The Malta Independent on Sunday
Rosberg wins Canadian pole
For the third straight Formula One grand prix, Mercedes teammates and championship leaders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton will line up side-byside in the front row of the starting grid.
If all goes as expected, they will finish in the top two again as well.
The dominant team on the circuit — winning all six races, with five second-place finishes as well — Mercedes claimed the top two starting spots for the Canadian Grand Prix in qualifying yesterday. Rosberg, the points leader, earned the pole, and Hamilton will be next to him at the start of today's race.
"That was very important as there aren't many opportunities to overtake here, particularly if you are in the same car," said Rosberg, who earned his second pole position in a row and third for the year. "I think it will be a battle between the two of us out there tomorrow as the gap to the other cars was quite big."
It's the third straight race, and fourth overall, that Mercedes has the front row.
"Let's hope that we can make history tomorrow," said Hamilton, who won four consecutive races before finishing second to Rosberg in Monaco two weeks ago.
During a sun-soaked qualifying run, when the track heated to 116 degrees (47 C), Rosberg had the fastest lap, darting around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 1 minute, 14.874 seconds. Hamilton was second, just 0.079 seconds slower, and world and Canadian GP champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull was third, about a half second behind.
"We're fighting a very big gap, and it's difficult to close it in one round," Vettel said. "We're not tickling all the right spots yet."
Valtteri Bottas was just 0.002 seconds out of third, narrowly edging his Williams teammate, Felipe Massa, and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardio. But the gap between the Mercedes and the rest of the field showed no sign of narrowing.
"I expect that it's going to be between the two of us, for now," Rosberg said. "We have enough of the gap for now."
Mercedes' domination has been nearly complete this year, with seven pole positions to go along with the six victories.
Rosberg won the season-opening race in Australia and again last month in Monaco, finishing second four other times. After lasting just two laps in Melbourne, Hamilton won four straight races before Rosberg ended the streak in Monaco.
"It gives me that little bit extra when I have the result behind my back," Rosberg said. "To come here, having won the last race, it just helps a little bit. Lewis obviously had that win- ning streak, and to put that to an end helps."
Hamilton, the 2008 world champ, has won three times in Canada. Rosberg's best finish on the Ile de Notre Dame in the St. Lawrence River across from downtown Montreal was fifth place, last year.
Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff said having the two drivers pushing each other was part of what was keeping them in front.
"They are pushing each other so hard and, between every part of qualifying, they were looking at overlays of their laps, checking the data, and trying to find every little advantage," Wolff said. "(It) just goes to show there is no room for error when two drivers are fighting on such a high level."