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Rosberg on pole in Japan

Timothy JonesOctober 4, 2014

Germany's Nico Rosberg has taken pole position for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix. He will be joined up front by Mercedes teammate and rival Lewis Hamilton, setting the stage for a battle for the championship lead.

https://p.dw.com/p/1DPg2
Mercedes Formula One driver Nico Rosberg of Germany negotiates a turn during the third practice session of the Japanese F1 Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit October 4, 2014. REUTERS/Yuya Shino
Image: Reuters/Y. Shino

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg claimed his eighth pole of the Formula One season on Saturday in the qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit, beating teammate Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain by just 0.197 seconds.

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland and his teammate, Brazil's Felipe Massa, came in third and fourth respectively. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso of Spain starts fifth.

Rosberg's pole gives him a good chance to regain the Formula One championship lead, currently held by Hamilton by three points with five races remaining. Hamilton started from pole in the previous two races, winning both of them.

The qualifying was overshadowed by news earlier in the day that four-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel would be leaving the Red Bull team at the end of the 2014 season, with rumors saying he is likely to replace Alonso at Ferrari.

Vettel will start from ninth place on Sunday.

tj/mkg (AP, Reuters, AFP)