Japan – Qualifying: Rosberg takes pole ahead of Hamilton

Weather conditions are good before the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying.

Q1: Kamui Kobayashi, the local for this stage, is the first to launch ahead of several drivers. He sets the initial mark at 1:37.977, quickly beaten by Hülkenberg and Vergne. Finally, Bottas, then Rosberg and Hamilton put everyone in agreement. Massa takes 4th place ahead of Alonso, the McLaren and Red Bull drivers.

The leaders, the Mercedes and Williams F1 drivers, settle for a quick lap before returning to the pits while many other drivers continue with laps, mostly on hard tires. But with 7 minutes remaining in Q1, the majority of the drivers return to the pits to prepare for the final stint.

In the red zone alongside Caterham and Marussia after the first stints, Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez return to the track on medium tires. The Mexican sets the 10th fastest time on his first lap but the Frenchman only the 16th fastest, placing the Saubers in the red zone. At the checkered flag, things remain the same, but each driver is on a fast lap and the Sauber drivers manage to qualify for Q2, eliminating both Lotus cars.

**Eliminated in Q1:** Maldonado, Grosjean, Ericsson, Bianchi, Kobayashi, Chilton

Q2: No one rushes to take to the track at the beginning of Q2. Sutil is the first to go out and sets the initial benchmark with a time of 1:36.656 on mediums, the standard for this second part of qualifying. The German driver’s time is quickly beaten by Perez, Bottas, and then the Mercedes drivers, with Rosberg leading Hamilton after the first timed lap.

After the first stints, the Red Bulls are out of the top 10, along with Vergne, Hülkenberg, and the Saubers, but with 6 minutes remaining, almost all the drivers are in the pits to prepare for the second and final stint to advance to Q3.

With less than 4 minutes remaining in Q2, Bottas is the first to return to the track followed by his Williams teammate, then Vettel and Ricciardo and the other drivers in the pack except for the Mercedes. The two Red Bull drivers manage to get into the top 10 with their final lap, and Vettel just makes it with only the 10th fastest time while the Force India, Toro Rosso, and Sauber are eliminated.

**Eliminated in Q2:** Vergne, Perez, Kvyat, Hülkenberg, Sutil, Gutierrez

Q3: Bottas is the first to hit the track for Q3 as soon as the green light comes on. The Finn sets the initial reference time at 1:33.329, a time Felipe Massa fails to beat but that Nico Rosberg surpasses significantly with a 1:32.629, 7 tenths better for the German. Hamilton falls short by 317 thousandths behind his teammate in this first timed lap.

After the first stints of each driver, Rosberg is ahead of Hamilton, Bottas, Massa, Alonso, Magnussen, Ricciardo, Button, and Vettel. Kimi Räikkönen has chosen a different strategy, with only one stint.

The Red Bull and Williams drivers are the first to launch the salvo in the final relay where the 10 drivers will take to the track to try to secure pole position or the best possible position on the grid for those who are not able to compete with the Mercedes.

All the drivers improve, Vettel, Ricciardo, Bottas remains 3rd, Rosberg and Hamilton who fails to outpace his teammate. Pole position is therefore for Nico Rosberg at Suzuka ahead of Hamilton for an all-Mercedes front row.

The Williams occupy the second row, Bottas ahead of Massa, followed by Alonso, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Button, Vettel, and Räikkönen.