McLaren Takes a Surprise Front Row at Monza

Qualifying for the 2012 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza began today. McLaren qualified a surprise front row. Fernando Alonso had been fastest in Q1 and Q2, but something must have gone wrong with his car in Q3. He lost about a second in lap time. Equally surprising was Hamilton putting in the pole position time midway through Q3. Jenson Button followed right behind him. Felipe Massa outclassed his teammate and will be third on the grid. 

In Q1, Nico Hulkenberg was having problems in the first session. His car was occasionally shifting into neutral during downshifts. It caused him to miss corners on his first two laps and therefore not put times in. With 7:40 to go, Hulkenberg still had not been able to put a time in. With 3:10 left, Alonso was leading. The top six drivers were in the 1:24:XXX range. The other 11 drivers were all in the 1:25:XXX range. With a minute left, Hulkenberg was still not able to put in a time. D'Ambrosio was 17th fastest and moved forward to Q2. 

Alonso was still fastest in the early portion of Q2. His closest rival was Jenson Button who set a time 0.013 seconds away from Alonso with 7 minutes to go. Pastor Maldonado was in 10th position with 4:30 left. Bruno Senna was 0.06 seconds off his pace. With 2:00 to Maldonado was able to move up and put Vettel in 10th place. Vettel was able to improve up to 9th, but his teammate Mark Webber could not and qualified 11th. Pastor Maldonado qualified 12th but will lose 10 spots from two penalties last week meaning he will start in 22nd. 

In Q3 with about 4 minutes to go Lewis Hamilton put in the fastest time of the entire weekend with a 1:24.010. Alonso, despite being the fastest throughout the day, finished 10th in qualifying. Even Massa was third. Hamilton's time form early in the session stood, and his teammate Jenson Button was second. That gives McLaren the front grid. Di Resta qualified fourth, but with his penalty will be pushed to ninth. That gives Michael Schumacher the fourth spot.

For jumping the start and making contact with other cars last week at Spa, Pastor Maldonado will have a 10 grid spot penalty. 

Paul di Resta has a five grid spot penalty for a gearbox change.