QUALIFYING REPORT
Bottas was fourth in the
second Mercedes ahead of
Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg,
Force India’s Sergio Perez and
Williams’ Felipe Massa. Ricciardo
was ninth in the second Red Bull
ahead of Haas’ Romain Grosjean,
Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz and
the McLaren of Fernando Alonso.
Further back, Sauber’s
Antonio Giovinazzi looked set
to make Q2 on his F1 qualifying
debut but an error late in the lap
saw the chance fade and he was
the first driver eliminated in P16.
Behind him were Renault’s
Kevin Magnussen, McLaren’s
Stoffel Vandoorne, who was
vocal in complaining that having
to allow team-mate Alonso past
had compromised his tyre warm-
up, Williams’ Lance Stroll and the
second Renault of Jolyon Palmer.
Stroll, is set to start from the back
of the grid tomorrow due to a
gearbox change following a crash
in FP3.
Q2 saw the Mercedes pair
on track first and this time it was
Bottas who emerged on top with
the Finn ending the session
on a time of 1:23.215, just four
hundredths of a second clear of
Hamilton. Third place went to
Raikkonen, with the Finn shading
fourth-placed team-mate Vettel by
0.025 of a second.