2012 European Grand Prix Qualifying: Vettel takes pole with Hamilton alongside

The 2012 European Grand Prix on the street circuit in Valencia sees Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on pole position with Lewis Hamilton’s  McLaren alongside.

Slowly, but not yet completely, Red Bull and McLaren seem to be getting a handle on the topsy-turvy 2012 Grand Prix Circus.

Despite serious challenges in final qualifying, it was Sebastian Vettel who set a blistering time to take pole, his third pole of the 2012 season, 33rd of his career and third at Valencia.

Alongside sits Hamilton in the McLaren, but so tight was qualifying that team mate Jenson Button – who ended up in 9th – was in provisional second himself a few minutes before.

Pastor Maldonando was strong for Williams, taking third place ahead of the Lotus pair of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Rakkonen and the Force India team looked strong until we blinked when they actually ended up eight (Nico Hulkenberg) and tenth (Paul di Resta).

The best Mercedes could manage was sixth place for Nico Rosberg with Michael Schumacher not even making final qualifying and ending up in 12th place. But Ferrari didn’t make final qualify at all, with Fernando Alonso in 11th and Felipe Massa in 13th, with the best ‘Ferrari’ showing of the day with Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber managing seventh on the grid.

Even further down the grid than the Ferraris and Shumacher is Mark Webber in his Red Bull in a lowly 19th place after struggling with brake problems.

All of which – with the exception of the front row – points towards an exciting Grand Prix as lowly placed big-hitters fight from well down the grid for points on Valencia’s street circuit.

By Cars UK