Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the European Grand Prix on Saturday to lead a McLaren 1-2 in qualifying.
Hamilton had a best lap of 1 minute, 39.498 seconds around the Valencia street circuit to give the defending Formula One champion his first pole of the season.
Teammate Heikki Kovalainen slipped up at the last corner on his final flying lap and will start Sunday’s race from second spot. USA Today
Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello claimed third place having led the way in Q2, although the Brazilian fared better than team-mate and championship leader Jenson Button, who took fifth.
Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel salvaged fourth place from what had been a difficult two days of practice, although his team-mate - and Button’s nearest title challenger - Mark Webber was ninth. The Press Association
“This is really great for me and for the team, but especially for Heikki,” said Hamilton.
“We have wanted this kind of performance, a one-two in qualifying for a long time. It proves that after all the troubles we have had this season, McLaren are back.”
“We’ve not had a one-two qualifying experience for a long time. It’s a great experience. Heikki did a brilliant job too. And it’s a fantastic achievement from the guys back at the factory,” added Hamilton.
Formula 1: European Grand Prix - Qualifying Results
Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari was sixth, German Nico Rosberg was seventh for Williams and Spain’s two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Renault was eighth.
Button, worried about both Webber and Vettel in the drivers’ title race, clutched for straws of consolation when he said: “In a way it’s better to be in P5, on the clean side (rather than P4).
“Hopefully Vettel won’t be there for too long. The McLarens were very quick and impossible to catch. But it’s not too bad.” AFP
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