News Update 10/18/2008
Hang ’em high in Shanghai: Lewis Hamilton grabbed his seventh pole of the season for Sunday’s penultimate round in this year’s world championship, the Chinese Grand Prix. Sharing the front row with the British McLaren driver will be outgoing champion Kimi Raikkonen. His Ferrari teammate and title challenger Felipe Massa shares the second row with his spiritual-championship saviour Fernando Alonso, who continues his petulance and prickly bitterness towards the team he drove for last year.
It was in this race from pole position last year that Lewis Hamilton’s quest to become the first rookie and youngest world champion slipped off-track in the wet. Rain is again expected, time will tell if it will shower him with an historic title or drown him in another Shanghai surprise and disappointment.
Kimi second and Felipe Massa settles for third.
Fernando Alonso on the second row with P4.
Heidfeld penalized three grid positions for blocking DC.
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:35.566 1:34.947 1:36.303
2. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:35.983 1:35.355 1:36.645
3. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:35.971 1:35.135 1:36.889
4. Alonso Renault (B) 1:35.769 1:35.461 1:36.927
5. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:35.623 1:35.216 1:36.930
6. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:36.238 1:35.686 1:37.083
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:36.224 1:35.403 1:37.201
8. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:35.752 1:35.386 1:37.685
9. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:36.104 1:35.715 1:37.934
10. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:36.239 1:35.478 1:38.885
11. Piquet Renault (B) 1:36.029 1:35.722
12. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:36.503 1:35.814
13. Glock Toyota (B) 1:36.210 1:35.937
14. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:36.640 1:36.079
15. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:36.434 1:36.210
16. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:36.731
17. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:36.863
18. Button Honda (B) 1:37.053
19. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:37.730
20. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:37.739