Chinese GP - Different day, same result, but plenty of surprises

Company press release.

Shanghai, 14 April – The current world championship leader will start tomorrow's third round of the World Championship from ninth place on the grid and his team-mate is twelfth. Under normal F1 circumstances, that would seem an unusual scenario, but it's not, given that the current leader is Fernando Alonso in the F2012 that Scuderia Ferrari knows is not yet competitive enough when compared to its usual rivals. His team-mate, Felipe Massa missed the cut into Q3 by around two tenths of a second, getting closer in terms of lap time to Fernando than in the first two rounds of this year's series. Proving that this season is throwing up plenty of unusual scenarios is the fact that the Brazilian Ferrari man starts on the sixth row on the outside of reigning champion, Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull. So it's been a case of different day, same result, as the Ferrari grid positions are identical to those at the Sepang circuit three weeks ago.

In fact, the top part of the grid also looks surprising, although it has to be said that the experts predicted Mercedes, with its unique aero elements, would be quick at this track. And so it was, allowing Nico Rosberg to take his first ever F1 pole position, which means a Mercedes also starts from the number one slot for the first time, if one discounts the Silver Arrows that raced over half a century ago. In fact, it was a good day for the Anglo-German outfit, as they will monopolise the front row for tomorrow's Chinese Grand Prix. Rosberg's team-mate, Michael Schumacher was third fastest this afternoon, behind Lewis Hamilton. But as the McLaren man drops from second to seventh on the grid with a penalty for requiring a gearbox change, the German veteran will have his first front row start since making his F1 comeback.

Hot on the heels of Sergio Perez's second place in the Ferrari-powered Sauber in the Malaysia race, today it was his team-mate, Kamui Kobayashi who delivered a fine performance and will start from the inside of the second row with Kimi Raikkonen in fourth place for Lotus. Row 3 features fifth placed Jenson Button in the McLaren and Mark Webber the best of the Red Bulls. Fernando shares Row 5 with Romain Grosjean in the Lotus. Behind Felipe, the remaining 12 drivers all line up in neat team pairs.

A prediction for dry weather tomorrow means there are unlikely to be as many surprises as in the rain soaked Sepang circuit, but the 'lively' grid might throw some opportunities our way. Whatever happens, the Chinese Grand Prix looks like sticking to its tradition of providing an interesting afternoon's entertainment.