After a slow start to the Chinese GP qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton has become the second British driver to earn a Pole position for Mercedes, Stirling Moss being the first. Hamilton was unbeaten in all three sessions and ended up deservedly Pole, which is Mercedes' second Pole position in two years in China.
But the race result is far from known as strategy came in to play a day before the lights go out tomorrow. A stunning Q3 sees Kimi Raikkonen start second with Fernando Alonso, out-qualifying Felipe Massa for the first time this season, also splitting the Mercedes'. Massa sits behind Nico Rosberg in fifth with Romain Grosjean sixth in the second Lotus. The performance of the day goes to Daniel Ricciardo who did fantastically well to get his Toro Rosso in to Q3 and the Australian will start seventh on the grid.
The final three to make it through to Q3 are the ones to watch at the start tomorrow. Places one to seven all qualified on the soft compound tyres and will have to start on them tomorrow. But many feel that the medium compound will be the best race tyre and a very slow, but timed, lap from Jenson Button means that he will start the race on the harder compound in eighth. Sebastian Vettel decided not to go for Pole and did an out-lap on both compounds. But because he didn't actually set a time, the Red Bull still has the choice of what tyre to start on. Nico Hulkenberg also decided not to set a time in Q3 and will therefore start tenth tomorrow, presumably on the harder compound.
Mark Webber suffered a fatal fuel blow in Q2. He had to pull over in a safe area because of a fuel problem in the middle of the session. At the time, he was sitting seventh and could have potentially squeezed in to Q3, although he wouldn't have been able to set a time. However, at the end of the session, Webber was 14th but as he was unable to provide a fuel sample and the stewards and excluded him from the session. This means that the Red Bull will now start at the back of the grid and faces an extremely tough race tomorrow.
Paul Di Resta looked like he had the speed to make it in to Q3, but both Force Indias ended up missing out with Di Resta 11th and Adrian Sutil 13th. Sergio Perez will sit in between the Force Indias as he continues a very troublesome season from McLaren. After quite a poor Q1, Pastor Maldonado has now been promoted to 14th with Jean-Eric Vergne, the final driver to make it in to Q2, now starting 15th in the other Toro Rosso.
Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez continue to struggle in their debut seasons. Both drivers failed to make it out of Q1 but the Williams is now 16th with the Sauber 17th. Another performance of the day goes to Jules Bianchi in the Marussia. There was a stage where the Frenchman was potentially going to make it in to Q2, but he will have to settle for 18th and a place ahead of the Caterhams. Max Chilton also finishes ahead of the Caterhams in 19th with Charles Pic out-qualifying Giedo Van Der Garde for places 20 and 21 since Webber will now be staring at a Caterham exhaust at the start of the race.
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