- Malaysian GP - Qualifying
Rosberg: 'I just didn't drive well enough'
Nico Rosberg admitted he only had himself to blame after failing front row of the grid for the first time in 13 races in a wet qualifying session in Malaysia.
In a tense Q3 Rosberg failed to beat Hamilton with his first run and then did not improve on his final two laps, before Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel leapt into second by four tenths in the closing moments. It is the first time since Austria last year that the German, who won the 2014 Pole Trophy, will not be on the front row.
"I just didn't drive well enough, so that's why I'm annoyed," Rosberg said after qualifying. "Third place is not good for tomorrow but that's the way it is. It was quite interesting conditions out there because there was so much grip, it was unbelievable, I've seldom had so much grip in wet conditions. It was very unusual but good to drive, but not quick enough."
It is forecast to be dry for Sunday's race, though a sudden rain storm is always possible in Malaysia, and Rosberg is taking comfort from the options available through strategy.
"Well definitely I'm looking forward to it as we have such a great car and I had a good run on Friday, race pace is good. I'm starting on the clean side so hopefully I can attack Sebastian and get behind Lewis and race Lewis from there."
Towards the end of Q3 Rosberg was heard asking Mercedes which lines "the first car" had been taking on the drying track in a bid to improve his lap times, only to be told the information was banned by his pit wall.
The German explained his thinking: "Because it was unusual conditions out there which we hadn't practised I was just interested to hear what the guy who was first did in terms of lines. I didn't know it was Lewis so I just asked what lines he was doing, was it dry or more towards wet. That information is banned so I got a reply 'I can't tell you.'"
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
