Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position for Mercedes after setting the fastest time in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, while team-mate Nico Rosberg was fourth quickest.
Former McLaren driver Hamilton was nearly 0.3 seconds quicker than the second fastest qualifier, Kimi Raikkonen, while two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will start from third on the grid in his Ferrari.
Rosberg edged ahead of fifth-placed Felipe Massa but it was a bad day for Red Bull. Sebastian Vettel was only ninth fastest while team-mate Mark Webber failed to make the top-ten after apparently running out of fuel in second qualifying.
It’s an incredible feeling. I’m so happy to have our first pole for some time. I’m just ecstatic really.
Lewis Hamilton
The Australian will be sent to the back of the grid unless his car has enough fuel in it to provide a one-litre sample as well as being able to get back to the pits from where it stopped.
Lotus’ Romain Grosjean was sixth ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in his Toro Rosso and McLaren’s Jenson Button. Nico Hulkenberg failed to set a time in the final session.
Hamilton is 2/1 to win Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, while Vettel can be backed at 11/2 and Webber at 50/1. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is 8/1 to clinch this year’s drivers’ title.
Hamilton said of his pole position: “It’s an incredible feeling. I’m so happy to have our first pole for some time. I’m just ecstatic really.
“The lap was great. The team has performed well all weekend so far. I hope we can carry it into tomorrow. It’s really surprising, in P3 the Ferraris were very quick but we had really good pace in Q1 and Q2 but that last lap is really tough to get.
“We left it down to the last three minutes so you’ve got to get perfect out lap and the perfect lap. I really can’t complain about that lap.”
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