It was a remarkable comeback by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who had trailed Lewis Hamilton by 17 points with two races to go.
Sunday's British Formula One Grand Prix was stopped on the opening lap after Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen speared heavily into the barriers.
The Finn's lap of one minute 17.221 seconds around Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya was the second fastest of the eight days of winter testing and slower only than team mate Sebastian Vettel's best on Thursday.
The Finn drove Ferrari's 2007 car for the first time in Valencia on Tuesday.
Ferrari had every hope of winning their home Italian Grand Prix for the first time since 2010 on Sunday and they blew it.
McLaren set the pace in Friday's Brazilian Grand Prix practice with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya the fastest race driver.
Raikkonen again suffered the heartbreak of retiring while leading.
'I'm quite satisfied, especially because Raikkonen was only third and picked up just one point as a result not a lot happened,' said the German world champion.
And in tribute to the enormously special way with which he attacks the exit of a corner, I suggest a new nickname for the man likely to keep things thrilling all year around: Kimi Raikkonen, apex predator, says Raja Sen.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday with Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg qualifying alongside him on the front row.
Finland's Valtteri Bottas seized the first Formula One victory of his career at the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday after jumping both Ferraris at the start and then holding his nerve over the tense closing laps.
Nico Rosberg will start his home German Grand Prix on Sunday from pole position after setting the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday.
Formula One's 'silly season' of rumour and speculation is heating up.
Fernando Alonso agreed to join Ferrari some months ago, the ecstatic Spaniard said on Wednesday after his three-year deal was announced.
McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen celebrated a shock maiden win at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday after Ferrari's Felipe Massa suffered an engine failure while leading with three laps remaining.
The 23-year-old Briton will start Sunday's race with Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, his main title rival, alongside on the front row.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton took his 10th pole in 11 races on Saturday with Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg qualifying second on the Belgian Grand Prix grid.
Hamilton said he only realised the significance of what he had done when he came into the pitlane after taking the chequered flag.
Ferrari's world champion and Formula One leader Kimi Raikkonen took his first pole position of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton will have to pay $335,700 for his licence to race in Formula One in 2008.
Fernando Alonso believes this year's world title race ended when stewards decided not to punish McLaren team mate Lewis Hamilton.
Germany's Nico Rosberg romped to his fifth win in a row for Mercedes on Sunday and ended Formula One champion team mate Lewis Hamilton's hopes of a third successive Bahrain Grand Prix victory.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen set the pace in Japanese Grand Prix free practice on Friday as Formula One's title contenders got to grips with the Fuji circuit for the first time.
The Finn pipped the seven times champion by just 0.002 seconds.
The 21-year-old Briton could be drafted in for next week's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Indian driver says he would like to take the place of Williams test driver Alex Wurz's, who has been promoted as one of the team's two race drivers.
The Indian ace's Jordan-Toyota E15 developed electrical problems and he was forced to retire in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg chalked up his seventh win in a row at the Russian Grand Prix on Sunday with team mate Lewis Hamilton fighting back from 10th on the grid to seal a Mercedes one-two finish.
The Ferrari driver is one point ahead of Williams's Juan Pablo Montoya and two clear of McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen with two races remaining after Monza.\n\n
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton saw off a strong Ferrari challenge at the Italian team's home Grand Prix to seal his seventh pole position in a row and 11th in 12 races on Saturday.
The Renault's driver kept his head up after McLaren rival Kimi Raikkonen bit a sizeable chunk out of his Formula One lead.
Formula One World champion Sebastian Vettel ran away with the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday to stretch his overall lead to 46 points with eight races remaining.
The Mercedes driver's 55th career win was hard-fought and tense, however, with Ferrari's Vettel seizing the lead at the start and in the hunt all the way to the finish as the tyre strategies played out.
The Colombian had a blistering late lap to outpace his German team mate at Williams Ralf Schumacher.
Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2 at the top of the timesheets for the first free practice session at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Friday, while McLaren's hopes of a clean start were tempered by reliability issues.
