Lewis Hamilton takes POLE at Austrian Grand Prix, despite last-lap spin

Lewis Hamilton has taken pole at the 2015 Austrian Grand Prix, despite a spin on his last qualifying lap. Nico Rosberg starts in second place.

It was business as usual during qualifying for the 2015 Austria Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton taking pole position for Mercedes, beating team mate Nico Rosberg in to second spot. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is in third.

But it could all have been different after Hamilton managed to spin-off on his last qualifying lap, leaving the door open for Rosberg to take pole. But it wasn’t to be, with Rosberg himself spinning off on the last corner of his last qualifying lap, which means he starts behind Hamilton.

Behind the two Mercedes, it’s Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari – who could only manage third spot despite the mess the Mercedes cars made on the last lap – although Vettel’s team mate – Kimmi Raikkonen – could only manage 18th.

Felipe Massa put his Williams in fourth spot, followed by Nico Hulkenburg in the Force India and Bottas in the second Williams.

The rest of the top ten is made of of Verstappen in the Torro Rosso in seventh, Red Bull’s Kvyat, Sauber’s Nasr and Lotus’s Grosjean. But the final grid will be rather mixed up thanks to a series of penalties.

Red Bull have penalties to pay, which means a 10-place drop for Kvyat and an extra 5-second drive-through for Ricciardo as his 14th place doesn’t let him pay his full penalty.

And it’s even worse for the beleaguered McLaren, with both cars facing a 25 place penalty for changes to the engine and car, with Alonso starting at the back and getting a drive-through penalty, and Button getting the same plus a 10-second stop-go.