Nico Rosberg zajazdil v tretej časti kvalifikácie na VC Číny bezchybné kolo. Jeho čas už nedokázal nikto prekonať a do závodu zajtra odštartuje z pole position. Lewis Hamilton sa kvôli penalizácii prepadne na rošte o 5 miest, v kvalifikácii vybojoval 2. miesto.
Autá Mercedesu tak prvýkrát v novodobej histórii odštartujú z prvého radu na štarte.
Výsledky kvalifikácie na VC Číny 2012:
| Pozícia | Jazdec | Tím | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Strata |
| 1 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:36,875 | 1:35,725 | 1:35,121 | - |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton* | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:36,763 | 1:35,902 | 1:35,626 | 0,505 |
| 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:36,797 | 1:35,794 | 1:35,691 | 0,570 |
| 4 | Kamuj Kobajaši | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:36,863 | 1:35,853 | 1:35,784 | 0,663 |
| 5 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 1:36,850 | 1:35,921 | 1:35,898 | 0,777 |
| 6 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:36,746 | 1:35,942 | 1:36,191 | 1,070 |
| 7 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:36,682 | 1:35,700 | 1:36,290 | 1,169 |
| 8 | Sergio Perez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:36,198 | 1:35,831 | 1:36,524 | 1,403 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:36,292 | 1:35,982 | 1:36,622 | 1,501 |
| 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:36,343 | 1:35,903 | - | - |
| 11 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:36,911 | 1:36,031 | - | - |
| 12 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:36,556 | 1:36,255 | - | - |
| 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1:36,528 | 1:36,283 | - | - |
| 14 | Bruno Senna | Williams-Renault | 1:36,674 | 1:36,289 | - | - |
| 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1:36,639 | 1:36,317 | - | - |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:36,921 | 1:36,745 | - | - |
| 17 | Daniel Ricciardo | STR-Ferrari | 1:36,933 | 1:36,956 | - | - |
| 18 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR-Ferrari | 1:37,714 | - | - | - |
| 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham-Renault | 1:38,463 | - | - | - |
| 20 | Vitalij Petrov | Caterham-Renault | 1:38,677 | - | - | - |
| 21 | Timo Glock | Marussia-Cosworth | 1:39,282 | - | - | - |
| 22 | Charles Pic | Marussia-Cosworth | 1:39,717 | - | - | - |
| 23 | Pedro de la Rosa | HRT-Cosworth | 1:40,411 | - | - | - |
| 24 | Narajn Kartykejan | HRT-Cosworth | 1:41,000 | - | - | - |
| - | Q1 107 % | - | 1:42,931 | - | - | - |
