Australia – Qualifying: Vettel and Red Bull Already in Front!

It is under a cloudy and – at times, rainy – sky that the last two rounds of the first qualifying session of the season will take place, stopped by the rain on Saturday and postponed, after Q1, to this Sunday.

The track is therefore wet, even if not to the extent experienced yesterday.

Q2: The two Toro Rosso cars are eager to hit the Australian asphalt, followed by most of the other cars. With the possibility of rain returning at any moment, teams are asking drivers to secure a lap. The cars are fitted with intermediate tires. Nico Rosberg then sets the first benchmark at 1:40.423.

The Finns are not particularly in high spirits: Bottas and Räikkönen are missing the mark, but so is Vettel. The rain seems to start falling again in some areas. Rosberg continues to improve but Vettel overtakes him with a time of 1:38.647. Indeed, the drivers are improving with each lap: the track is drying quickly. As the rain appears to fall more intensely in certain sectors, Rosberg clocks in at 1:37.325.

Pérez is the first to take the risk with slick tires, choosing the super softs (red). The start is tricky for the Mexican. His teammate does the same and makes a mistake exiting turn 12. He gets away without harm, but the choice of slick tires is too bold and he heads to the pits. Rosberg improves again, with 1:36.194, but on intermediates, currently the right choice.

As the checkered flag is lowered, Button and Massa are among those eliminated. The Brazilian manages to escape, as does Button. But it is Sergio Pérez who suffers the consequences of the slick tire strategy and exits this qualifying session.

Eliminated in Q2: Hülkenberg, Sutil, Vergne, Ricciardo, Pérez, and Bottas

Q3: Nico Rosberg is the first on track to go for pole position. He is on intermediate tires, like the first drivers out on the track. The first wave results in a best time for Sebastian Vettel who sets a 1:32.604, one second ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg, Webber, and Räikkönen follow next.

Jenson Button is the first to take the gamble with super soft tires. The other drivers rush to make the change. The McLaren driver clocks in at 1:32.485, just a tenth ahead of Vettel who was on intermediate tires. Hamilton shatters his former teammate’s time with 1:29.184, but Vettel isn’t finished and opens a gap with 1:27.407, Webber falls four-tenths short, then Hamilton by six-tenths!

Sebastian Vettel thus secures the 37th pole position of his career, his 3rd in Melbourne and the first of the season. Mark Webber completes an all-taurine front row. Behind the two men, a scent of 2008 as Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa share the first line. The Brazilian therefore leads Fernando Alonso, fifth on the grid. The Lotus cars occupy the fourth row and Jenson Button is tenth.

Qualifying Results of the Australian Grand Prix /f1/actualite/15142-australie-qualifications-la-pluie-par-ko-rounds-2-et-3-dimanche-matin.html: