Sun, April 15, 2012
BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhuanet) -- It will be an all Mercedes front-row for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix. The Mercedes team, putting it down at today’s qualifying session at the Shanghai International Circuit, and Nico Rosberg will start on pole alongside Michael Schumacher.
Rosberg claimed the first Formula One pole position of his career after only completing one lap in the final session of qualifying to preserve his tires, then watched from the pit to see whether anyone could beat his time. His time was a full half-second ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton qualified second, but will have to start Sunday’s race from seventh due to a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox.
7-time world champion Michael Schumacher qualified third but will be promoted to start beside his Mercedes teammate on the front row due to Hamilton’s penalty.
The biggest surprise of qualifying was the absence of world champion Sebastian Vettel from the final session. He missed out on the top ten by just five hundredths of a second and will start the race from 11th. It was a disappointing day for Ferrari as Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10.
As for first time pole-sitter Rosberg, he is ready to roll in Shanghai.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
