Jenson Button comfortably claimed his first pole for McLaren as he seeks to put his season back on track in Belgium. His time of 1 minute 47.573 seconds was comfortably the quickest time of the weekend. Kamui Kobayashi joins him on the front row, the first time the Sauber driver has qualified so high. Pastor Maldonado was the only other driver to break the 1 minute 48 second mark but a 3-place grid penalty for blocking earlier in the session sees him slip back to sixth on the grid.
 

 
Qualifying Facts

• Jenson Button became the 7th different pole sitter of 2012 whilst claiming his 8th career pole and first for McLaren. He was last on pole at the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix.
• Pastor Maldonado’s grid drop is his sixth penalty of the season (excluding speeding fines and grid drops for replacement gearboxes)
• Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa are the only drivers to have out-qualified their team mates at each event this year
• Kamui Kobayashi’s 2nd place grid slot is the highest of his F1 career
• All 24 drivers have a new engine at this event

 
Q3 Summary

 
Qualifying Lap Times

107% time: 1:56.622

¹ Webber takes a 5-place grid penalty for a new gearbox and will start the race in 12th position.
² Rosberg takes a 5-place grid penalty for a new gearbox and will start the race in 23rd position.
³ Maldonado takes a 3-place grid penalty for impeding Car 12 during Q1, he will start in 6th position.

Best Sector Times

 
What are your predictions for the race? Can Kamui Kobayashi achieve his first F1 podium? Should Kimi Raikkonen have received a penalty for cutting the chicane? Who was lucky and who was unlucky today? Let us know your thoughts in the comments…


Photo: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes