Singapore Grand Prix (2012): Hamilton on pole for McLaren

Lewis Hamilton posted a stunning lap time to take pole position in tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix ahead of the Williams of Pastor Maldonado.

All the talk about Lewis Hamilton may have been about a move to Mercedes this week, but under the lights at Singapore today it was all about his stunning lap that captured pole position for tomorrow’s race.

Hamilton posted a time of 46:362 to take pole – his third pole in four races – almost half a second in front of second place man Pastor Maldonado in the Williams.

Behind the McLaren and Williams is Sebastian Vettel in third and Hamilton’s team mate, Jenson Button in fourth, both a surprise after Button’s performances in Spa and Monza and Vettel’s here at Singapore where he seemed to have the measure of Hamilton until the final session.

Sitting in fifth is championship leader Fernando Alonso who will have a fight on his hands to get any further up the grid than the McLaren of Button (team orders to help Hamilton?) followed by Paul di Resta’s Force India, Mark Webber’s Red Bull and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean.

Mercedes, with both drivers in Q3, didn’t set any times at all but preferred to play the long game by doing a ‘parade’ lap on the ‘Soft’ tyres so they could start tomorrow’s race on them in the hope of stealing an advantage.

We’ll find out if Mercedes were right tomorrow.

By Cars UK