iconic Nurburgring, with Force India’s Paul di Resta eventually becoming the first driver to take to the circuit as the session got underway. After recovering from his illness yesterday, the Marussia of Jules Bianchi set the initial benchmark with a 01:34.056, which was quickly bettered by Paul di Resta with a 01:32.911. The times at the top continued to tumble as the opening segment progressed, with the likes of Pastor Maldonado and Daniel Ricciardo rising to the top, with the latter producing a 01:31.081 ahead of the Mercedes’ duo.
Fernando Alonso soon opted for Pirelli’s softer tyre compound, thus enabling the Spaniard to shoot to the top with a 01:30.709. Kimi Raikkonen managed to dispose of the Ferrari driver with a 01:30.676, before former team-mate Felipe Massa shone in the Ferrari by producing a 01:30.547. Further down the order the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado were frustratingly eliminated in qualifying for their 600th race, along with the usual suspects of Charles Pic, Jules Bianchi, Giedo van der Garde and Max Chilton.
Jean-Eric Vergne was quick to get proceedings underway in Q2, as the Frenchman immediately took to the track in his Toro Rosso. Naturally Vergne produced the first timed lap of the segment with a 01:31.285, before Paul di Resta lowered the benchmark with a 01:31.258. Once again the times quickly began to tumble, as Kimi Raikkonen and then Lewis Hamilton momentarily rose to the top before local hero Sebastian Vettel returned to the top with a 01:29.992. Despite the German’s impressive lap time, the Ferrari’s managed to improve with Felipe Massa eventually producing a 01:29.825 after an impressive performance from the Brazilian.
As the Ferrari duo ended the session in dominant fashion, Nico Rosberg was surprisingly eliminated from proceedings after a monumental error by Mercedes. The German remained in the pits as the times continued to tumble, and was eventually eliminated along with Paul di Resta, Sergio Perez, Esteban Gutierrez, Adrian Sutil and Jean-Eric Vergne. This error from Mercedes left all of the pressure on the shoulders of Lewis Hamilton for a home pole for the German outfit.
The all-important top ten shootout began with Daniel Ricciardo becoming the first driver to take to the track for Toro Rosso, with the Australian immediately joined by the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. With Daniel Ricciardo and the Ferrari drivers’ pitting after completing installation laps, Kimi Raikkonen produced the first timed lap of the segment with a 01:29.970, which was instantly thwarted by the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel with a 01:29.622. The local favorite’s reign was short-lived, as Lewis Hamilton rose Mercedes to the top with a stunning 01:29.540.
In traditional top ten shootout fashion the top drivers immediately returned to the pits for new tyres, before returning to the circuit to try and improve on their times. With the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa thinking ahead to the race and qualifying on the medium tyres, the shootout for pole was realistically between the Red Bull duo and Lewis Hamilton. First blood went to the reigning Champion, who produced a 01:29.501 before Lewis Hamilton fully asserted his authority over the Nurburgring with a sensational 01:29.398 to secure his 29th career pole.
The 2008 World Champion will start tomorrow’s 60-lap race alongside local hero Sebastian Vettel, in what will unquestionably be an enthralling run down to Turn 1 at the start. The second row will consist of Mark Webber and Kimi Raikkonen, with Nico Rosberg qualifying a lowly and frustrating 11th. Sebastian Vettel has never won race on home soil in Formula 1, let alone a race in July. Will the superstitions get the better of him during the race, or will the reigning Champion deny Lewis Hamilton his elusive maiden win for Mercedes?
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m29.398s 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m29.501s +0.103s 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m29.608s +0.210s 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m29.892s +0.494s 5. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m29.959s +0.561s 6. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m30.528s +1.130s 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m31.126s +1.728s 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.209s +1.811s 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes No time set 10. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari No time set Q2 cut-off time: 1m30.269s Gap ** 11. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m30.326s +0.501s 12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m30.697s +0.872s 13. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m30.933s +1.108s 14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m31.010s +1.185s 15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m31.010s +1.185s 16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m31.104s +1.279s Q1 cut-off time: 1m31.681s Gap * 17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m31.693s +1.146s 18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m31.707s +1.160s 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m32.937s +2.390s 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m33.063s +2.516s 21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m33.734s +3.187s 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m34.098s +3.551s 107% time: 1m36.885s
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton Secures Pole On Home Soil In Thrilling Qualifying At Silverstone
Lewis Hamilton has secured his second pole position on home soil after a thrilling qualifying hour around the legendary Silverstone circuit, which saw the local favorite lead a Mercedes front-row lock-out ahead of the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Paul di Resta managed a strong 5th for Force India.
Once again the teams and drivers were greeted with dry weather conditions for the all-important qualifying hour for the British Grand Prix, which saw the Sauber duo of Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez become the first drivers to take to the Silverstone circuit once Q1 got underway. Nico Hulkenberg therefore produced the first lap of the opening segment with a 01:35.806, before Esteban Gutierrez proceeded to thwart his team-mate with a 01:33.697.
Romain Grosjean then ended Sauber’s reign at the top with a 01:32.586, with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen slotting into 2nd position. The Frenchman continued to improve at the top, as Fernando Alonso momentarily rose to the top for Ferrari before Romain Grosjean quickly disposed the Spaniard with an even quicker 01:31.964. The Mercedes duo then asserted their authority over proceedings as the opening segment of qualifying progressed, with Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton rising to the top for the German marque with the latter producing a 01:30.955.
As the opening segment of qualifying drew to a conclusion, the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa only just managed to progress to the top ten shootout. Both Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez were eventually eliminated from proceedings, along with Charles Pic, Jules Bianchi, Giedo van der Garde and Max Chilton.
The second segment of qualifying began with the Red Bull of Mark Webber taking to the Silverstone circuit first for Red Bull, with the former British Grand Prix winner producing the first timed lap with a 01:31.341. The Milton Keynes-based outfit’s reign was momentarily disrupted by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, who flew to the top with a 01:31.028 before Sebastian Vettel utterly obliterated the opposition with a 01:30.990. The reigning Champion remained at the top of the timing sheets as Q2 drew to a conclusion, as Daniel Ricciardo continued to impress in the Toro Rosso by storming to 3rd position with a 01:31.182.
McLaren’s woeful pace continued during the second segment of qualifying, as both Jenson Button and Sergio Perez were eliminated from proceedings as the Lotus duo only just managed to scrape through to the top ten shootout. Both Jenson Button and Sergio Perez were joined by Felipe Massa, Jean-Eric Vergne, Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado in the drop-zone as Q2 drew to a conclusion.
The all-important top ten shootout began with the Australian duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber taking to the track first, in what promised to be a thrilling spectacle. The Toro Rosso driver produced the first timed lap of the segment with a 01:31.579, before Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton stormed to the top with the latter setting a 01:30.096 to slot into provisional pole position. After the excitement of the first flying laps, the drivers returned to the pits to receive fresh tyres before returning for “take two” around the legendary Silverstone circuit.
Mark Webber became the first driver to improve, albeit only as far a 2nd position with a 01:30.220. Nico Rosberg momentarily managed to rise to the top for Mercedes, before local hero Lewis Hamilton obliterated his team-mate’s time with a stunning 01:29.607 as his adoring home fans roared their appreciation from the grandstands. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel could only manage 3rd, leaving Lewis Hamilton heading a Mercedes front-row lock-out.
Whether or not the Mercedes duo will have the ability to thwart Red Bull on race pace during the tomorrow’s 52-lap race remains to be seen, however it is first blood to the 2008 World Champion who will unquestionably be aiming for his second victory around the home of Formula 1 during what should certainly be a thrilling race tomorrow afternoon.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m29.607s 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m30.059s + 0.452s 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m30.211s + 0.604s 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m30.220s + 0.613s 5. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m30.736s + 1.129s 6. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m30.757s + 1.150s 7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m30.908s + 1.301s 8. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m30.955s + 1.348s 9. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m30.962s + 1.355s 10. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m30.979s + 1.372s Q2 cut-off time: 1m31.592s Gap ** 11. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.649s + 0.659s 12. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m31.779s + 0.789s 13. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m31.785s + 0.795s 14. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.082s + 1.092s 15. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.211s + 1.221s 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m32.359s + 1.369s Q1 cut-off time: 1m32.512s Gap * 17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m32.664s + 1.669s 18. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.666s + 1.671s 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m33.866s + 2.871s 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m34.108s + 3.113s 21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m35.481s + 4.486s 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m35.858s + 4.863s 107% time: 1m37.364s
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Nico Rosberg Shines In Damp Conditions At Monaco To Secure Pole
Nico Rosberg has continued to shine for Mercedes after securing his third consecutive pole position for the German marque, after a damp qualifying hour around Monaco’s Monte-Carlo street circuit. The German will start the race alongside team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with the Red Bull duo starting on the second row.
After three practice sessions run in glorious sunshine around the Monte-Carlo street circuit, many were surprised when the all-important qualifying hour began in wet weather conditions. This forced the entire field to rush out onto the street circuit sporting the intermediate tyre, in treacherous and unknown weather conditions. The Caterham duo led out the entire field, as Jules Bianchi’s session was brought to an immediate and premature conclusion when a mechanical issue struck his Marussia.
The Caterham duo of Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde naturally set the initial pace at the top, however the benchmark unsurprisingly plummeted as many drivers all improved in the tricky weather conditions. Lewis Hamilton and then Jenson Button rose to the top, before Mark Webber, Paul di Resta, Fernando Alonso and Jean-Eric Vergne both continued to lower the benchmark. Lewis Hamilton then returned to the top for Mercedes with a 01:32.920, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:31.431.
As the conditions began to gradually improve, so did the times as Monaco expert Pastor Maldonado rose to the top for Williams with a 01:30.126. Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta and then Mark Webber both momentarily returned to the top, before Sebastian Vettel continued to keep Red Bull at the top with 01:25.352. As the opening segment of qualifying drew to a close, Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton traded fastest times at the top, before Jenson Button rose McLaren to the front.
After his incident at the end of the final practice session earlier in the day, Romain Grosjean only just managed to take to the track as the session drew to a close. With only a handful of laps for the Frenchman to set a time, he stormed around the Monte-Carlo street circuit to produce a mesmerizing 01:23.738 to go fastest.
In the final minutes, Pastor Maldonado returned to the top for Williams with a 01:23.452, as the Caterham of Giedo van der Garde managed to progress through to Q2 for the first time in his career. As Q1 drew to a close, Paul Di Resta, Charles Pic, Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi and Felipe Massa were eventually eliminated with the latter unable to partake in the session after his earlier incident in practice.
The rain continued to lightly fall over the Monte-Carlo street circuit as Q2 got underway, with Jean-Eric Vergne and Nico Rosberg becoming the first two drivers to take to the track. Once again the benchmark was instantly lowered as the first timed laps were completed, with Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and then Mark Webber rising to the top. With the track conditions still perilous in the damp conditions, Jenson Button, Sergio Perez, Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean all momentarily rose to the top in a frenetic session.
Kimi Raikkonen and then Jenson Button set the pace once again at the front, before Nico Rosberg produced a 01:22.119. With the conditions continuing to improve, Giedo van der Garde became the first driver to opt for he super-soft tyres, which then led to the entire field joining the Dutchman on slick tyres. This naturally saw the times continue to plummet, as the first dry lap times of the session were completed. Mark Webber instantly rose to the top for Red Bull, before Sebastian Vettel silenced the opposition with a 01:15.988.
After a frenetic end to the second segment of qualifying, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Romain Grosjean, Valtteri Bottas, Giedo van der Garde and Pastor Maldonado were all eliminated from proceedings. This left a mouth-watering spectacle for the top ten shootout, with the usual suspects joined by the likes of Jean-Eric Vergne who managed to rise to the top ten shootout for the first time in his career.
In drying weather conditions, Kimi Raikkonen became the first driver to take to the track on the super-soft tyre compound. The Finn naturally set the first timed lap of the segment, however Lewis Hamilton and then Mark Webber quickly disposed of the Finn with the latter setting a 01:15.134. The trend of the times tumbling continued as the session progressed, with no-one certain as to who would eventually secure the pivotal pole position. Sebastian Vettel set a superb time late in the session with a 01:14.333, however the Mercedes duo simply obliterated the remainder of the field with Nico Rosberg leading Lewis Hamilton after producing a 01:13.876.
The Mercedes ace has now secured pole position for the third consecutive race weekend, and will be striving to convert such a positive result into a race victory tomorrow. The Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber will line-up on row two behind the Silver Arrows, in what will surely be a fascinating 78-lap race. Last year the Silver Arrows would have started from pole with Michael Schumacher, however a penalty from the previous race denied such a luxury. The German marque will be out to redeem themselves this weekend, with a 1-2 finish in their sights.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m13.876s 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m13.967s + 0.091s 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m13.980s + 0.104s 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m14.181s + 0.305s 5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m14.822s + 0.946s 6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m14.824s + 0.948s 7. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.138s + 1.262s 8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m15.383s + 1.507s 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.647s + 1.771s 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m15.703s + 1.827s Q2 cut-off time: 1m17.748s Gap ** 11. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.331s + 2.343s 12. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.344s + 2.356s 13. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m18.603s + 2.615s 14. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m19.077s + 3.089s 15. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m19.408s + 3.420s 16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m21.688s + 5.700s Q1 cut-off time: 1m26.095s Gap * 17. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.322s + 2.870s 18. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m26.633s + 3.181s 19. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.917s + 3.465s 20. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.303s + 3.851s 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 22. Felipe Massa Ferrari 107% time: 1m29.293s
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Nico Rosberg Secures Pole In A Silver Arrows Front-Row Lock-Out At Spain
Nico Rosberg has stormed to his third pole position for tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, after another thrilling qualifying session. The German will start alongside team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with a second row consisting of Championship leaders Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
The all-important qualifying hour began in glorious sunshine over the Circuit de Catalunya, a stark contrast to yesterday’s damp conditions during the opening practice session. Despite the wonderful weather conditions, there was no immediate rush to take to the track with several minutes before the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo and Williams of Pastor Maldonado finally took to the track.
Daniel Ricciardo proceeded to set the first timed lap of the the opening segment with a 01:24.100, before Nico Hulkenberg smashed the benchmark with a 01:23.467. Naturally the times began to tumble as more drivers began taking to the Circuit de Catalunya, as Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg all momentarily rose to the top with the latter setting a 01:21.913. However, Lewis Hamilton quickly thwarted his German team-mate with a 01:21.728 to storm to the top of the timing sheets. Kimi Raikkonen was on course to better Hamilton’s time, however the Finn was blocked by the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez.
After securing a sensational victory last year at the Spanish Grand Prix, Pastor Maldonado was eventually eliminated after Q1 along with team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Giedo van der Garde, Jules Bianchi, Max Chilton and Charles Pic. After qualifying towards the back of the pack, Williams will have an uphill struggle during the race. The battle between Caterham and Marussia was once again exceedingly close, with the Dutchman of Giedo van der Garde the winner at the back.
The second segment of qualifying began with the Sauber duo of Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg becoming the first to take to the Circuit de Catalunya, and naturally setting the first timed laps of Q2 with the German driver fastest with a 01:22.708. Kimi Raikkonen continued to display his competitiveness by rising to the top with a 01:21.676, before local hero Fernando Alonso once again wowed his adoring home fans with a 01:21.646. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel then asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:21.602, before Lewis Hamilton laid down a scintillating benchmark with a 01:21.001.
Further down the order Jenson Button continued to struggle with his McLaren, which eventually saw him eliminated from proceedings down in 14th. Sergio Perez miraculously managed to out-qualify his team-mate and progress into the top ten shootout, as Jenson Button was frustratingly eliminated along with Paul di Resta, Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne, Adrian Sutil, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez.
The all-important top ten shootout began with Kimi Raikkonen laying down an early benchmark with a 01:21.539, however the Finn’s early time was completely obliterated by Nico Rosberg who produced a 01:20.824 with Fernando Alonso only managing 2nd in his Ferrari. The field then returned to the pits for fresh tyres, before all ten drivers took to the Circuit de Catalunya in a bid to thwart Nico Rosberg. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel failed to do so and could only manage 2nd, with Kimi Raikkonen just behind the German in 3rd.
Nico Rosberg cemented his third pole position in Formula 1 with a minor improvement in the final stages of the session, just as team-mate Lewis Hamilton slotted into 2nd position to create the first Silver Arrows front-row lock-out since the Chinese Grand Prix last season. The second row will consist of the leading Championship duo of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, in what will surely be a thrilling 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix. The long run down to Turn 1 at the start could prove imperative for the Mercedes duo, who will be hunted down by the many drivers behind.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m20.718s 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m20.972s + 0.254s 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.054s + 0.336s 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m21.177s + 0.459s 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.218s + 0.500s 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m21.219s + 0.501s 7. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m21.308s + 0.590s 8. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m21.570s + 0.852s 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.069s + 1.351s 10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m22.233s + 1.515s Q2 cut-off time: 1m22.019s Gap ** 11. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.127s + 1.126s 12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.166s + 1.165s 13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m22.346s + 1.345s 14. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.166s + 2.165s 15. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.389s + 1.388s 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.793s + 1.792s Q1 cut-off time: 1m23.218s Gap * 17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m23.260s + 1.532s 18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m23.318s + 1.590s 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m24.661s + 2.933s 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m24.713s + 2.985s 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m24.996s + 3.268s 22. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m25.070s + 3.342s 107% time: 1m27.448s
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Lewis Hamilton Heads A McLaren Front-Row Lock-Out At The Brazilian GP
Lewis Hamilton has kept McLaren on top at the Brazilian Grand Prix, as the Briton stormed to his 26th career pole. The Mercedes-bound driver will start tomorrow’s race alongside team-mate Jenson Button, with the second row consisting of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Fernando Alonso will start a distant 8th for Ferrari.
After a light rain shower prior to the start of Q1, the track was extremely greasy as the drivers took to the Interlagos circuit. Heikki Kovalainen once again became the first driver to take to the track, opting for dry weather tyres as he led out a procession of awaiting drivers. The track was exceedingly wet throughout the final two corners, as the drivers struggled for grip on the dry tyres. This saw the Marussia of Timo Glock almost collided with the Caterham of Heikki Kovalainen. The German set the initial pace, however the times quickly improved as the opening session wore on.
Kamui Kobayashi and Jean-Eric Vergne began trading fastest times at the top as the session continued, with the Frenchman eventually thwarting the Sauber’s time at the top. However, once the big boys emerged from the pits, the fastest time changed nearly every second as the likes of Pastor Maldonado, Bruno Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta each momentarily set the fastest time throughout the session.
Lewis Hamilton finally set a 01:16.147, as Romain Grosjean made slight contact with the HRT of Pedro de la Rosa during the final sweeping curve. The Frenchman lost his front wing in the ensuing collision, however the duo were extremely lucky that the incident was not heavier. As Grosjean limped back to the pits without a front wing, local hero Bruno Senna rose to the top with a 01:15.955. Lewis Hamilton once again returned to the top, as the battle between the bottom seven drivers intensified as the usual suspects strove to improve up the order.
Eventually the usual suspects of the two Caterhams, Marussias and HRTs were joined by a dispirited Romain Grosjean, who was unable to set a fast enough time after his misfortunate collision with the HRT of Pedro de la Rosa.
As Q2 got underway at the Interlagos circuit, the track conditions had basically returned to normal, as the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne became the first to return to the track. After the unknown entity which was Q1, largely due to the slightly adverse track conditions, Q2 was a return to normality for the teams and drivers as Nico Hulkenberg set the initial pace with a 01:14.810. Fernando Alonso instantly thwarted the German’s advantage, as the Championship contender strove for a decent qualifying position after initially struggling throughout practice.
Lewis Hamilton then asserted his authority over proceedings, as the Briton set a 01:13.398, as McLaren once again showed their scintillating pace around the Interlagos circuit. However, Sebastian Vettel was close at hand and immediately raised the bar as he stormed across the line to set a 01:13.209 to go fastest. The Ferraris once again struggled towards the end of the session, as both Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso only just managed to progress to the top ten shootout. Both Paul di Resta, Bruno Senna, Sergio Perez, Michael Schumacher, Kamui Kobayashi, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne were eliminated after Q2.
The all-important top ten shootout got underway as Nico Rosberg decided to become the first driver to take to the track. The Mercedes driver proceeded to set the initial pace around the Interlagos circuit, however his time was not entirely representative of the team’s true pace with a 01:22.398. Lewis Hamilton completely blitzed that time with a tremendously quick 01:12.850, as the majority of the field decided to pit for a fresh set of tyres for their final qualifying runs. Sebastian Vettel made a crucial error whilst negotiating the exit of Turn 4, and had only one lap to produce the goods for Red Bull.
As the final laps were set, first blood went to Mark Webber who set a 01:12.581, however Lewis Hamilton kept McLaren on top with an absolutely superlative 01:12.458. Jenson Button slotted into 2nd position to secure McLaren’s 62nd front-row lock-out, as Mark Webber qualified 3rd with Championship leader Sebastian Vettel 4th. Fernando Alonso could only manage a distant 8th, once again being out-qualified by team-mate Felipe Massa.
Despite the possibility of rain decreasing slightly for tomorrow’s 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix, the prospect for another intense title showdown is on the cards as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso aim to thwart one another in what is still believed to be a wet season finale!
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m12.458s 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m12.513s + 0.055 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m12.581s + 0.123 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m12.760s + 0.302 5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m12.987s + 0.529 6. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m13.174s + 0.716 7. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m13.206s + 0.748 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m13.253s + 0.795 9. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m13.298s + 0.840 10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m13.489s + 1.031 Q2 cut-off time: 1m14.048s Gap ** 11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m14.121s + 0.912 12. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m14.219s + 1.010 13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m14.234s + 1.025 14. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m14.334s + 1.125 15. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m14.380s + 1.171 16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m14.574s + 1.365 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m14.619s + 1.410 Q1 cut-off time: 1m16.744s Gap * 18. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m16.967s + 1.892 19. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m17.073s + 1.998 20. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m17.086s + 2.011 21. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m17.508s + 2.433 22. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m18.104s + 3.029 23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m19.576s + 4.501 24. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m19.699s + 4.624 107% time: 1m20.330s
Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team
Narain Karthikeyan Suffered A Fuel Pick Up Issue During Qualifying
Narain Karthikeyan was struck with a fuel pick up issue during the closing stages of Q1, which prevented the Indian driver from improving upon his time. The HRT duo have endured a disastrous weekend at Austin, and have qualified in 23rd and 24th position for tomorrow’s United States Grand Prix.
At the beginning of the weekend, rumors began circulating the paddock that HRT were running low on spare parts, after the team were put on sale by their current owners Thesan Capital. Throughout the weekend, it has been touch and go as to whether the Spanish outfit would qualify for the race, with both Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan only just managing to qualify 105.647 and 106.402 percent within the 107 percent rule.
As the opening segment of qualifying came to a conclusion, Narain Karthikeyan was seen coasting to a halt at Turn 2. It was later confirmed that the Indian driver was struck with a fuel issue on his F112, which prevented Karthikeyan from completing another lap. The 35-year-old is adamant that he could’ve improved upon his time had he been able to complete another lap.
“Driving was quite challenging in the morning because it was difficult to bring the tyres up to temperature.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “But things improved a lot in the afternoon with a much warmer track. The tyres and the car performed much better and we managed to put in a few good laps. I think we could still have improved on the last laps but the car suddenly stopped. We had a problem with the fuel pick up that we are now looking into it but we don’t expect it to be a problem for tomorrow’s race.”
HRT are hoping for a much more successful race tomorrow, despite starting from the back row of the grid. The Spanish outfit will simply be hoping to see both cars finish the race, as they aim to end the season on a positive note as negotiations rumble on with regards to a new potential buyer for the team.
Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team
Mark Webber Under Investigation By Stewards For Missing Weight Check
Mark Webber has been placed under investigation by the race stewards for missing a compulsory weight check during qualifying for the United States Grand Prix, in which Mark Webber qualified an impressive 3rd behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel and the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton.
The incident in question allegedly occurred towards the end of the opening qualifying segment, in which Mark Webber was required to return to the pits for a weight check by the FIA. The Red Bull duo were blisteringly quick during qualifying, and were only split by the ever challenging McLaren of Lewis Hamilton. A potential penalty for Webber would certainly dampen the spirits within the outfit, after a spectacular qualifying performance.
If Mark Webber is issued a penalty due to missing the weight check, this would greatly assist both Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher. Fernando Alonso in particular has endured a frustratingly uncompetitive weekend so far at the Circuit of the Americas, and is currently set to the start the race from a distant 8th on the grid.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
Michael Schumacher Admits KERS Error During Qualifying
Michael Schumacher has admitted that a minor mistake with the KERS device prevented the him from improving during qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which saw the Mercedes driver qualify a lowly 14th on the grid. After Q2 came to an end, Schumacher was heard apologizing to his race engineer over the team radio.
After progressing through from Q1 at the beginning of qualifying, Michael Schumacher and Mercedes elected to change their approach for Q2. However, this tactic failed to work for the German marque, as Nico Rosberg was able to progress through to the top ten shootout whereas Michael Schumacher made a small error with the KERS device, and subsequently floundered down in an uncompetitive 14th position.
“My qualifying did not exactly go according to plan today.” Admitted Michael Schumacher, “We changed our approach a little for the last run in Q2, and then I did not properly make use of it in the first sector and particular in turn one. So we are not quite where we would want to have qualified but I will certainly try to make the best out of my starting position tomorrow.”
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn believes Michael Schumacher made a minor mistake during his final run in Q2, and that there was no issue on the car. He is of the belief that the seven-time World Champion got his braking wrong, which therefore affected what is known as the KERS harvesting.
“I think he got the engine braking wrong, what we call KERS harvesting – the way you collect the KERS and the way you use the KERS,” explained Ross Brawn. “It does affect the balance of the car, and he got a little bit out of sequence with it, and then he got caught out and lost some time in the first complex.”
This is the second race weekend in succession where Michael Schumacher has failed to enter the top ten shootout during the all-important qualifying session, after the German also qualified 14th for the Indian Grand Prix last weekend. Back then Schumacher failed to finish with a gearbox issue, however the seven-time World Champion will be looking to score his first points since the Italian Grand Prix during tomorrow’s race.
Picture Copyright © Getty Images
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