2016 F1 Round 17 Japanese GP Qualifying, Rosberg Takes Pole by 0.013 Seconds

Rosberg took pole at Suzuka with a 1:30.647 on his final qualifying run, just 0.013 seconds ahead of team-mate Hamilton. Mercedes occupied the front row, with the outcome decided by the finest of margins.

Archive image of three drivers together after qualifying for the 2016 Japanese Grand Prix

Hamilton had led after the first Q3 runs but could not retain the position on his second flying lap. Rosberg found more speed on his final lap to claim his eighth pole of the season.

Räikkönen qualified third for Ferrari, with Vettel fourth on time. Vettel, however, had a three-place grid penalty for his collision at the Malaysian Grand Prix, changing the final starting order.

Verstappen qualified fifth and Ricciardo sixth. Neither Red Bull reached the front row, but they remained near the front of the chasing group in their battle with Ferrari for strong starting positions.

Hamilton ran wide at Degner on his Q2 timed lap, losing around 0.4 seconds, but still progressed in second with a 1:31.129. He remained ahead of both Ferraris at the end of Q2.

Haas impressed as Grosjean qualified eighth and Gutiérrez tenth. Force India’s Pérez and Hülkenberg were seventh and ninth, with both teams taking two cars into the final session.

Button was eliminated in Q1 in 17th, while neither Williams reached Q3. Wehrlein received a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change, with the official starting grid listing him in 21st.

Rosberg secured pole by a tiny margin, with Hamilton alongside him. Ferrari, Red Bull and the midfield teams occupied their own competitive positions, while Vettel and Wehrlein would start from their penalty-adjusted grid positions.