Qualifying for the 2012 Monaco Grand was going to be a difficult time for the Williams F1 team. Team driver Pastor Maldonado even if he qualified fastest with his ten place grid penalty could only at bets start from eleventh. For Bruno Senna he had been struggling to find any real pace in the practice sessions leading up to qualifying. Another driver to have a grid penalty was Schumacher who had received a five grid place penalty for his accident with Senna in Spain. There was no sign of the rain forecast with the conditions dry and sunny. The Williams mechanics were able to repair Pastor's car and he was seen sitting it in the Williams pit. Lucky enough they did not have to change his gearbox.

The first twenty minute period would commence with Pic and Vergne first out. More drivers were coming out including Pastor, Alonso, Rosberg, Bruno, both Lotus cars, Ricciardo to name but a few. The track was very busy as we now had both McLaren's out on the track. There would certainly be a rush of times with Pic setting a 1m:22.752 after been blocked by De la Rosa. Pastor would go fastest with a 1m:19.773 with Rosberg third, 1m:20.453. Alonso was now fastest with a 1m:17.128. Everyone was now on the track as Kobayashi moved into second while his team-mate Perez would crash heavily after making contact with the barriers coming wide in the run past the swimming pool. The period would be red flagged as Perez stopped his car near the pit entrance as he could not go any further. Bruno had set a 1m:20.072 to be eighth while Pastor was in sixth. Webber, Button, Di Resta, Hulkenberg, Kovalainen, Vettel and Massa had all taken to the track, but were forced to return to their pits without having set a time.

The track was empty with 15m10s remaining in the period. Replays had shown that that the left front steering was damaged, possibly as a result of his contact with Pastor. The period would recommence with Rosberg first out. Both Williams drivers were out on the track amongst many others. Bruno was following Rosberg Rosberg would move up to third with a 1m:18.063. Team-mate Schumacher would go fastest with a 1m:16.441 while Hamilton was second with a 1m:16.633. Hulkenberg was third and Alonso fourth. Bruno was now in seventh, 1m:16.897, while Pastor had moved up to third with a 1m:16.559. Rosberg had moved to the top of the times with a 1m:15.929, still on the soft tyre.

Pastor would improve to be second with a 1m:16.017 with Webber now third. Schumacher was fourth from Kobayashi and Bruno. Schumacher was again fastest with a 1m:15.873 while Kobayashi would hit the barrier at Saint Devote. He was able to continue as Pastor pitted. Bruno was in ninth and also back in his pit. Massa was now in third, 1m:15.983. Di Resta was up to fifth but running on the super soft tyre, 1m:16.062. Hamilton was now sixth from Webber, Alonso, and Button in ninth. Bruno had dropped to eleventh with Vettel twelfth. Grosjean would move up to ninth, 1m:16.246, while Raikkonen was down in twenty second. Grosjean was on a quick lap but he lost time at the chicane. He would not improve despite been fastest in sector one. Bruno was back out on the super soft tyre while Grosjean's next lap was again quick.

Just under four minutes remaining and we would see Hulkenberg go fastest on the super soft, 1m:15.418,. Grosjean was now second with a 1m:15.718 still on the soft tyre. Raikkonen would pit briefly taking on the super soft tyre. Bruno would use his softer tyre to move up to fifth, 1m:15.923. Pastor was in eighth and still in his pit. Vettel was on a quick lap as the period drew to a close. Kobayashi was up to second with a 1m:15.648 while Bruno pitted. Raikkonen would move up to fifth with a 1m:15.889. Using the super soft tyre Vettel would move up to fourth with a 1m:15.757. As the period ended those out were Kovalainen, Petrov, Glock, De la Rosa, Pic, Karthikeyan, and Perez had not set a time. Hulkenberg was fastest from Kobayashi, Grosjean, Vettel, Schumacher, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Senna, Massa, Webber, and Pastor in eleventh.

With both Williams F1 cars through to the second period the period would commence with Di Resta, Bruno, and Ricciardo first out. Bruno was on the super soft's as more drivers left the pits. Pastor would come out second last with Vettel last. We had most drivers on the super soft tyre except for Di Resta and Grosjean. A 1m:16.885 from Vergne with Di Resta setting a 1m:22.814. Ricciardo was now second with Massa third. Rosberg was now fastest with a 1m:15.022 from Hulkenberg. Schumacher would go second but we would have Webber, Hamilton, and Alonso all go faster. Webber was second with a 1m:15.035. Pastor was in seventh with a 1m:15.827 while Bruno had dropped to twelfth, 1m:16.999. Vergne would lose his front wing running slowly back to his pit. Hulkenberg was now eighth from Button, Raikkonen, and Grosjean in twelfth.

Bruno was now fifteenth while Button would set a 1m:15.612 to be eighth. Vergne had lost his nose when he spun his car under braking at the chicane hitting the barrier. Pastor was able to move up to fifth with a 1m:15.192. Vergne had also damaged his rear right tyre in his accident. Six minutes remaining and we would have Hulkenberg and Raikkonen out on the track. Grosjean was also back out with the super soft tyres fitted. The top six were all still in their pits with Alonso, fourth, coming out first. Pastor was also back out as it was announced that Vergne was out of the session. Bruno was in sixteenth and back out on the track. Hulkenberg was up to eighth, 1m:15.421, with Grosjean just able to get tenth with a 1m:15.628. Massa was flying on the super soft setting a 1m:14.911 to be fastest.

Vettel would go eighth pushing Button out of the top ten. Grosjean and Raikkonen were in twelfth and thirteenth. Pastor was in sixth and on a quick lap. he would move up to third with a lap of 1m:15.026. Bruno was in seventeenth while Grosjean was able to squeeze into eighth with a 1m:15.219. Pastor had pitted while Bruno was still running as the period came to an end. Bruno would only manage fourteenth with a 1m:15.709. Raikkonen was able to take tenth to see both Lotus cars in the top ten. Those not making the cut were Hulkenberg, Kobayashi, Button, Senna, Di Resta, Ricciardo, and Vergne. The top ten was Massa from Rosberg, Pastor, Webber, Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton, Grosjean, Vettel, and Raikkonen. It was not a surprise to see Bruno not make it past the second period. Frustrating for pastor as he went through in third knowing that there is the ten place grid penalty.

The final ten minute period would see Rosberg out first followed by Pastor. Rosberg was on brand new super soft tyres. We only had three drivers still in their pits Vettel, Alonso, and Massa. Rosberg would set a 1m:18.852 after backing off. Hamilton sets a 1m:15.796 but Pastor would set a 1m:15.245 to be fastest. But Grosjean would set a 1m:14.639 to be fastest. Rosberg was on a quicker lap and would beat Grosjean with a 1m:14.572. Hamilton would improve to be third with a 1m:14.940 to be third.

Webber would move ahead of Hamilton with a 1m:14.688. We now had Massa out on the track joined by Vettel. Vettel was out on the soft tyre while Alonso waited in his pit. The order was Rosberg fastest, then Grosjean, Webber, Hamilton, Schumacher, Maldonado and Raikkonen. Alonso was now out on the track with three a half minutes remaining. Pastor was back out with him slowing to allow Massa past as they rain into the tunnel. Massa would set a 1m:15.379 to be only eighth. Vettel would abort his run coming back into his pit. The other nine cars were all out on the track with Grosjean last out. Alonso was now fifth with a 1m:14.948. Pastor was eighth with a 1m:15.245.

Webber would put in a great lap to go fastest with a 1m:14.381 while Hamilton could only manage third with a 1m:14.583. But Schumacher would take the quickest time with a 1m:14.301. But we must remember that he will have a five grid place penalty. This will see Webber start from the front with Rosberg second from Hamilton, Grosjean, Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen, Pastor, and Vettel tenth. Pastor will start from nineteenth with team-mate Bruno fourteenth. For the second race in a row we will not see the quickest driver start from pole. For the Williams F1 team a weekend that started so promisingly has turned somewhat sour with their prospects in Sunday's race not looking good. Such a big turn around from Spain where Pastor started from the front.