Barcelona, May 9 (IANS) Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg pipped teammate and reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton for the first time this season to take pole position in the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya here on Saturday.
Rosberg beat Hamilton by 0.267 seconds with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finishing third ahead of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas for Sunday’s race. Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz Jr. took a superb fifth whereas his teammate Max Verstappen was sixth.
Former World Champion Fernando Alonso, in his McLaren, was 13th. Both McLarens, that of Jenson Button too, made it into the second part of qualifying for the first time this season, another step forward for the team in their first season with new engine supplier Honda.
Alonso beat Button for the first time this season by 0.096 seconds and one position.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen had a disappointing session, managing only seventh ahead of Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat, Williams’ Felipe Massa and the second Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo.
Hamilton has a 27-point advantage over Rosberg with Vettel a further point adrift heading into this race, after three wins and a second place in the first four races of the season.