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Formula 1
Spanish GP
2012 Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying
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Hamilton claims pole and it should be a fun race down to Turn 1 against the fiesty Maldonado. Join us tomorrow for all the race action.
So, it happened. A very strange final segment as tyre preservation dominates qualifying. It does however set us up for a thrilling race.
Kobayashi didn't make it out after technical problems at the end of Q2. He rounds out the top 10.
A delighted Hamilton has returned to the pits with a lift in the medical car, having been asked to stop the McLaren by his team.
Vettel completed a two-run tyre cycle and that puts him eighth, because Schumacher did just one checking lap - ninth.
Perez ends up sixth for Sauber and Rosberg was the only other driver to set a time in seventh position.
Alonso is third for Ferrari at his home event, which has at least pleased the crowd. Grosjean and Raikkonen are next up for Lotus.
So Lewis Hamilton grabs a solid pole for tomorrow's race with Pastor Maldonado sensationally on the front row of the grid.
Hamilton's margin is over half a second but the McLaren has now ground to a halt around the back of the circuit.
Lewis Hamilton takes pole for the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix!
Vettel did not set a time either and ran another heat cycle and pitted. No time set!
Hamilton clocks a 1m21.707s to defy Maldonado at the death.
Maldonado silences the crowd out of nowhere and takes the fastest time with 1m22.285s.
Grosjean is up to second in his Lotus but behind him Hamilton is setting rapid times...
Perez grabs third.
Raikkonen comes around and it is only second for the Lotus man.
Alonso delights the crowd with a new best of 1m22.302s.
10 min: The flag is out but the laps continue...
9 min: Rosberg is back into the pits and that's qualifying over for Mercedes.
9 min: Raikkonen is the fastest man through the first part of the lap as Alonso is cheered on by the crowd at Campsa.
9 min: Rosberg has run slowly through his next lap. Schumacher isn't even coming out! No time set.
9 min: All to play for with a minute left on the clock in Q3.
8 min: Raikkonen tours through the final chicane and heads into a timed attempt.
8 min: Maldonado heads out and for many of the drivers this is a one run segment.
8 min: Hamilton reports that he was "pleasantly surprised" by the grip of his used rubber on that early lap. He now heads out on fresh softs.
7 min: Rosberg comes round the final corner and he posts 1m23.005s, almost half-a-second down on Hamilton.
7 min: Alonso bolts fresh softs on his Ferrari and is off out.
7 min: Rosberg is the only driver on track with just over three minutes remaining.
6 min: Rosberg comes through on soft tyres and begins a lap ... and this looks like an attempt.
6 min: Hamilton returns to the pits as teams still ponder the value of running in this segment against saving rubber for the race.
6 min: Schumacher is back into the pits after one checking lap on the hard compound tyre.
5 min: So four drivers have been out and six remain firmly in the pits with less than five minutes to go.
4 min: Rosberg follows his Mercedes team-mate out a few seconds later.
4 min: Hamilton sets the benchmark at a 1m22.560s.
4 min: Schumacher is the third driver to join the circuit, with less than six minutes to go.
4 min: Hamilton is going for it on his banker lap with used rubber.
4 min: Vettel returns to the pits and that is a two-lap cycle run on the soft tyre. No time set.
3 min: Only these two drivers are on track and Mark Webber's words are coming home to roost.
3 min: Vettel is on a lap, but this is at half the usual racing speed on the soft tyre.
2 min: McLaren report Hamilton is on used tyres for this first attempt to bank a time.
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton
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