Home » Sports » Motor Racing
Rosberg claims Bahrain pole
Source: Agencies |
April 21, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
GERMANY'S Nico Rosberg looked forward to 'kick-starting' his season after seizing Mercedes's second successive pole position in qualifying for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix yesterday.
Compatriot and triple world champion Sebastian Vettel joined him on the front row for Red Bull at a circuit where no driver has won from lower than fourth place on the grid in eight previous races.
"Am I surprised? A little bit. It wasn't really clear who was the quickest car over one lap," said Rosberg of his second career pole.
"I really want to kick-start my season. It has been a rough ride in the first three races. Today was my first real qualifying."
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, a three-time winner at the Sakhir circuit outside Manama, will share the second row in today's race with Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa after penalties for Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Mark Webber.
Hamilton was on pole in China last weekend but collected a five-place penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change after yesterday's final practice, dropping him from fourth.
Webber was fifth fastest for his 200th race but falls three places as penalty for causing a collision in Shanghai, with Massa moving up from sixth.
Rosberg's only previous pole was in China last year. Mercedes has not had back-to-back poles since it returned as a works team in 2010.
The German driver has retired from two of the season's three races and finished fourth in Malaysia when he was ordered by the team not to pass Hamilton for third place.
The driver on pole in Bahrain has won four of the past eight races. Vettel leads the championship with 52 points, with Kimi Raikkonen, who qualified in ninth place but moves up to eighth, second on 49 for Lotus. Alonso has 43.
Britain's Paul Di Resta finished seventh for Force India but will move up to fifth.
Compatriot and triple world champion Sebastian Vettel joined him on the front row for Red Bull at a circuit where no driver has won from lower than fourth place on the grid in eight previous races.
"Am I surprised? A little bit. It wasn't really clear who was the quickest car over one lap," said Rosberg of his second career pole.
"I really want to kick-start my season. It has been a rough ride in the first three races. Today was my first real qualifying."
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, a three-time winner at the Sakhir circuit outside Manama, will share the second row in today's race with Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa after penalties for Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Mark Webber.
Hamilton was on pole in China last weekend but collected a five-place penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change after yesterday's final practice, dropping him from fourth.
Webber was fifth fastest for his 200th race but falls three places as penalty for causing a collision in Shanghai, with Massa moving up from sixth.
Rosberg's only previous pole was in China last year. Mercedes has not had back-to-back poles since it returned as a works team in 2010.
The German driver has retired from two of the season's three races and finished fourth in Malaysia when he was ordered by the team not to pass Hamilton for third place.
The driver on pole in Bahrain has won four of the past eight races. Vettel leads the championship with 52 points, with Kimi Raikkonen, who qualified in ninth place but moves up to eighth, second on 49 for Lotus. Alonso has 43.
Britain's Paul Di Resta finished seventh for Force India but will move up to fifth.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
