Skip advert
Advertisement

2012 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying

Michael Schumacher was fastest in qualifying, but a penalty means Mark Webber will start the Monaco Grand Prix from pole

Michael Schumacher was the fastest man in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, but a penalty means Mark Webber will start from pole position.

Schumacher's final lap of the day was just eight-hundredths of a second faster than Webber, but he starts sixth due to a five-place grid penalty following his collision with Bruno Senna in Barcelona. Webber has form at Monaco, having won the race from pole in 2010.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg - who was fastest in final practice - will join Webber on the front row of the grid, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Romain Grosjean.

Fernando Alonso is in fifth, having qualified just a tenth of a second faster than his teammate Felipe Massa. This is the first time the Brazilian driver has qualified within the top 10 this season, and he was fastest of all the drivers in Q2.

Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen will start in seventh place ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who was the only driver not to set a time in the final qualifying session.

Maldonado was ninth fastest but will start the race from 23rd due to a 10-place grid penalty, plus a five-place drop for a gearbox change, following a crash in final practice. The Venezuelan driver - who took his first Formula One victory in the last race in Barcelona - appeared to cause a collision with Sergio Perez, before crashing his Williams just a few moments later and bringing the session to an end. This follows his penalty for driving into Lewis Hamilton in Belgium last year.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Nico Hulkenberg has then inherited 10th place, and will start ahead of Kamui Kobayashi and Jenson Button. All three failed to make it into the final qualifying session.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The biggest casualty of the day was Sergio Perez. He crashed into a barrier during the first qualifying session, due to what looked like a steering problem. He lost his left-rear wheel and was forced to park his car on track.

Perez also had a huge crash during qualifying in Monaco last year, which left him out of the race and in hospital with severe concussion.

2012 Monaco Grand Prix grid

PositionDriverTeamTime
1Mark WebberRed Bull Racing-Renault1'14.381
2Nico RosbergMercedes1'14.448
3Lewis HamiltonMcLaren-Mercedes1'14.583
4Romain GrosjeanLotus-Renault1'14.639
5Fernando AlonsoFerrari1'14.948
6Michael Schumacher*Mercedes1'14.301
7Felipe MassaFerrari1'15.049
8Kimi RaikkonenLotus-Renault1'15.199
9Sebastian VettelRed Bull Racing-RenaultNo time
10Nico HulkenbergForce India-Mercedes1'15.421
11Kamui KobayashiSauber-Ferrari1'15.508
12Jenson ButtonMcLaren-Mercedes1'15.536
13Bruno SennaWilliams-Renault1'15.709
14Paul di RestaForce India-Mercedes1'15.718
15Daniel RicciardoSTR-Ferrari1'15.878
16Jean-Eric VergneSTR-Ferrari1'16.885
17Heikki KovalainenCaterham-Renault1'16.538
18Vitaly PetrovCaterham-Renault1'17.404
19Timo GlockMarussia-Cosworth1'17.947
20Pedro de la RosaHRT-Cosworth1'18.096
21Charles PicMarussia-Cosworth1'18.476
22Narain KarthikeyanHRT-Cosworth1'19.310
23Pastor Maldonado**Williams-Renault1'15.245
24Sergio Perez***Sauber-FerrariNo time

107 per cent time: 1'20.697

 

* Five-place grid penalty for causing a collision in Barcelona

** 10-place grid penalty for causing a collision in practice, plus five for a gearbox change

*** Five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Lights, camera, action! Mercedes-AMG APXGP Edition built to celebrate F1 film
Mercedes-AMG APXGP Edition - front static

Lights, camera, action! Mercedes-AMG APXGP Edition built to celebrate F1 film

Mercedes supported the film’s development and now has a special-edition car to show for it
News
6 May 2025
F1 preview 2025: 25 things you must know about the 75th anniversary season
Multiple F1 cars cornering

F1 preview 2025: 25 things you must know about the 75th anniversary season

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Formula One; we list the top things you need to know ahead of the season
Features
14 Mar 2025
Special edition McLaren MCL38 Artura and 750S celebrate F1 team’s 9th Constructors' win
McLaren MCL38 cars

Special edition McLaren MCL38 Artura and 750S celebrate F1 team’s 9th Constructors' win

McLaren has revealed two striking special edition supercars on the eve of its 2025 F1 racer’s debut
News
18 Feb 2025
Hot Wheels has shrunk F1! But only for eight of the teams
Selection of Hot Wheels F1 cars

Hot Wheels has shrunk F1! But only for eight of the teams

Your favourite F1 racers will be offered by the US firm in 1:64-scale die cast guise
News
24 Jan 2025

Most Popular

Citroen is plotting a new 2CV – but the risks are huge
Citroen 2CV retro render

Citroen is plotting a new 2CV – but the risks are huge

We talk to Citroen bosses on plans to reboot its icon – and do they go retro or futuristic?
News
8 Jun 2025
New Kia Sportage breaks cover and it’s sleeker than ever
Kia Sportage - front

New Kia Sportage breaks cover and it’s sleeker than ever

Full specification and details have been announced for the UK version of Kia’s big-selling mid-size SUV
News
4 Jun 2025
Best mid-size SUVs to buy 2025 - our expert pick of the top options
June 2025 Best mid-size SUVs

Best mid-size SUVs to buy 2025 - our expert pick of the top options

Mid-size SUVs are hugely popular in the UK, and these are the very best of the current crop
Best cars & vans
4 Jun 2025