F1 US Grand Prix: Rosberg takes pole after Q3 is abandoned

Nico Rosberg will start the United States Grand Prix from pole position ahead of Mercedes teammate and defending F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, after the final leg of qualifying was cancelled due to persistent rain.

Heavy showers and limited visibility had delayed qualifying until the morning of Sunday, with race control deeming yesterday’s conditions unsuitable for driving.   

And although qualifying got underway today as planned at 9 am local time, weather conditions again worsened, forcing the FIA to abandon Q3. As a result, the second part of qualifying was used to decide the order of the first 15 starting positions.

Rosberg will, hence, line up on pole position, having set the fastest time in Q2.

The two Red Bull drivers thrived in wet conditions and will occupy the second row of the grid, with Ricciardo starting from third place. Sebastian Vettel survived a brief moment at turn 10 to qualify 5th, but will drop 10 places on the grid for exceeding the maximum allotment of engines. Raikkonen - who provisionally qualified eighth - will also drop down the order as a result of engine change.

Vettel’s penalty will promote the Force India pairing of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg on to the third row of the grid, ahead of Williams’ Felipe Massa and the Toro Rosso of Max Verstappen.

Valtteri Bottas was the biggest casualty in Q2 and was joined by the McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, and the Lotus cars driven by Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado.

Earlier in Q1, Carlos Sainz rammed into the barriers, bringing the session to an abrupt halt. The Spaniard will start the race from the rear of the field, if the Toro Rosso mechanics are able to fix his car in time. He will also require a special dispensation from the stewards, which is anything but a formality, for failing to set a time within 107% of the fastest lap in Q1.

F1 United States Grand Prix - Qualifying Results (Top 10)

1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1:56.824
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:56.929
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 1:57.969
4. Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull) 1:58.434
5. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 1:58.596
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 1:59.210
7. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) 1:59.333
8. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1:59.703
9. Felipe Massa (Williams) 1:59.999
10. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso) 2:00:199