Mercedes are thought to have set an objective of around 28 points a race
before the season began. So far they have shattered that target and will do
so again today barring any mechanical gremlins.

The battle between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg is, of course, a live issue.

However, even with everything the German threw at his friend and rival on
Saturday, Hamilton continues to have his number.

The dynamic between the pair is a fascinating one, and there were some awkward
smiles and laughs in the post-qualifying press conference.

“Definitely very disappointed,” was Rosberg’s conclusion. “I don’t
particularly enjoy coming second to Lewis.”

Casting his eye over the timing screens as he was being weighed, Hamilton
nodded with what must have been a huge sense of satisfaction.

He was behind in the final free practice. He was behind in qualifying one. He
was still behind in qualifying two. But he was ahead at the death, when it
really mattered.

At a track where overtaking is difficult, he knows the importance of starting
ahead of his team-mate and sole challenger for this year’s title and leading
from the front.

If the 29-year-old converts pole into a win on Sunday – 17 out of 23 races at
the Circuit de Catalunya have gone that way – he will be guaranteed the
championship lead he so richly deserves.

After qualifying he described the performance of his Mercedes as an
“inspiration”, but the quality of his driving this year should not be
overlooked.

He has four pole positions out of a possible five in 2014 – Saturday was his
35th – and on Sunday he could make it four wins a row for the first time in
his career.

No driver has ever put together such a run and not won the world championship.

“It’s been a tough day,” the 2008 champion said after a dramatic end to
qualifying. “I had to eke out everything and more from the car. But at the
end I just did it by the skin of my teeth.

“We didn’t know where everyone was going to be, so to see the development
that’s gone on inspires me. To have the kind of performance we have – I’ve
never really known that before. I’m overwhelmed.”

It was not just Hamilton who seemed slightly lost for words. The rest of the
grid seem equally dumbfounded, but for the opposite reason.

Daniel Ricciardo, not for the first time this year, claimed best of the rest
with third place on the grid, and once again expressed his frustration at
the size of the gap to Mercedes.

Sebastian
Vettel
will have been left even more exasperated, after he was
unable to set a time in the final qualifying session, with Red Bull having
to change his gearbox meaning he was relegated to 15th on the grid.

Ricciardo, like everyone else behind, is totally powerless at the moment to
stop the two Silver Arrows becoming a mere spec on the horizon. That did not
stop the Australian and others impressing on Saturday, however.

Valtteri Bottas and Romain Grosjean, fourth and fifth respectively, worked
wonders. Jenson
Button
showed signs of improvement for McLaren
to qualify eighth. There was also a rare mini-victory for Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari,
who lines up sixth ahead of home favourite Fernando Alonso in seventh.

Apart from Mercedes’ crushing domination, the main topic of discussion was
again the new cars, and specifically whether they are too slow.

Hamilton’s pole time, a 1min 25.2sec, was nearly five seconds slower than
Rosberg’s in 2013.

By the 107 per cent rule only the top three from Saturday’s qualifying session
would have been allowed on the grid in Barcelona last year.

More worryingly, both the Marussias and Caterhams did not post times fast
enough to even claim pole position on the grid for GP2, the junior formula.

Max Chilton’s lap would have given him only fourth on the feeder series grid
in Spain.

Meanwhile, after a strong qualifying performance, Button has spoken of his
desire to follow in his late father’s footsteps and race in Rallycross when
he decides to hang up his Formula
One
boots. Button, who lost his father John before the start of this
season, said he has been watching the new world championship with interest.

“There is a team in America who are racing VW Beetles – that’s what dad used
to race, so that would be pretty cool,” the 34-year-old said.

“I just want to do something where I can take a little motorhome, or a
caravan, and take my mates and my family and just hang out with other guys
who are having fun; who go and drive because you like driving.”

Final positions after qualifying:

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) RedBull – Renault
4. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes
5. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus – Renault
6. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari
7. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari
8. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren
9. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes
10. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India – Mercedes
11. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India – Mercedes
12. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso – Renault
13. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber – Ferrari
14. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren
15. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull – Renault
16. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber – Ferrari
17. Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia – Ferrari
18. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia – Ferrari
19. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham – Renault
20. Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham – Renault
21. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus – Renault
22. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso – Renault