QUALIFYING REPORT
Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg got one over constructors’ championship
rivals Williams by qualifying seventh, ahead of Valtteri Bottas in eighth and
Felipe Massa in ninth, with Carlos Sainz tenth for Toro Rosso.
For the frontrunners Q1 was straightforward. Mercedes seized the initiative,
with Hamilton quickly rising to P1 with a time of 1:36.296 and was joined at the
top by Rosberg, Verstappen and Ricciardo.
After setting times hovering around two seconds clear of Romain
Grosjean’s P16 time after the drivers’ first spell on track none of the leaders