Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) topped the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix's final qualifying session, but the five-place grid penalty earn in Barcelona handed the pole to Mark Webber (Red Bull).
Nonetheless, Schumacher was delighted to shine once more.
"I'm grateful to all the trust Mercedes had in me," the seven-time world champion said as quoted by GMM. "I'm able to give back a little bit in qualifying and hope I can give more back tomorrow."
Schumacher’s teammate, Nico Rosberg, clocked the third fastest lap, which means he will start on the front row alongside Mark Webber.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton (fourth), Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso (sixth) and Felipe Massa (seventh) and Lotus' Romain Grosjean (fifth) and Kimi Raikkonen (seventh) could not quite match the pace of the front guys.
Pastor Maldonado (Williams) was ninth before the steward applied a 10-place grid penalty earned for the Free Practice 3 crash with Sergio Perez. Everyone was shocked to see the Barcelona winner so aggressively "chop", as GMM put it, the Mexican.
Perez's misery didn't end there. The same Perez whose spectacular accident last year in the streets of the principality forced to forfeit the race crashed again in qualifying – this time because of a mechanical failure.
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), a two-time world champion and last year's winner of the Monaco Grand Prix, bailed out of Q3, leaving him ninth on the grid.
Because of Maldonado's demise, Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) was allowed in the top 10.
Starting grid – Monaco Grand Prix
First row
Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) – 1min14.381s – Q3
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) – 1min14.448s – Q3
Second row
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) – 1min14.583s – Q3
Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) – 1min14.639s – Q3
Third row
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) – 1min14.948s – Q3
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) – 1min14.301s – Q3*
Fourth row
Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) – 1min15.049s – Q3
Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) – 1min15.199s – Q3
Fifth row
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) – no time – Q3
Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) – 1min15.421s – Q2
Sixth row
Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) – 1min15.508s – Q2
Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) – 1min15.536s – Q2
Seventh row
Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) – 1min15.709s – Q2
Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) – 1min15.718s – Q2
Eighth row
Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) – 1min15.878s – Q2
Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) – 1min16.885s – Q2
Ninth row
Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) – 1min16.538s – Q1
Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) – 1min17.404s – Q1
10th row
Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) – 1min15.245s – Q3 **
Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) – 1min17.947s – Q1
11th row
Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) – 1min18.096s – Q1
Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) – 1min18.476s – Q1
12th row
Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) – 1min19.310s – Q1
Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) – no time – Q1
*Five-place grid penalty
** Ten-place grid penalty
Source: ItaliaRacing.net
Nonetheless, Schumacher was delighted to shine once more.
"I'm grateful to all the trust Mercedes had in me," the seven-time world champion said as quoted by GMM. "I'm able to give back a little bit in qualifying and hope I can give more back tomorrow."
Schumacher’s teammate, Nico Rosberg, clocked the third fastest lap, which means he will start on the front row alongside Mark Webber.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton (fourth), Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso (sixth) and Felipe Massa (seventh) and Lotus' Romain Grosjean (fifth) and Kimi Raikkonen (seventh) could not quite match the pace of the front guys.
Pastor Maldonado (Williams) was ninth before the steward applied a 10-place grid penalty earned for the Free Practice 3 crash with Sergio Perez. Everyone was shocked to see the Barcelona winner so aggressively "chop", as GMM put it, the Mexican.
Perez's misery didn't end there. The same Perez whose spectacular accident last year in the streets of the principality forced to forfeit the race crashed again in qualifying – this time because of a mechanical failure.
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), a two-time world champion and last year's winner of the Monaco Grand Prix, bailed out of Q3, leaving him ninth on the grid.
Because of Maldonado's demise, Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) was allowed in the top 10.
Starting grid – Monaco Grand Prix
First row
Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) – 1min14.381s – Q3
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) – 1min14.448s – Q3
Second row
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) – 1min14.583s – Q3
Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) – 1min14.639s – Q3
Third row
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) – 1min14.948s – Q3
Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) – 1min14.301s – Q3*
Fourth row
Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) – 1min15.049s – Q3
Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) – 1min15.199s – Q3
Fifth row
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) – no time – Q3
Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) – 1min15.421s – Q2
Sixth row
Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) – 1min15.508s – Q2
Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) – 1min15.536s – Q2
Seventh row
Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) – 1min15.709s – Q2
Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) – 1min15.718s – Q2
Eighth row
Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) – 1min15.878s – Q2
Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) – 1min16.885s – Q2
Ninth row
Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) – 1min16.538s – Q1
Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) – 1min17.404s – Q1
10th row
Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) – 1min15.245s – Q3 **
Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) – 1min17.947s – Q1
11th row
Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) – 1min18.096s – Q1
Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) – 1min18.476s – Q1
12th row
Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) – 1min19.310s – Q1
Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) – no time – Q1
*Five-place grid penalty
** Ten-place grid penalty
Source: ItaliaRacing.net