Qualifying got underway with drivers keen to get out and post a time quick with the threat of a red flag spoiling their chance of posting a good time on their new tyres. And it wasnt long before this happened as after 9 minutes the session was stopped due to debris on the track. At this point Luiz Razia was quickest and one of 7 drivers who were already under 1'29.
Romain Grosjean was first to go under 1'28 quickly followed, and beaten by Michael Herck 1'27"55. This was with 15 minutes remaining at the half way point.
While Jules Bianchi, after a poor showing in the mornings session 2 popped upto P3 with a good time, it was the opposite for Dutchman Giedo Van der garde, who finished quickest in session 1 and 2nd session 2, was struggling down in 17th almost 2 seconds slower than Herck.
So at the half way point it was Herck, Grosjean, Bianchi, Davide Valsecchi, Esteban Guttierez, Luiz Razia, Mikhail Aleshin, Dani Clos, Fabio Leimer and Stefano Coletti in the top 10.
With just over 10 minutes left Sam Bird showed his pace in session 2 this morning was no fluke going 5th with a 1'28"00 only to be demoted seconds later by Arden driver Josef Kral. However Bird on his next lap went quicker again and up to P1 just 0.004 ahead of Herck. So at this point Bird, Herck and Grosjean were covered by 0.02.
With time running out Jolyon Palmer seemingly pulled a lap out of nowhere when he shot upto 6th behind team mate Kral. Sam Bird then improved going 2 tenths quicker putting space between him and the pack but on the same lap Grosjean improved reducing the gap again by moving up to 2nd.
Birds fellow Isport International team mate Marcus Ericsson showed his considerable talent, after damaging his suspension and bodywork earlier in the day and therefore completing just 5 laps out of the 2 morning sessions, as he moved up to a very impressive 6th position just half a second behind Bird.
Giedo Van der garde re-discovered his morning form by moving upto 5th with just 2.5 minutes left to go.
The field was very closely packed with the first 17 drivers being covered by less than 1 second in the dying seconds, meaning a small improvement in time could mean moving up 3-4 places on the grid for tomorrows race. And as Bird returned to the pits with the chequered flag waving Romain Grosjean stormed to a stunning pole position beating the unlucky Brit by 0.3.
With this pole position Grosjean has grabbed another 2 points thus moving up to the joint lead of the championship with Bianchi on 12 points.
Tomorrows feature race should be a cracker!!
1. Romain Grosjean - DAMS 1'27"06
2. Sam Bird - Isport International 1'27"38
3. Michael Herck - Scuderia Coloni 1'27"55
4. Jules Bianchi - Lotus ART 1'27"67
5. Giedo Van Der Garde - Barwa Addax 1'27"73
6. Josef Kral - Arden International 1'27"83
7. Marcus Ericsson - Isport International 1'27"87
8. Jolyon Palmer - Arden International 1'27"89
9. Davide Valsecchi - Team Air Asia 1'27"90
10. Mikhail Aleshin - Carlin 1'27"98
11. Luiz Razia - Team Air Asia 1'28"07
12. Andrea Caldarelli - Ocean Racing Technology 1'28"09
13. Fabio Leimer - Rapax 1'28"14
14. Oliver Turvey - Ocean Racing Technology 1'28"15
15. Esteban Gutierrez - Lotus ART 1'28"16
16. Stefano Coletti - Trident Racing 1'28"19
17. Rodolfo Gonzalez - Trident Racing 1'28"31
18. Max Chilton - Carlin 1'28"33
19. Pal Varhaug - Dams 1'28"35
20. Dani Clos - Racing Engineering 1'28"37
21. Fairuz Fauzy - Super Nova Racing 1'28"38
22. Johnny Cecotto - Super Nova Racing 1'28"49
23. Charles Pic - Barwa Addax Team 1'28"54
24. Julian Leal - Rapax 1'28"64
25. Nathanael Berthon - Racing Engineering 1'28"64
26. Luca Filippi - Scuderia Coloni -
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