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Out of all the drivers on track, Kimi Raikkonen holds the most pole positions on the Circuit de Catalunya (2005 and 2008) and yet most Facebook fans have voted for Fernando Alonso to get pole in 2013.
Q1 started and Daniel Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso took to the track first. Followed closely by his teammate Jean-Éric Vergne and the pair of Williams. Last year, Pastor Maldonado took his Williams to the top and won the race. Also, last year in Spain, Maldonado became hero for a week when the Williams garage caught fire and the photo of him piggy-backing his cousin with a broken leg out of the smoke and fire came out. Apparently, Pastor Maldonado had been shouting at a picture of himself with last year’s winning trophy to motivate himself for qualifying. Not something that you would hear of and seems somewhat strange but whatever motivates you…
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Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have headed out with eight minutes to go, but both Mercedes and McLarens are staying put in the garage. The moment that Fernando Alonso hit the track, the crowd started cheering. If you have ever been to a Formula One race, you are quite aware that it is so loud that earplugs are recommended. You can just imagine how loud the fans are cheering to be heard over the sound of 22 engines on track. Being Alonso’s home race, it could be the main reason why the Spaniard was favourite to get pole position.
As Q1 came to and end, the heat was turned up for the drivers in the drop out zone. Towards the top of the top half of the time sheets, another story was playing out. We heard a message from Williams to Pastor Maldonado which says: “Button behind you, don’t let him through.” Shortly after, a message played from McLaren’s Jenson Button saying: “Massively held up by the Williams. Got to get a penalty for that.”
In the last few seconds of Q1, Esteban Gutiérrez put forth an amazing effort from van der Garde, who was five-hundredths quicker than Bianchi and four-tenths ahead of Caterham team-mate Pic.
The first period of qualifying completed and the drivers that failed to make the cut after round one:
17) Bottas 1:23.260s18) Maldonado 1:23.318s19) van der Garde 1:24.661s20) Bianchi 1:24.713s21) Chilton 1:24.996s22) Pic 1:25.070s.
Q2 started and Gutiérrez was first out on track. The young Mexican driver was trying to set a quick lap and obtain a good finishing position as he and his team were aware that there was going to be a grid penalty being handed to him after qualifying.
As Q2 rolled forward, it was all about 16 drivers trying to hit the mark of 1.22s estimated that would get them through to Q3.
A big surprise as McLaren’s Jenson Button failed to make it into the top ten shoot out… again. Languishing in P14, a 0.565s slower than Perez. It’s the first time that he’s been out qualified by his Mexican team-mate all year. But Sergio Perez set an amazing time and rocketed up to seventh with a lap of 1m21.790s.
Another possible penalty that could come out of qualifying: Massa appeared to hinder Webber through Turn 12 in Q2. It’ll be interesting to see what the stewards make of that after the session.
A frenetic end to the second segment. Here is the list of eliminated drivers:
11) Ricciardo 1:22.127s12) Vergne 1:22.166s13) Sutil 1:22.346s14) Button 1:22.355s15) Hulkenberg 1:22.389s16) Gutierrez 1:22.793s.
Top Ten Shoot Out and the racing begins. Or the lack there of. Five minutes left in Q3 and only five drivers had hit the track and set times. Q3 always sets forth the argument for qualifying tyres. If the teams and drivers were not so concerned for tyre wear and conservation for the race. Let them have tyres, we say. Let the fans enjoy qualifying and let there be racing.
Three minutes left and the cars hit the track again. All set to leap frog for pole until the chequered flag drops.
A minute and a half left and all tens cars were out on track. Rosberg´s current pole time of 1:20.842 was about to be shattered. As the chequered flag dropped, the time was lost… By Nico Rosberg himself. Setting a new fastest lap of 1:20.718. Rosberg ends up two-tenths clear of team-mate Hamilton, ensuring a Mercedes lock-out on the front row tomorrow!
Vettel ends up third in the Red Bull, with Raikkonen fourth, Alonso only fifth in front of the home fans, and Massa sixth. Grosjean is seventh in the other Lotus, ahead of Webber, Perez and di Resta rounds out the top 10 after a sensational session.
So it’s Mercedes up front with the Red Bulls, Ferrari‘s and Lotus drivers all chasing them. It should be an epic race tomorrow!
 Nico Rosberg | P1 |
| Lewis Hamilton | P2 |
 Sebastian Vettel | P3 |
 Kimi Räikkönen | P4 |
 Fernando Alonso | P5 |
| Felipe Massa | P6 |
| Romain Grosjean | P7 |
| Mark Webber | P8 |
 Sergio Perez | P9 |
 Paul di Resta | P10 |
 Daniel Ricciardo | P11 |
| Jean-Éric Vergne | P12 |
| Adrian Sutil | P13 |
| Jenson Button | P14 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | P15 |
 Esteban Gutiérrez | P16 |
 Valtteri Bottas | P17 |
| Pastor Maldonado | P18 |
 Giedo van der Garde | P19 |
 Jules Bianchi | P20 |
| Max Chilton | P21 |
| Charles Pic | P22 |
