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Lewis Hamilton storms to Malaysian GP pole ahead of Sebastian Vettel Lewis Hamilton storms to Malaysian GP pole as Sebastian Vettel splits Mercedes
(34 minutes later)
Lewis Hamilton claimed the 40th pole position of his Formula One career at the end of a storm-hit qualifying session for the Malaysian Grand Prix that added spice to the occasion. Lewis Hamilton won pole position for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix with a blistering lap in the wet after Q3 had been delayed by the weather.
Thunder and lightning made for a dramatic backdrop during the initial timed run at the Sepang International Circuit before a torrential downpour unfolded midway through the second session. It was Hamilton’s 40th pole and his third on this track after he was almost knocked out in Q2. He said: “I think the first lap was good, it’s always difficult in conditions like that and not one of us have driven in the wet this weekend.”
After a 35-minute delay it was the reigning champion Hamilton who again held sway over his rivals, but only just as the 30-year-old finished a mere 0.074sec clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, with the Englishman’s Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg back in third. The Mercedes’ of Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were split by the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel in a replica of last year, though then Vettel was a Red Bull driver; this year’s Red Bulls will start fourth and fifth.
There were some fun and games between Hamilton and Rosberg at one point in Q3 as the latter appeared to slow and impede the former just as the Briton had posted the quickest first sector time. Hamilton, though, gained a small measure of revenge by passing Rosberg and then slowing himself, suggesting there are still mind games going on between the duo. At one point in Q3 Rosberg appeared to slow and impede Hamilton just as the British driver had posted the quickest first sector time. Hamilton, though, gained a small measure of revenge by passing Rosberg and then slowing himself, suggesting there are still mind games going on between the duo. At one point Rosberg asked his Mercedes team to tell him the lines Hamilton was driving. But they replied: “We can’t tell you that.”
Come the conclusion Hamilton was left breathing a sigh of relief as Vettel – and not Rosberg – emerged as his closest challenger. Hamilton said: “The first lap was quite good. It’s always difficult when you’ve not driven in the wet, with the first lap the unknown, you don’t want to take too many risks. As qualifying started the high temperatures started to plummet, the clouds gathered and the thunder and lightning arrived. By the time Q2 started the priority was to bank a lap time before the rain arrived – and when it rains here it really means business.
“So you have to get the banker lap you need and then the next one I was up at one stage, but I lost a little bit somewhere. In the end the team has done a fantastic job to get me up here again.” When the heavens did open and the session was aborted it was particularly bad news for Kimi Raikkonen. He had been held up by Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber and was in 11th place when the driving came to a halt, putting him out of Q3. He said: “We got it wrong. We should have been out earlier but that is how it is. The lap time is there or thereabouts so we expected to be strong in qualifying. We finally find some speed and this happens, that’s part of the game but it is disappointing.”
It is the first time in 10 races Mercedes have failed to lock out the front row, offering Vettel hope of challenging the duo in the race. “You never know. Just look outside, when it starts to rain it can mix up things,” said Vettel, the first Ferrari driver to qualify on the front row for two years. “The car felt good in dry and damp conditions, and on long runs we looked good in practice, so we’ll see what we can do. It looks like we are a bit closer.” There was also a close call for Hamilton, who was in eighth place. And he was annoyed by it. “You got us out too far behind everyone,” he told his team.
Rosberg conceded he simply “didn’t drive well enough”. He added: “I’m annoyed by that, third place is not good enough. For tomorrow, I’m on the clean side of the grid so that should help me pass Seb at the start.” Fernando Alonso finished last of the 18 cars that ran in Q1, when he was out-qualified, in the final seconds, by his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button. Alonso said: “We know we are struggling with the pace but we are much closer now and I don’t think I will be [giving interviews] after Q1 for long.”
Red Bull duo Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat line up fourth and fifth, with 17-year-old Max Verstappen sixth for Toro Rosso. The Dutch youngster becomes the first teenager in 54 years to start in the top six. Beating Alonso was at least some consolation for Button on another difficult day for the Woking team. He said: “It is a lot closer than in Australia and I think our race pace is better than our qualifying pace. We should be happy with the step taken, but there is still a long way to go.”
But it was even worse for Manor, for whom Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi did not even get onto the track. Stevens’ car was still in pieces a short time before the start of qualifying. He said: “It’s been a tough day. Not getting out in qualifying was disappointing. There was a fuel issue. We will have to see if we can get sorted overnight.” The other driver to miss out was Felipe Nasr in his Sauber.
The Red Bull duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat line up fourth and fifth on the grid, with 17-year-old Max Verstappen sixth for Toro Rosso. The Dutch youngster becomes the first teenager in 54 years to start in the top six.
The eye-catching performance in the first session was that of Carlos Sainz, who was fourth. But the eye-catcher of the afternoon was once again Lewis Hamilton.
Final Positions after QualifyingFinal Positions after Qualifying
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1min 49.834sec, 2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:49.908, 3 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:50.299, 4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:51.541, 5 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull 1:51.951, 6 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:51.981, 7 Felipe Massa Williams 1:52.473, 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus F1 Team 1:52.981, 9 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:53.179, 10 Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 1:53.261, 11 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:42.173, 12 Pastor Maldonado Lotus F1 Team 1:42.198, 13 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:43.023, 14 Sergio Perez Force India 1:43.469, 15 Carlos Sainz Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:43.701, 16 Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari 1:41.308, 17 Jenson Button McLaren 1:41.636, 18 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:41.746, 19 Roberto Merhi Manor Marussia F1 1:46.677, 20 Will Stevens Manor Marussia F1 No Time 1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1min 49.834sec, 2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:49.908, 3 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:50.299, 4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:51.541, 5 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull 1:51.951, 6 Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:51.981, 7 Felipe Massa Williams 1:52.473, 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus F1 Team 1:52.981, 9 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:53.179, 10 Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 1:53.261, 11 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:42.173, 12 Pastor Maldonado Lotus F1 Team 1:42.198, 13 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:43.023, 14 Sergio Pérez Force India 1:43.469, 15 Carlos Sainz Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:43.701, 16 Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari 1:41.308, 17 Jenson Button McLaren 1:41.636, 18 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:41.746, 19 Roberto Merhi Manor Marussia F1 1:46.677, 20 Will Stevens Manor Marussia F1 No Time
• Paul Weaver’s qualifying report from Sepang to follow