Maldonado, was pleased with his run to third, saying that he had pushed to the maximum. The stewards though took a dim view of just how that push had been delivered and his block on Hulkenberg means that the Venezuelan will now start sixth.

That penalty shifts fourth-fastest Kimi Raikkonen to the front of row two where hell line up ahead of Sergio Prez, in the second Sauber. Fernando Alonso, sixth in Q3, will thus start fifth.

Mark Webber too will move down the grid following an overnight gearbox change before FP3. He finished seventh in Q3 but will start 12th tomorrow.