Despite heavy showers falling at the end of the final practice session it was dry but overcast as the Williams F1 team prepared for qualifying for the 2012 German Grand Prix. But there were showers near the circuit so there was every likelihood that qualifying could be run under variable track conditions. The final practice had seen Pastor Maldonado finish in seventh and Bruno Senna tenth. Grosjean, Rosberg, and Webber would be be getting grid penalties due to gearbox changes. Button was told that it could rain half way through the twenty minute opening period. the period would get underway with Hulkenberg out first followed by a rush of drivers. Both Williams drivers would come out possibly looking to get an early time if it des start to rain. The rest of the field would come out with Ricciardo last. The drivers would start their timed laps with Hulkenberg on the medium tyre.

The times would come very quickly with Hulkenberg setting a 1m:18.475. Pastor would go fastest with a 1m:18.317 also on the medium tyre. Di Resta was in third as Rosberg went to the top of the times with a 1m:17.051. But Button would go faster with a 1m:16.737 but quickly Alonso would set a 1m:16.705 to be fastest. Pastor had dropped to fourteenth but on his second lap he would set a 1m:17.405 to be ninth. With fourteen minutes remaining Alonso was fastest from Button, Rosberg, Kobayashi, and Schumacher. Hamilton would go fastest with a 1m:16.383 to give us a McLaren one-two. Raikkonen was now fourth from Perez and Rosberg. Drivers would start to pit as it grew darker. Massa was up to fourth, 1m:16.678, with Pastor now twelfth. Bruno was in seventeenth with a 1m:17.733. Pastor would improve to be seventh but this would become eighth as Vettel moved into fifth. Kobayashi was now second, 1m:16.481, as Hamilton extended his lead with a 1m:16.481.

Bruno had also found time with a 1m:16.941 that would see him in the top ten in ninth. Button was now third from Rosberg, Alonso, Massa, Vettel, and Schumacher. Pastor had dropped to twelfth as the whole field returned to their pits. Hulkenberg was the first back out with nine minutes remaining. Eleventh placed Raikkonen would also leave the pit lane joined by Vergne and Glock. Hulkenberg was on the soft tyre while in the McLaren pit Hamilton had gotten out of his car. Both Hulkenberg and Raikkonen were on quick laps with Hulkenberg moving up to second with a 1m:16.271. Vergne would move up to ninth with a lap time of 1m:16.741. Raikkonen was now fastest with a 1m:15.693 making good use of their soft tyres. Both Bruno and Pastor were back out on the track joining others who were concerned about their times. Four minutes remaining as Ricciardo moved up to six with a 1m:16.516.

It continued to get wetter as Schumacher went fastest with a 1m:38.010. Button was now fourth, 1m:38.752, and team-mate Hamilton now fastest with a 1m:37.927. Pastor had dropped to sixth with Bruno now fifteenth. Vettel was now third with a 1m:38.309 from Alonso, Button, Pastor, Webber, Hulkenberg, Di Resta, and Raikkonen tenth. Both Raikkonen and Hulkenberg had pitted while Massa was down in twelfth, 1m:40.212. Rosberg had also pitted currently in seventeenth. Rosberg was back out on the full wet tyre while for Sauber Perez would go off but was able to continue. Hamilton and Schumacher had pitted with Schumacher coming back out on full wets. Bruno had also pitted currently in sixteenth and it was not looking likely that he would improve given the heavy rain. Bruno was back out on the full wet running wide on one of his laps.

Grosjean would also go off into the gravel while Pastor had also taken on full wets but he would pit. As the period came to an end Bruno was still down in sixteenth and not making it into the final period. Joining Bruno would be Ricciardo, Perez, Kobayashi, Massa, Grosjean, Bruno and Rosberg. The top ten was Hamilton from Schumacher, Vettel, Alonso, Button, Pastor, Webber, Hulkenberg, Di Resta, and Raikkonen in tenth. As a result Bruno had again failed to make it into the final period. This time it came down to timing with Pastor up in sixth as a result of setting an early time in the period.

Prior to the start of the final period Alonso would say that he felt it was too wet to run. Despite this the final period would commence with all ten drivers coming out all on full wets. The rain was easing but despite this the track was very wet. We would see Hulkenberg take to the grass followed by the gravel as he spun. He was able to return to the track as Schumacher complained about the conditions over his radio. Button would set a 1m:46.922 but Hamilton would move ahead with a 1m:46.609. Schumacher was now fastest with a 1m:46.540. But both Alonso and Vettel would go faster with Vettel quickest with a 1m:44.605. Pastor was in ninth with a 1m:49.502.

Hulkenberg was third and Di Resta fourth as both Hamilton and Raikkonen had off track moments. Button was now fourth, 1m:45.491. Alonso and Raikkonen had both pitted as the drivers started to find time. Vettel would go fastest in sector one and Schumacher fastest in sector two. Hamilton would set a 1m:44.186 to be fastest but Schumacher would move ahead with a 1m:42.473. His time at the top would be quick as Vettel set a new fastest time with a 1m:42.342. Hamilton was now third from Alonso, Di Resta, and Hulkenberg. Pastor was still ninth as Alonso went quickest in sector one as the final minute commenced. Webber would go fastest with a 1m:41.680 but Alonso was on a quick lap and would set a 1m:40.904 to be fastest.

Vettel was fastest in sector one while Pastor was on a better lap. Button could only manage sixth while Vettel moved up to second, 1m:41.026. Pastor was able to finish his lap setting a 1m:43.950 to be sixth. Alonso would improve his lap time with a 1m:40.621. So Alonso would take pole for the 2012 German Grand Prix. Vettel was second from Webber, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Pastor, Button, Hamilton, Di Resta, and Raikkonen. A great performance from Pastor in what was very difficult conditions. Pastor will start the race from fifth as a result of Webber's grid penalty. For Bruno he will start from fifteenth as a result of Grosjean's grid penalty. Not the result he would have hoped for but it really did come down to being on the track with the right tyre and the right time.