Nico Rosberg took his fourth successive pole position as he set the fastest time in qualifying in wet conditions for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The championship leader in the drivers’ standings lapped a damp Spa-Francorchamps in his Mercedes-GP in a time of 2 mins, 05.591 secs to be just 0.2 seconds faster than his teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Click here for The National’s 2014 F1 season guide: Standings, race calendar and driver profiles
World champion Sebastian Vettel, who has won two of the past three races in Belgium, was third quickest in his Red Bull Racing car, ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari and the second Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo.
Valtteri Bottas’s Williams, Kevin Magnussen’s McLaren-Mercedes and the second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen complete the top eight.
The pole was Rosberg’s seventh of the season, with dominant Mercedes taking 11 of the 12 so far, fourth in a row and 11th of his Formula One career.
It was also his first at Spa in typically tricky conditions and reinforced his team’s pace, with Rosberg’s pole time of two minutes 05.591 seconds comparing to Vettel’s best lap of 2:07.717 – a hefty margin.
“It’s awesome. This is one of the most special tracks of the year so to be in front here is great,” said the German. “It’s always difficult on this track in the wet.
“We have a great car here. We are leading the way. We definitely have really good chances for tomorrow.”
Hamilton, a winner in Belgium in 2010, had been quickest in the second phase of qualifying and the front row start, while not pole, at least ended a long run of qualifying setbacks.
“I’m just happy to be up here,” said the Briton, who started the previous race in Hungary last and from the pit lane but still finished third and ahead of Rosberg at the chequered flag.
“I had a glazed front left brake disc so the car was pulling to the left or to the right, and there was nothing I could do on the out lap to get rid of that ... I had to bring the braking point a little bit further back, and I was losing massive amounts out of turn one.”
At the back of the grid, Germany’s three times Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer made his qualifying debut at the age of 32 and was nearly a second quicker than Swedish rookie teammate Marcus Ericsson in the other Caterham.
The German did however benefit from updates that Ericsson did not have.
Frenchman Jules Bianchi continued to impress for Marussia, qualifying 16th and ahead of Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in the Lotus and Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg for Force India.
The race, the 12th round of the 19-race Formula One season, begins at 4pm UAE time and is televised on BeIN Sports.
Grid: 1 – Nico Rosberg, Mercedes; 2 – Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes; 3 – Sebastian Vettel, RedBull; 4 – Fernando Alonso, Ferrari; 5 – Daniel Ricciardo, RedBull; 6 – Valtteri Bottasm, Williams; 7 – Kevin Magnussen, McLaren; 8 – Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari; 9 – Felipe Massa, Williams; 10 – Jenson Button, McLaren; 11 – Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso; 12 – Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso; 13 – Sergio Perez, Force India; 14 – Adrian Sutil, Sauber; 15 – Romain Grosjean, Lotus; 16 – Jules Bianchi, Marussia; 17 – Pastor Maldonado, Lotus; 18 – Nico Hulkenberg, Force India; 19 – Max Chilton, Marussia; 20 – Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber; 21 – Andre Lotterer, Caterham; 22 – Marcus Ericsson, Caterham.
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