2015 F1 Round 14 Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying – Rosberg on pole after Kvyat crash ends Q3

Rosberg took pole for the Japanese Grand Prix on September 26 with a Q3 lap of 1:32.584. Hamilton was second, 0.076 seconds behind, with Bottas third.

Hamilton led Q1 with a 1:32.844, followed by Rosberg on 1:33.015. Button in 16th, Ericsson in 17th, Nasr in 18th and both Marussia drivers failed to progress.

Verstappen stopped near the hairpin with a power problem, bringing out yellow flags that affected some drivers on their final runs. He progressed to Q2 and recorded no time in the second session.

Rosberg returned to the top in Q2 with a 1:32.632, ahead of Hamilton on 1:32.789. Hülkenberg, Sainz, Maldonado, Alonso and the untimed Verstappen were eliminated in this session.

On the first Q3 runs, Rosberg set a 1:32.584, closely followed by Hamilton on 1:32.660. Bottas was third, Vettel fourth, Massa fifth and Räikkönen sixth.

As the field prepared for the second runs, Kvyat lost control on the approach to the hairpin and hit the barrier. His car rolled before coming to rest, and he climbed out unaided. The red flag came out with around 38 seconds remaining, and Q3 was not restarted.

Ricciardo was seventh and Grosjean eighth. Pérez and Kvyat reached Q3 but did not record valid times in the final session. They were officially classified ninth and tenth respectively.

Verstappen received a separate three-place grid penalty for stopping in a dangerous position. Hülkenberg’s three-place penalty arose from his collision with Massa at the previous race. Both penalties affected grid positions and left the official qualifying classification unchanged.