Brazil Grand Prix: Hamilton & Button lock out front row for McLaren

Lewis Hamilton takes pole for tomorrow’s Brazil Grand Prix in Sao Paulo with Jenson Button alongside as the 2012 F1 season reaches a climax.

The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo is supposed to be all about Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull going head to head with Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari for the 2012 F1 Drivers World Title. But no one told McLaren.

Hamilton was fired up in final qualifying to put on a display in his last race for McLaren, and a show is what he delivered with a blistering time of 1:12.458 to claim the number one spot on the grid for tomorrow’s race, but team mate Jenson Button did almost as much to take second place with a time of 1:12.513.

Behind the McLarens sits an all Red Bull sec0nd row, but it’s Mark Webber in third with a seemingly nervous Sebastian Vettel in fourth place. That may not be where Vettel wanted to be, but it’s a lot better than an equally jittery Fernando Alonso managed – out-qualified by his team mate Felipe Massa (who starts in fifth) and languishing in eighth place.

Other top ten starts belong to Maldonado in the Williams in sixth, Hulkenberg’s Force India in seventh, Raikkonen’s Lotus in ninth and Rosberg in the Mercedes in tenth. Michael Schumacher, in probably hist last ever F1, race looks unlikely to go out with a bang after ending 14th on the grid.

On the basis of tomorrow’s start positions, Alonso looks to have little chance of taking the title from Vettel’s hands, but with rain forecast to fall on the race it is still a possibility.

Hopefully, with Hamilton having something to prove, Schumacher with nothing to lose and Alonso and Vettel praying for the title, the race will be a good ‘un.

How much did Bernie have to pay to not only bring the drivers title down to a last race showdown, but organise rain for the day to inject an extra element of uncertainty?

By Cars UK