Japanese GP 2016 Qualifying: Nico Rosberg just beats Lewis Hamilton to pole


Nico Rosberg has beaten Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position for the Japanese GP by less than a tenth of a second.

In one of the closest sessions of the year, Rosberg edged out Hamilton, ahead in their opening Q3 runs, by the slender margin of two hundredths of a second.

Rosberg, who leads the world championship by 23 points, has appeared to hold a small advantage over Hamilton all weekend but had to deliver an inch-perfect lap to prevail. Mercedes calculated the difference in lap time between their two drivers to be worth 82 centimetres of the legendary Suzuka circuit.  "I was going well the whole weekend," said Rosberg. "That's what allows me to put a lap in like that."

It's the tenth time this year that Mercedes have locked out the front row for a race.

Led by Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari beat Red Bull to the second row, although Sebastian Vettel will have to surrender his position to Max Verstappen due to the grid penalty hanging over him from his clash with Rosberg at the start in Malaysia.

Jenson Button suffered the indignity of elimination at the first hurdle, exiting Q1 at McLaren-Honda's home race. Worse, it wasn't even a surprise: Button has struggled all weekend on a circuit which, ironically, highlights rather than disguises the weaknesses of the McLaren package. Fernando Alonso fared only slightly better, reaching the modest heights of 15th, two places ahead of Button.

Japanese GP Qualifying
1 Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
4. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
6. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
7. Sergio Perez, Force India
8. Romain Grosjean, Haas
9. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India
10. Esteban Gutierrez, Haas

Eliminated in Q2
11. Valtteri Bottas, Williams
12. Felipe Massa, Williams
13. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso
14. Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso
15. Fernando Alonso, McLaren
16. Jolyon Palmer, Renault

Eliminated in Q1
17. Jenson Button, McLaren
18. Kevin Magnussen, Renault
19. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
20. Felipe Nasr, Sauber
21. Esteban Ocon, Manor
22. Pascal Wehrlein, Manor

* Vettel to take three-place penalty for causing a collision in the Malaysia GP

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