Reliability troubles struck the grid again, with Lewis Hamilton ending the first qualifying session off track and with his car in flames. Pastor Maldonado also slowed to a halt with the car unable to compete. Kimi Räikkönen was a surprise name dropping out early, after a bad call by the Ferrari team. That allowed Jules Bianchi to scrape through to the second session.

He didn't get much further, and neither did Sergio Pérez who suffered a hydraulic issue that kept him in the garage. The top ten shoot-out saw a great scrap for pole, as the rain started to fall. Kevin Magnussen crashed into the barriers, but escaped unharmed, whilst Rosberg kept all his wheels pointing in the right direction and going fast enough to scoop pole position by the time the chequered flag dropped.