Canada – Qualifying: Hamilton secures a new pole position

Beautiful blue sky and no clouds on the horizon before the qualifying session of the Canadian Grand Prix, which will therefore take place on a dry track. There will only be 19 drivers running on the track, as Jenson Button cannot participate in the session because the McLaren team has to change the engine of his car.

Q1: Fernando Alonso is the first to exit the pits driving his McLaren-Honda, but only to perform a practice start, so it’s Lewis Hamilton who is the first driver to take to the track in his Mercedes. Several drivers have decided to go out early to complete installation laps.

Lewis Hamilton quickly sets the fastest lap on softs, before improving to clock a 1:15.979, well ahead of the rest of the field. But Rosberg improves and finishes just a whisker behind his teammate. The rest of the drivers improve one by one, with some, led by Sainz and Alonso, already switching to super-softs with 10 minutes left in Q1. Rosberg, meanwhile, improves to take the lead, just 2 thousandths ahead of Hamilton.

While the others are lapping on the track, Button watches them, just like Sebastian Vettel who, for a long time, only takes to the track late in the session, with less than 3 minutes remaining after experiencing electronic issues with his Ferrari.

In trouble, Felipe Massa (Williams) is eliminated as early as Q1, just like Sebastian Vettel who could not qualify in the two short laps he had at the end of the session. The two Marussias and Button are also eliminated.

At the end of the session, for pride, Romain Grosjean managed to grab the best time at the expense of the Mercedes.

Eliminated in Q1: Vettel, Massa, Merhi, Stevens, and Button

Q2: Felipe Nasr is the first to hit the track and takes advantage of being alone on the track to properly heat up his tires, but without crashing as he did in FP3. The Brazilian sets a time of 1:17.107, which is quickly improved by Verstappen, Maldonado, and then Grosjean. Shortly after, Räikkönen does even better, but the Finn has to concede when the Mercedes cars take the track, with Hamilton leading Rosberg by 12 thousandths.

Behind, Bottas takes the 3rd place from Räikkönen while the Toro Rosso drivers and the Saubers are provisionally eliminated halfway through the session along with Alonso.

Grosjean and Räikkönen return to the track and the Frenchman outperforms Bottas to take 3rd place ahead of Räikkönen. The checkered flag is waved but many drivers are on a fast lap. Alonso fails to qualify for Q2, as do Nasr, Verstappen, Ericsson, and Sainz.

Eliminated in Q2: Sainz, Verstappen, Ericsson, Alonso, Nasr

Q3: As soon as the light turns green, Nico Hülkenberg heads onto the track at the wheel of his Force India. Unsurprisingly, the German sets the first time but is quickly overtaken by Räikkönen and then Maldonado. On the Mercedes side, both drivers completed a slow initial Q3 lap. However, on their fast second lap, Hamilton sets the best time, 3 tenths ahead of his teammate and 7 tenths ahead of Räikkönen.

Following the first stint, Hamilton leads Rosberg, Räikkönen, Grosjean, Maldonado, Bottas, Hülkenberg, Kvyat, Perez, and Ricciardo, who has yet to set a timed lap.

As the checkered flag is waved, Bottas finishes his lap and records the 4th fastest time behind the two Mercedes and Räikkönen. Ricciardo clocks the 8th fastest time while Räikkönen returns to the pits, even though he had another lap available. Hamilton finishes his fast lap but does not improve, just like Rosberg. Lewis Hamilton thus secures another pole position!

Hamilton leads Rosberg, Räikkönen, Bottas, Grosjean, Maldonado, Hülkenberg, Kvyat, Ricciardo, and Perez.

2015 Canadian Grand Prix – Qualifications