Pole Report: Lewis Hamilton puts McLaren on pole for Italian Grand Prix

by Lisa Reese

What should have been an easy pole for the current points leader went awry in Q3. Fernando Alonso now finds himself starting the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2012 firmly in mid-pack because of a broken rear anti-roll bar.

Lewis Hamilton, the center of most of the series’ gossip for the week, and his teammate Jenson Button, have put McLaren squarely in front with Massa and Di Resta in third and fourth, respectively. Schumacher and Vettel are just behind the Ferrari and Force India, in fifth and sixth. Kimi Raikkonen is in eighth with Alonso in 10th. Pastor Maldonado, another much-talked-about driver this week due to last week's crash in Spa is, mercifully, starting in 12th behind those who have any chance at the Driver's Championship.

Because of a gearbox change, Di Resta incurred a five-place penalty so the top-10 grid order will be: Hamilton, Button; Massa, Schumacher; Vettel, Rosberg; Raikkonen, Kobayashi; Di Resta, Alonso. Let's not forget Maldonado’s two five-place penalties from Spa. That has changed the grid order from the sixth row downwards:: Webber, Perez; Senna, Ricciardo; D’Ambrosio (driving for the banned Romain Grosjean), Vergne; Kovalainen, Petrov; Glock, Pic; Karthikeyan, Maldonado; De la Rosa, Hulkenberg.

Rumors have been flying this week that Lewis Hamilton is unhappy at McLaren and entertaining a move to Mercedes. Nothing has been said officially, but I can't help but wonder if, after today's qualifying and, if Hamilton/McLaren win tomorrow, those rumors will be nipped in the bud, a contract signed and Hamilton will stay right where he is. Nobody likes attention more than Lewis Hamilton and I'm sure the tongue-wagging over where he will be next year is no exception.

Italian Grand Prix 2012 Qualifying

	Driver	Teams	Time
1	LC Hamilton	McLaren	1'24.010
2	J Button	McLaren	1'24.133
3	F Massa	Ferrari	1'24.247
4	P di Resta	Force India	1'24.304
5	M Schumacher	Mercedes	1'24.540
6	S Vettel	Red Bull	1'24.802
7	N Rosberg	Mercedes	1'24.833
8	KM Räikkönen	Lotus	1'24.855
9	K Kobayashi	Sauber	1'25.109
10	F Alonso	Ferrari	1'25.678
11	M Webber	Red Bull	1'24.809
12	P Maldonado	Williams	1'24.820
13	S Perez	Sauber	1'24.901
14	B Senna	Williams	1'25.042
15	D Ricciardo	Toro Rosso	1'25.312
16	J d'Ambrosio	Lotus	1'25.408
17	JE Vergne	Toro Rosso	1'25.441
18	H Kovalainen	Caterham	1'26.382
19	V Petrov	Caterham	1'26.887
20	T Glock (GER)	Marussia	1'27.039
21	C Pic (FRA)	Marussia	1'27.073
22	KRN Karthikeyan (IND)	HRT	1'27.441
23	PM de la Rosa (ESP)	HRT	1'27.629
24	N Hülkenberg (GER)	Force India

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