Polesitter Lewis Hamilton expects 'massively tough' tyre wear situation in Malaysian Grand Prix

Hamilton claimed his second straight pole of the 2012 season and will again share the front row with his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, who leads the championship after his victory in Australia last weekend.

But after having no answer for Button's race pace in Melbourne, a circuit at which degradation was minimal, Hamilton believes he will be much closer at Sepang, a track that places far greater demands on rubber due to its succession of long corners and warm track temperatures.

"It is [crucial at Sepang]; positioning and tyre management," he said. "In these conditions you never know what is going to happen, and these tyres are having a seriously hard time around here, so it's going to be interesting.

"This is a very tricky circuit with the temperatures and humidity outside. It will be massively tough tomorrow, so we just have to put ourselves in the best place we can."

Hamilton's pole, which came by 0.149 seconds, was the 21st of his Formula 1 career, an achievement that only 10 drivers in F1 history have beaten.

He said that despite this, he had not been entirely happy with his best effort in Q3.

"The first lap was quite good, but I lost a bit of time in the last corner. And in the first corner I had a small oversteer moment, but it didn't cost me much time. The rest of lap went quite well and fortunately I was able to minimise the amount I lost."