The third title contender, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, did even worse and will start 16th, with his team-mate Mark Webber second on the grid.

BBC: Button bid hit by qualifying flop

"While it looks like he's out of the winter testing programme, we fully expect Mark to make the starting grid in Melbourne next March, " the team said.

BBC: Webber breaks leg in bike crash

Massa was later handed a three-place grid penalty after being accused of impeding Mark Webber in the second Red Bull during Q2, with the Australian qualifying eighth behind Lotus' Romain Grosjean.

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"It's a shame for Mark he's not further up the grid, " he said.

BBC: Downbeat Mark Webber promises fight to the flag

He will start the race alongside teammate Felipe Massa after Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was dropped five places from fourth -- having needed a new gearbox after problems in final practice -- and Red Bull's Mark Webber was demoted from fifth to seventh because of his grid penalty following a collision in the China race.

CNN: Rosberg claims surprise pole position in Bahrain

The Japanese was handed a 10-place grid penalty for next weekend's Malaysian race for his role in tangles with Red Bull's Mark Webber at the start and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica nine laps from the end.

BBC: SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | Hamilton wins dramatic F1 opener