Nico on top
German takes third straight pole, Mercedes teammate Hamilton forced to retire from qualifying session after engine catches fire
Vergne of Toro Rosso, German Nico Hulkenberg of Force India and Magnussen.
“We’ll have to replace the engine and gearbox, but with that penalty it’s a good thing (for a gearbox change),” said Hamilton. “I can’t go any further back.
“There’s a lot going through my mind, but I just have to try to turn it into positives until tomorrow. I think it’s getting beyond bad luck - it’s something else.”
Earlier on a day of less-stifling heat than Friday, with a track temperature of a relatively modest 46 degrees Celsius, Hamilton was the second man eliminated in Q1, his car blazing from a first lap fuel leak just after Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado had idled to a halt in his Lotus.
Both men failed to set a time and are expected to start from the back of the grid.
Out with them went the two Caterham drivers Swedish rookie Marcus Eriksson and Japanese Kamui Kobayashi along with Briton Max Chilton of Marussia and, in a major shock, Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari, the Italian team miscalculating their strategy and sending the Finn out on mediums instead of soft tyres. Much to Ferrari’s and Raikkonen’s embarrassment, their mistake allowed much-admired Frenchman Jules Bianchi, strongly tipped for a move to the ‘scarlet scuderia’, to take 16th place on the grid in the second Marussia.
“I checked with them (the team) three times,” said an exasperated Raikkonen. “Are you absolutely 100 per cent sure?”
The opening session was led by another Frenchman JeanEric Vergne of Toro Rosso who continued to impress in Q2 when he survived for the top ten shootout while a late spin by his team-mate Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat saw him eliminated in 11th place. Pos DRIVER
1
2
3
4 Daniel Ricciardo 5 Fernando Alonso 6 Felipe Massa 7 Jenson Button 8 Jean-Eric Vergne 9 Nico Hulkenberg 10 Kevin Magnussen Nico Rosberg Sebastian Vettel Valtteri Bottas
Track Temperature
47°c |
Air Temperature
30°c |
1m22.715s 1:23.201 1:23.354 1:23.391 1:23.909 1:24.223 1:24.294 1:24.720 1:24.775 1:24.585
Fastest sector times: Nico Rosberg Nico Rosberg Nico Rosberg Speed trap readings (in kph)
1) Felipe Massa 2) Valtteri Bottas 3) Nico Rosberg 4) Sergio Perez 5) Nico Hulkenberg 6) Lewis Hamilton 7) Kevin Magnussen TIME
31°c 28°c 29.197s 30.036s 23.482s 315.8 314.8 311.6 308.2 308.2 307.9 306.9