Q1: Lots of drivers getting times disallowed for exceeding the track limits. Hamilton, Kvyat, Rosberg the first three of this session. Q2 now underway; Lewis Hamilton fastest in Q1 with a lap of 1:09.514; Nico Rosberg two-tenths down; Half-a-dozen drivers have their times disallowed after breaching the track limits at Turn Eight; Both Saubers out after Q1 along with the Marussias and Caterhams.
Q2: Interesting that only one driver – Grosjean – had a time disallowed for running wide at Turn 8 in that session. Rosberg, Hamilton, Bottas the winners. Both Williams cars through safely into Q3 with just the Mercedes cars quicker at this stage.
Q3: Incredible! Felipe Massa on pole!
Felipe Massa will start a Grand Prix from pole position for the first time since 2008. In a shocking turn-of-events, the Williams team knocked off the Mercedes powerhouse and ended their pole-winning streak. For Massa, it’s his 16th career pole start.
Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo will start fourth and fifth respectively.
It proved to be another dispiriting day for reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile. Not only did the previously all-conquering German suffer his sixth qualifying defeat of the season to Ricciardo but failed to make the pole shootout for the third time this season.
Daniil Kvyat was seventh, with Kimi Raikkonen in eighth.
Hamilton had his initial time disallowed after running wide at turn eight while on his second lap the Brit spun under braking for turn two. Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10.
The full results:
Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 1:10.292 | 1:09.239 | 1:08.759 | 19 |
2 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams-Mercedes | 1:10.356 | 1:09.096 | 1:08.846 | 19 |
3 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:09.695 | 1:08.974 | 1:08.944 | 17 |
4 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:10.405 | 1:09.479 | 1:09.285 | 25 |
5 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:10.395 | 1:09.638 | 1:09.466 | 22 |
6 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:10.081 | 1:09.473 | 1:09.515 | 29 |
7 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | STR-Renault | 1:09.678 | 1:09.490 | 1:09.619 | 21 |
8 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:10.285 | 1:09.657 | 1:10.795 | 23 |
9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:09.514 | 1:09.092 | 15 | |
10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:10.389 | 1:09.624 | 23 | |
11 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 1:10.124 | 1:09.754 | 18 | |
12 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:10.252 | 1:09.780 | 22 | |
13 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:10.630 | 1:09.801 | 15 | |
14 | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus-Renault | 1:10.821 | 1:09.939 | 18 | |
15 | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR-Renault | 1:10.161 | 1:10.073 | 19 | |
16 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:10.461 | 1:10.642 | 21 | |
17 | 99 | Adrian Sutil | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:10.825 | 10 | ||
18 | 21 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:11.349 | 10 | ||
19 | 17 | Jules Bianchi | Marussia-Ferrari | 1:11.412 | 9 | ||
20 | 10 | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham-Renault | 1:11.673 | 10 | ||
21 | 4 | Max Chilton | Marussia-Ferrari | 1:11.775 | 10 | ||
22 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Caterham-Renault | 1:12.673 | 11 | ||
Q1 107% Time | 1:14.379 |
I didn’t believe this until I saw it on another web site.
Ferrari was stupid to let Massa go.