Hockenheim: Nico Rosberg drove to an unchallenged pole position in qualifying for his home race after Mercedes teammate and title-rival Lewis Hamilton crashed out early on in the qualifying session for the German GP. Rosberg lapped the 4.5 km Hockenheimring circuit in one minute 16.540 seconds to take his fifth pole in ten races this season.


Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton crashes into a wall during the qualifying session yesterday at Germany's Hockenheimring racing circuit. Pic/AFP 

Hamilton meanwhile qualified only sixteenth, though the Mercedes driver will start fifteenth — his lowest starting position of the season — after a penalty for Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez moves him one place forward on the grid.