Rosberg win at Formula 1 qualifying – “I needed the” – Süddeutsche.de

• Small victory, great satisfaction: Nico Rosberg defeated for the first time in this formula 1 season Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying
• Nowhere is this more important than in Barcelona because. overtaking is almost impossible here.
• Ferrari remains despite new parts at a distance. Sebastian Vettel: “Of course we would have liked closer.”
• This all results from qualifying from Barcelona

From René Hofmann

For Nico Rosberg is a partial success. For the first time in this Formula 1 season, the 29-year-old Mercedes driver took the pole position. In the Grand Prix of Spain this Sunday (start 15 clock / RTL and livescore in SZ.de) he will start ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel. The three occupied in the four races so far have often the three most desirable places on the starting lights, but never in this order: On all occasions before Hamilton had stood at the front. . From there it three wins were successful

“This is a step in the right direction,” Rosberg said and known: “I needed that.” The World Cup runner-up of last year, has won no Grand Prix in 2015. In the drivers’ standings, he is 66 points 27 points behind Hamilton and only one ahead of Vettel

Before qualifying Niki Lauda had, the Supervisory Board Chairman of the Mercedes team, Rosberg situation described as:. “For Nico it is important that it intercepts Lewis. If you’ll always be second, you no longer think at some point even the fact that you can do it. ” After qualifying Lauda had done: “The humiliation of the first races are over Today Nico was better he did everything right super power….”

Three weeks ago in Bahrain, the race before, Rosberg had lost the chance for the pole position, because he had been thinking too much in qualifying to the race. In Barcelona he stayed at the Sprint focused. His two serious rounds in the final qualification round were faster than Hamilton’s, at the end dismissed the timesheet for him a lead of 0.26 seconds.

Hamilton admitted the defeat a little bluntly. “I did my best, but just was not fast enough. Nico has done a good job,” said the 30 year old Briton, who had once turned spectacularly during the morning, the third training.

Unlike the Bahrain International Circuit on which it went around last, the Circuit de Catalunya offers few opportunities to pass. “To overtake here is very, very difficult,” said Hamilton, “but has at the start and at the pit stops I might be a way,” the defending champion said, referring to the Sunday.

Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel have compared to the 17 other Grand Prix participants an advantage. All three divisions in qualifying one set of tires, which they can now use the race

“would be disappointed the wrong word,” Sebastian Vettel ordered his third place on the grid a, “it is good that we are still right behind Mercedes, but of course we would have liked closer.” For this project, the Scuderia from Maranello had brought many newly developed parts to Spain: A new front wing adorns the red car and a new underbody

The conversion work but did not bring as much as hoped.. Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen could not cope with the changed driving behavior. Frustrated, he let his Ferrari to downgrade again before qualifying. In his Used Raikkonen was only qualifying seventh. The second row in fourth place completed another Finn:. Williams driver Valtteri Bottas

McLaren brought for the first time this year both cars into the second qualifying round. There, however, there was no advancement for both Jenson Button as well for Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard will start 14th in his home race, Button parked position before him.

A disappointment experienced Nico Hulkenberg. The Force India driver got stuck as 17 already in the first round – as his team-mate Sergio Perez. “Here you need balance and downforce. We both nothing,” Hulkenberg said soberly, “we are too slow, we are lacking in the curves of the grip.”

On the question of what so far back in the Race was possible the 27-year-old was cynical. Hülkenberg’s response: “.. All the victory but for me the starter must send out three to all others.”