Saturday, April 14, 2012

Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying: First Pole for Mercedes

Mercedes has been threatening to score a pole position this year, but their friday pace had not translated into a Pole position in qualifying in the season opening Australian Grand Prix and also in Malaysia. In the third race in the 2012 calendar, Nico Rosberg scored his and Mercedes first pole. Hamilton came second. However he will be demoted by 5 places due to his gear box change. Michael Schumacher, who was faster than his team mate this year, and was the fastest in practice in Friday, could only score P3 and was half a second adrift of his team mate. Many people had expected Michael Schumacher to score the pole here in China. However, it was not to be. Due to Hamilton's demotion, Nico and Michael will start from the first row.

Last years dominant driver Vettel could only be 11th. His team mate Webber could make it to the Q3 in the qualifying and scored 7th. India's Narain Karthikeyan who had done really well in the Malaysia Grand Prix came last and 24th.

1. N. Rosberg Mercedes 1:35.121
2. L. Hamilton McLaren1:35.626
3. M. Schumacher Mercedes 1: 35.691
4. K. Kobayashi Sauber 1:35.784
5. K. Raikkonen Lotus 1:35.898
6. J. Button McLaren 1:36.191
7. M. Webber Redbull 1:36.290
8. S. Perez Sauber 1:36.524
9. F. Alonso Ferrari 1:36.622
10. R. Grosjean Lotus No time in Q3
Times in Q2
11. S. Vettel Redbull 1:36.031
12. F. Massa Ferrari 1:36.255
13. P. Maldonado Williams 1:36.283
14. B. Senna Williams 1:36.289
15. P. Di Resta Force India 1:36.317
16. N. Hulkenberg Force India 1:36.745
17. D. Ricciardo Torro Rosso 1:36.958
Times in Q1
18. J. Vergne Torro Rosso 1:37.714
19. H. Kovalainen Caterham 1:38.463
20. V. Petrov Caterham 1:38.677
21. T. Glock Marussia 1:39.282
22. C. Pic Marussia 1:39. 717
23. P. de La Rosa HRT 1:40.411
24. N. Karthikeyan HRT 1:41.000

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