Mercedes continue their strong start to the season as Lewis Hamilton took his second pole position of the season at Sepang. Sebastien Vettel put his Red Bull on the front row in second whilst Nico Rosberg will start in third. Alonso put himself in fourth whilst Ricciardo will start ahead of Raikkonen on the third row for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
My Opinion:
Mclaren - Magnussen 8th, Button 10th. It was maybe not the qualifying session Mclaren had hoped for after their brilliant start to the season but they put themselves in with a chance of more success for the race. Magnussen could not reproduce the pace he displayed in Melbourne but out-qualified Button for the second time in a row. Button managed to make it into the top ten shootout this time but failed to reap the rewards after qualifying in 10th. I expect Mclaren to perform well in the race once again as they look to have built a strong car for the race day. Points should be secured from both drivers.
Mercedes - Hamilton pole, Rosberg 3rd. Another dominant display in qualifying from Mercedes who seem to have built the fastest car so far this season. Hamilton took his second pole position in as many races and looks set to be on that podium at the end. The team will hope Rosberg will be alongside him on the podium after the German starts from third once again. I'm expecting a Mercedes one-two here.
Ferrari - Alonso 4th, Raikkonen 6th. Ferrari put in a strong performance in qualifying and seem in good shape to challenge for a spot or two on the podium. Alonso improved one place from his position in Melbourne and will be pose a threat in fourth whilst Raikkonen had a much better time of it here at Sepang and will be looking for a strong race from 6th.
Williams - Massa 13th, Bottas 18th. Disappointment for Williams in qualifying. It was not what Williams had in mind as both of their cars missed out on a top ten starting spot. Massa could only manage 13th but will surely find his way into the points tomorrow whilst Bottas had to take a three place penalty and will start 18th. Despite a poor qualifying effort, I'm sure the car is fast enough for the race to pick up points in the top 10. Massa should make it but Bottas will have work to do to move up the grid.
Force India - Hulkenberg 7th, Perez 14th. Mixed feelings at Force India. Hulkenberg has shown some consistency to qualify in 7th for a second time in a row but Perez seems to still be finding his way with his Force India, missing out on the top ten once more. It looks like points are on the books for the team but it will be interesting to see how Perez gets on in the race.
Toro Rosso - Vergne 9th, Kvyat 11th. Toro Rosso have made it into the top ten once again this season and look to have built a reasonably quick car. Vergne was just that little bit faster than Kvyat again but both cars lost a few places compared to their qualifying positions in Melbourne. Both cars in good positions to take points from tomorrow's race but they will have to fight hard for them.
Sauber - Gutierrez 12th, Sutil 17th. Small signs of progress at Sauber. Sutil qualified 14th last time around but struggled to find some pace in Sepang, falling three places down to 17th. Gutierrez showed some positive signs of improvement after putting his car in 12th, 5 places higher than in Melbourne. Not too sure if Sauber will get too many points if any from the race but Gutierrez looks the more likely if they do.
Marussia - Bianchi 19th, Chilton 21st. Marussia find themselves near the back. Bianchi was the quickest man for the team today after qualifying two places ahead of Chilton. Their chances of taking a point from the race are very slim but they may be faster than the Caterham's.
Lotus - Grosjean 15th, Maldonado 16th. Lotus still not where they want to be. Although they made it into Q2 this time, the car just wasn't quick enough to make the top ten. Grosjean proved himself to be quicker than Maldonado but they will be desperate for some points in the race to lift the spirit of the team.
Caterham - Kobayashi 20th, Ericsson 22nd. Caterham find themselves at the back of the grid. Kobayashi outperformed Ericsson again but the car was the slowest on the grid. Kobayashi may climb up the grid to gain a few places in the race but it will be about being faster than Marussia.
Red Bull - Vettel 2nd, Ricciardo 5th. Red Bull's back on track. After a disastrous race weekend last time around, Red Bull have something to be more upbeat about as both of their cars put on a decent display. Vettel was narrowly beaten to pole position by Hamilton but will fancy his chances of winning from second. Ricciardo was not as quick as he was in Melbourne but still managed to get himself on the third row. A strong chance of seeing a Red Bull on the podium and even two if Ricciardo can maintain a strong race.
Qualifying Result and Starting Grid
Q3
Pole. Hamilton (Mercedes) 1.59.431
2. Vettel (Red Bull)
3. Rosberg (Mercedes)
4. Alonso (Ferrari)
5. Ricciardo (Red Bull)
6. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
7. Hulkenberg (Force India)
8. Magnussen (Mclaren)
9. Vergne (Toro Rosso)
10. Button (Mclaren)
Q2
11. Kvyat (Toro Rosso)
12. Gutierrez (Sauber)
13. Massa (Williams)
14. Perez (Force India)
15. Bottas (Williams) (3 Place penalty, will start 18th)
16. Grosjean (Lotus)
Q1
17. Maldonado (Lotus)
18. Sutil (Sauber)
19. Bianchi (Marussia)
20. Kobayashi (Caterham)
21. Chilton (Marussia)
22. Ericsson (Caterham)
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