Spanish GP qualifying: Nico Rosberg takes pole from Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg has ended Lewis Hamilton’s stranglehold on pole position by claiming the top slot at the Circuit de Catalunya ahead of Sunday’s Spanish GP.

Chasing his fifth straight pole – which would have been a first for Hamilton in his F1 career – the defending world champion instead had to settle for P2 with a 1:24.948 lap 0.267s slower than his team-mate's 1:24.681.

It’s a much-needed filip for Rosberg, who has been completely overshadowed by Hamilton so far this season.

The Englishman currently enjoys a 27-point lead over Rosberg in the title race and with Hamilton winning three out of the first four races, the latter needed to strike back.

Although questions had been asked whether Rosberg might be adopting a more aggressive approach in light of his punchy display in Bahrain three weeks ago, the 29-year-old has insisted that nothing has changed.

He had earlier served notice of the outcome by topping the times in third practice, but Rosberg really stepped up his attack in Q2.

Three weeks ago, that was the session when it all went wrong for Rosberg – when, in an attempt to save his tyres for the race, he deliberately dropped his pace but ultimately lost his rhythm.

On Saturday, with Rosberg a full 0.5s faster than Hamilton, it seemed at first that they’d swapped tactics.

Yet Hamilton couldn't set a faster time in Q3 either and with none of the leading drivers improving on their second runs, Rosberg claimed his first pole since last year’s Abu Dhabi GP.

"I needed it sooner rather than for later that is for sure. It is one step in the right direction to winning the race this weekend and it was a good day in the office for sure," he said afterwards.

"I just didn't have the pace today," Hamilton conceded. "Nico did a great job today and I don't know if I really had the balance where I liked it. But I did my best and tomorrow there is still a lot to play for." 

Sebastian Vettel lines up third on the grid in his Ferrari ahead of Valtteri Bottas' Williams, with Carlos Sainz an impressive fifth for Toro Rosso ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen.

“It is something special," the Spaniard told Sky Sports F1 afterwards. "I am very, very happy, I wasn’t comfortable with the car until qualifying then suddenly run one, everything turned up in the right window where I wanted it and I could build on it to create a very nice qualifying session."

But Kimi Raikkonen’s qualifying woes continued, with the Ferrari driver the first of the leaders switching to the medium compound tyre in Q1.

Raikkonen couldn’t help being slower after passing over fresh tyres allowed at the start of Q3 but deciding to use them for his final run, he got out of shape in Turns 7 and 8  

Red Bull pair Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 10 alongside Williams' Felipe Massa, with the Lotus cars of Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado next up.

There was evidence of progress at McLaren, with both cars making Q2 for the first time this season. But whether 13th and 14th respectively for Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button is progress enough for them is another matter.

But they do at least seem to have moved ahead of Sauber and Force India. Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson qualified 15th and 16th respectively for the Swiss team with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez disappointed with 17th and 18th.

As usual, Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi bring up the rear for Manor. 

Times:

1. N Rosberg Mercedes 1:24.681

2. L Hamilton Mercedes 1:24.948

3. S Vettel Ferrari 1:25.458

4. V Bottas Williams 1:25.694

5. C Sainz Toro Rosso 1:26.136

6. M Verstappen Toro Rosso 1:26.249

7. K Raikkonen Ferrari 1:26.414

8. D Kvyat Red Bull 1:26.629

9. F Massa Williams 1:26.757

10. D Ricciardo Red Bull 1:26.770

11. R Grosjean Lotus 1:27.375

12. P Maldonado Lotus 1:27.450

13. F Alonso McLaren 1:27.760

14. J Button McLaren 1:27.854

15. F Nasr Sauber 1:28.005

16. M Ericsson Sauber 1:28.112

17. N Hulkenberg Force India 1:28.365

18 S Perez Force India 1:28.442

19. W Stevens Manor 1:31.200

20. R Merhi Manor 1:32.038 

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