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11th
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Nico Rosberg has made it a hat-trick of pole positions for Mercedes by claiming top spot for tomorrow's Spanish Grand Prix ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in a front row clean sweep for the Silver Arrows.
Despite beginning the weekend in a low-key manner, Hamilton underlined the team's pace in Q2 by setting the fastest time, and Rosberg became the first driver to dip into the 1m20 times in Q3 with a 1m20.8 at around the five-minute mark.
Once again on the medium tyres, Rosberg set his fastest time of 1m20.718 in the closing minutes of the session to take his third career pole.
In a disappointing session for Ferrari, which once again set the fastest time in FP3 this morning with Massa, local favourite Fernando Alonso finished fifth, with Massa finishing one position behind after having lost time in the final sector of his lap, which until that point, seemed good for a top-three position.
The Brazilian will also have to see the stewards after the session for allegedly impeding Mark Webber who will line up eighth, five positions behind teammate Vettel.
Jenson Button's miserable weekend continued, after the Brit qualified a disappointing 14th on a day where teammate Sergio Perez eventually lined up ninth and put in a storming lap to finish Q2 in 7th in the largely revised MP4/28.
The Saubers of Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez will line up behind Button in 15th and 16th, after tumbling down the order at the end of the frantic Q2 session.
Further down the grid, Giedo van der Garde won the battle of the Caterham/Marussia quartet with the heavily revised green car to line up 19th.
However, the biggest surprise in Q1 was that neither Williams made it through to the next session and will see Bottas and last year's winner, Pastor Maldonado, line up 17th and 18th.
Qualifying results* - Spain GP (Barcelona)
1.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'20"718 - Q3
2.Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'20"872 - Q3
3.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'21"054 - Q3
4.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'21"177 - Q3
5.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'21"218 - Q3
6.Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'21"219 - Q3
7.Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'21"308 - Q3
8.Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'21"570 - Q3
9.Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'22"069 - Q3
10.Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'22"233 - Q3
11.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'22"127 - Q2
12.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'22"166 - Q2
13.Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'22"346 - Q2
14.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'22"355 - Q2
15.Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'22"389 - Q2
16.Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'22"793 - Q2
17.Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'23"260 - Q1
18.Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'23"318 - Q1
19.Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'24"661 - Q1
20.Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'24"713 - Q1
21.Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'24"996 - Q1
22.Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'25"070 - Q1
Unofficial
Despite beginning the weekend in a low-key manner, Hamilton underlined the team's pace in Q2 by setting the fastest time, and Rosberg became the first driver to dip into the 1m20 times in Q3 with a 1m20.8 at around the five-minute mark.
 |
| Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W04 (Photo: WRi2) |
Once again on the medium tyres, Rosberg set his fastest time of 1m20.718 in the closing minutes of the session to take his third career pole.
In a disappointing session for Ferrari, which once again set the fastest time in FP3 this morning with Massa, local favourite Fernando Alonso finished fifth, with Massa finishing one position behind after having lost time in the final sector of his lap, which until that point, seemed good for a top-three position.
 |
| Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F138 (Photo: WRi2) |
The Brazilian will also have to see the stewards after the session for allegedly impeding Mark Webber who will line up eighth, five positions behind teammate Vettel.
 |
| Mark Webber and Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel (Photo: WRi2) |
Jenson Button's miserable weekend continued, after the Brit qualified a disappointing 14th on a day where teammate Sergio Perez eventually lined up ninth and put in a storming lap to finish Q2 in 7th in the largely revised MP4/28.
The Saubers of Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez will line up behind Button in 15th and 16th, after tumbling down the order at the end of the frantic Q2 session.
 |
| Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber C32 (Photo: WRi2) |
Further down the grid, Giedo van der Garde won the battle of the Caterham/Marussia quartet with the heavily revised green car to line up 19th.
However, the biggest surprise in Q1 was that neither Williams made it through to the next session and will see Bottas and last year's winner, Pastor Maldonado, line up 17th and 18th.
 |
| Romain Grosjean, Lotus E21 (Photo: WRi2) |
Qualifying results* - Spain GP (Barcelona)
1.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'20"718 - Q3
2.Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'20"872 - Q3
3.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'21"054 - Q3
4.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'21"177 - Q3
5.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'21"218 - Q3
6.Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'21"219 - Q3
7.Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'21"308 - Q3
8.Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'21"570 - Q3
9.Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'22"069 - Q3
10.Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'22"233 - Q3
11.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'22"127 - Q2
12.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'22"166 - Q2
13.Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'22"346 - Q2
14.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'22"355 - Q2
15.Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'22"389 - Q2
16.Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'22"793 - Q2
17.Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'23"260 - Q1
18.Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'23"318 - Q1
19.Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'24"661 - Q1
20.Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'24"713 - Q1
21.Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'24"996 - Q1
22.Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'25"070 - Q1
Unofficial