QUALIFYING REPORT
As the rest of the field
returned to the pit lane to
plot their final runs, Rosberg
headed out again and with an
almost clear track he posted a
superb lap of 1:14.363 to take
provisional pole. And as Hamilton
made a small mistake in Sector
2 and went slower in Sector 3,
Rosberg took his 27th career
pole position and his fifth of the
season.
“Just a great lap,” said the
German. “Not only was it just
one lap that I had, but I also
had extra fuel to make sure that
I would have an extra shot if a
mistake or something happened.
So I had fuel for three laps. That
was some more time in the bag
there, so I was really satisfied
with that one. That was really
cool.”
Ricciardo took P3 behind
Hamilton and admitted that
though he had got close, he
did not feel he had to pace to
compete for pole.
“My first lap in Q3 was really
good and I knew there probably
wasn’t that much more on the
table in the second run and in the
end a couple of mistakes in that
run,” he said. “There was maybe
a tenth or so in it with the perfect
lap, but not enough to challenge
the pole. We’re close enough.”