Mark Webber has scored his second pole of the season. The Australian beat Vettel, Alonso, Massa and Button. Lewis Hamilton ended the session as tenth.

When Qualifying started the track was dry and the temperatures reached a weekend record high 20 degrees. Everybody came out immediately to set a time because there was a chance of a shower midway through the first part of qualifying. Mark Webber was able to set the fastest time with a 1:32.670. The Scuderia Toro Rossos were the big surprise not making it into Q2. The Virgins, HRTs and the Team Lotus of Jarno Trulli also didn't make it into the second part of qualifying. Heikki Kovalainen was able to steer his car to P16 and did make it into the Q2.

After some rain in Q1 the second part started with mixed conditions. Parts of the track were completely dry others were quite damp. Some drivers opted to start on the intermediate tyres while others went for the dry tyres. By the end of Q2 everybody was out on the yellow soft tyres. Massa was fastest with a 1:31.640 in front of Webber, Alonso and Button. Both Renaults and Michael Schumacher were the big surprises not making it into the third part of qualifying.

Q3 started also with a fear of rain. The first to set a time was Vettel who was quickly beaten by his teammate Mark Webber who drove a 1:30.399. Alonso was just behind the Red Bulls. The McLaren drivers seemed to have big problems as they were a full second slower than the Red Bulls. In the last minutes the rain set in and nobody could beat their time anymore.