Lewis Hamilton had gearbox problems in Bahrain Credit: PA
Nico Rosberg will be on pole for tomorrow's Bahrain Grand Prix in his Mercedes.
It's the first time the Brackley based team has had back-to-back pole positions since their return to Formula One at the start of 2010.
Rosberg pipped reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull and Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari.
His Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest, but will start ninth on the grid after being handed a five-place penalty after his gearbox broke and his mechanics had to fit a new one.
Lewis Hamilton's first day behind the wheel of his Mercedes F1 car built at Brackley in Northamptonshire resulted in a crash into a tyre barrier. It was on the second day of testing at the Spanish Circuito de Jerez this morning.
The 28-year-old from Stevenage locked up into turn six and ploughed through a gravel trap into the tyre barrier. It's thought a fault in the front suspension caused the crash.
Yesterday Hamilton's team mate Nico Rosberg ground to a halt after just 14 laps when an electrical fault led to a fire in the rear of the new Mercedes.
Mercedes launch new F1 car Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas
Mercedes have launched their new formula one car at Jerez in Spain. It's the last of the three fomula one teams based in our region to reveal its new car. The Mercedes will be driven by Lewis Hamilton this season after he signed from McLaren.
Mercedes, based at Brackley, in Northamptonshire, had a disappointing season last year despite scoring their first win with Nico Rosberg, who will partnering Hamilton this season.
Stevenage-born Lewis Hamilton is in pole position for the Australian Grand Prix with McLaren team mate Jenson Button just a split second behind.
After two successive world championship titles Milton Keynes based Red Bull only made fifth and sixth place, with Mercedes - based in neighbouring Brackley - taking 4th place with Michael Schumacher.
