Nico Rosberg salutes the crowd after clinching pole for the Spanish Grand Prix - his first of the season. Lluis Gene / AFP
Nico Rosberg salutes the crowd after clinching pole for the Spanish Grand Prix - his first of the season. Lluis Gene / AFP

Nico Rosberg clinches first pole of the season as Mercedes lock out Spanish GP front row



Nico Rosberg ended his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s run of domination in qualifying this season when he secured his first pole position of the year in Saturday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old German produced a fastest lap in one minute and 24.681 seconds to outpace the defending world champion by three-tenths of a second on a hot afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya where Hamilton won from pole last year.

His lap was quicker than Hamilton’s 2014 pole time and ended the 30-year-old Briton’s run of four straight poles this year.

Rosberg now needs to convert that advantage into a first win since last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix to reduce Hamilton’s 27-point lead in the title race.

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel was third-fastest for Ferrari ahead of Finn Valtteri Bottas of Williams, new home hero Carlos Sainz and his Toro Rosso team-mate, Dutch teenager Max Verstappen.

Another Finn, Kimi Raikkonen was down in seventh for Ferrari ahead of Russian Daniil Kvyat of Red Bull, Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Williams and Australian Daniel Ricciardo in the second Red Bull.

GRID FOR THE 2015 SPANISH GRAND PRIX:

1st row

Nico Rosberg (GER/Mercedes)

Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)

2nd row

Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari)

Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Mercedes)

3rd row

Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso-Renault)

Max Verstappen (NED/Toro Rosso-Renault)

4th row

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari)

Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Red Bull-Renault)

5th row

Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams-Mercedes)

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull-Renault)

6th row

Romain Grosjean (FRA/Lotus-Mercedes)

Pastor Maldonado (VEN/Lotus-Mercedes)

7th row

Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren-Honda)

Jenson Button (GBR/McLaren-Honda)

8th row

Felipe Nasr (BRA/Sauber-Ferrari)

Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber-Ferrari)

9th row

Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Force India-Mercedes)

Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India-Mercedes)

10th row

Will Stevens (GBR/Marussia-Ferrari)

Roberto Merhi (ESP/Marussia-Ferrari)

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Results

2pm Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,800m

Winner AF Al Baher, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m

Winner Alla Mahlak, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

3pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,400m

Winner Davy Lamp, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly.

3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 1,400m

Winner Ode To Autumn, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

4pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,950m

Winner Arch Gold, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

4.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,800m

Winner Meqdam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

5pm Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,800m

Winner Native Appeal, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.

5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m

Winner Amani Pico, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

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