The pole was 2008 world champion Hamilton's first for Mercedes and 27th of his career.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso qualified third with Nico Rosberg fourth in the second Mercedes.

McLaren continued to disappoint, with Jenson Button in eighth, but he is the first drivers on the longer-lasting medium tyres.

Red Bull's championship leader Sebastian Vettel is starting ninth after also opting to qualify on the mediums and not setting a proper qualifying lap. 

Red Bull's Mark Webber, barely speaking to Vettel after a team orders row in Malaysia, was sidelined by a fuel problem in the second phase of qualifying. He will start from the back if stewards find there was not enough fuel in his car.

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:34.484

2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus - Renault 1:34.761

3. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1:34.788

4. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:34.861

5. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1:34.933

6. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1:35.364

7. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:35.998

8. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 2:05.673

9. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault

10. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari

11. Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India - Mercedes 1:36.287

12. Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1:36.314

13. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1:36.405

14. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull - Renault 1:36.679

15. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams - Renault 1:37.139

16. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1:37.199

17. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - Renault 1:37.769

18. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1:37.990

19. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Cosworth 1:38.780

20. Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Cosworth 1:39.537

21. Charles Pic (France) Caterham - Renault 1:39.614

22. Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham - Renault 1:39.660