The ambient temperature at the start of the session was 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Centigrade) and the track temperature was 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Centigrade).
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Nico Rosberg won his fifth straight pole position for Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix, edging out Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Williams were the only other team out on the track and Bottas was running third.
Michael Schumacher won 13 of 18 races in 2004, and Sebastian Vettel took 13 of 19 in 2013.
A lack of straight-line speed cost Carlos Sainz a spot in the top-10 shootout with his final lap of Q2. Jenson Button was 17th on 1m 13.425s, confirming McLaren’ expectations of this being a tough venue for the Honda V6, and Alexander Rossi’s auto was working much better after a morning brake bias problem had been resolved. Sauber – Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr.
Rosberg could not give a reason for the turnaround in qualifying form. It was bad news for McLaren, as Fernando Alonso was told to stop immediately even before he had recorded a time. A few are suggesting that Rosberg is flourishing because the pressure is off, but this is still a commendable run by the German against the fastest driver in Formula One.
It was the 21st pole of his career, the most by any driver not to have won the world title, and yet another front row lockout for the Mercedes team.
The top ten is rounded off by Felipe Massa, Daniel Ricciardo (10-place grid penalty) and Max Verstappen. Bottas turned a 1:12.661 for third place but got demoted by Hulkenberg. Romain Grosjean will start 14th after losing the rear of the vehicle in Ferradura on his hot lap in Q2., Although he was able to catch the initial slide, he ran wide and spun off into the run-off zone, flatspotting all four tyres and making it impossible for him to improve on his lap time.
“Overall it was a hard day”, said Vettel who can still finish second overall in the championship.
Having shaken off the lingering after-affects of his non-alcohol-induced “hangover” following an intense period of work and partying, he proved again that his high-speed lifestyle does not appear to hamper his high-speed control of an F1 racing auto despite struggles with the braking at Turn One, the first part of the famous Senna curves, where he locked up several times.
So now it was down to 10 drivers and 12 minutes of Q3. Rosberg set out first.
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In any case, of the three main protagonists, only two make my podium of the season’s top drivers. Rosberg turned a 1:11.282 to keep the pole as Hamilton did a 1:11.360.
