Disappointing French qualifying for WilliamsF1

Nico Rosberg
By Andrew Hooper
July 15 2006

The WilliamsF1 team would come away with a disappointing result after qualifying for the 2006 French GP. Mark would fail to make the cut in Q2 finishing in 11th. Nico would finish in 9th but will drop ten places due to an engine change. The French GP is going to be another difficult race.

French GP Qualifying

Qualifying for the French Grand Prix would see minor changes with the session been split into Q1, Q2 and Q3. Each period is now 15 minutes long with the driver able to complete the lap he is on each time the chequered flag is shown. With Nico and Mark fourth and fifth in the final practice session Q1 would get underway. It was confirmed that Nico will drop ten places after having a late
engine change. Nico would then be running the latest series of Cosworth engine.

Rosberg Mark and Heidfeld would complete a lap. They were joined by Nico, Michael and Ralf Schumacher. Trulli was also out joined by Albers. Several other drivers would take to the track, including Klien, Monteiro, Speed, and Montagny. The first time would be set by Heidfeld with a time of 1m:18.109. Mark's first lap was a 1m:19.341. He would be beaten by Ralf with a time of 1m:19.045. Trulli would go fastest with a 1m:17.092. Nick would lower his time with a 1m:17.938 to be in second. Albers and Monteiro were third and fourth. Nico was fifth and Mark now seventh. Mark would pit.

Other drivers to come put were Coulthard, Liuzzi, Sato, de la Rosa, Button. Michael had pitted. Coulthard was now fastest with a 1m:17.034. Nico had also pitted. Klien was in third with Speed fourth. Nico and Mark were now in ninth and eleventh. Raikkonen was out and his first lap would see him in fourth, 1m:17.586. There was six minutes remaining. Al cars except the Renault's had completed a lap. Liuzzi was now in fourth, 1m:17.263. Alonso was now out o the track, joined by Fisichella. At the front it was still Coulthard fastest.

But Massa would move ahead of the Red Bull driver with a time of 1m:16.277. Mark was now in fifteenth and looking at been cut from Q2. There was a rush of drivers with just three minutes remaining. Villeneuve was now in sixth. De la Rosa would move into second as both Nico and Mark returned to the track. Michael was now fastest from Massa and now Alonso was in third. Kimi would move into second, 1m:16.154. Both Nico and Mark would miss the cut unless they could find more time.

And that is what Mark did moving into fifth with a time of 1m:16.531. Nico would do the same moving into sixth with a time of 1m:16.534. But both would be pushed one place down the order when Ralf moved into second, 1m:15.949. Team-mate Trulli would put in a very quick time, 1m:15.550, to go fastest as the session came to an end. So those not making the cut were Liuzzi, Villeneuve, Button, Monteiro, Montagny, and Sato. A disappointing result for Villeneuve who had been very strong in practice. The same could be said for Button who had another poor run in qualifying. This was an encouraging first period for the WilliamsF1 team with mark and Nico finishing in eighth and ninth.

The fifteen minute Q2 would get underway and Heidfeld would be the first driver out followed by Speed. Mark would also come out early. Nico would follow his team-mate out of the pit lane. Klien was also out, joined by Ralf Schumacher. Coulthard and Klien would both come out. The first driver to set a time was Heidfeld with a 1m:16.394. Sped would set a time of 1m:18.752. Mark's first lap was a 1m:16.407 to place him second. Nico would move into third with a 1m:16.530. There would be a rush of drivers coming out. Only Michael Schumacher, Massa, and Albers had yet to come out.

Mark would pit. Ralf was on a quick lap finishing fastest with a time of 1m:15.625. team-mate Trulli was now in second, 1m:15.776. But Raikkonen would move ahead of the Toyota with a time of 1m:15.742. Kimi's time was passed by Alonso. Fisichella was now in fifth. Mark and Nico were now in eighth and tenth. Massa was out of his pit. De la Rosa was now in sixth, 1m:16.270. Massa was on a quick lap and would move ahead of Alonso and into second. Michael was now out on the track. Mark was now in ninth and Nico eleventh. Things were looking close for the WilliamsF1 pair.

Webber

Michael was fastest in sector one and two and would complete his lap with a time of 1m:15.111 to go fastest. Mark was back out on the track with three minutes remaining. He was joined by Nico. De la Rosa was now in eighth. Everyone from ninth to sixteenth was on the track for that time that would see them move into the top ten. Mark's lap would see him move into ninth with a time of 1m:16.129. Nico would push Mark down one spot when he moved into ninth, 1m:15.926. But in the dying moments Coulthard would move into tenth pushing Mark out of the top ten.

Those not making the cut were Mark, Heidfeld, Klien, Barrichello, Speed, and Albers. For the BMW Sauber and Honda teams qualifying was a dismal time. Things were only just slightly better for the WilliamsF1 team with Nico in ninth but facing a ten place grid penalty. If he finishes qualifying in tenth he will still face a grid position of twentieth. The team may not even send him out preferring to save his engine for the race.

The final fifteen minute period Q3 would see Michael and Alonso lined up in the pit lane exit. The rest of the drivers were behind them, including Nico Rosberg. Alonso would get out first. But Michael would pass Alonso at the Adelaide hairpin. With just fifteen minutes instead of twenty the drivers have less track time to reduce their fuel loads. Michael was fastest, 1m:17.177, followed by Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa, Fisichella, Ralf, Trulli, Nico, Coulthard, and de la Rosa.

Rosberg

With ten minutes remaining Nico was slowest, 1m:21.913, but the times did not mean anything at this time. Trulli was now in fourth followed by Ralf. We had yet to see anyone pit. Alonso would improve his time with a 1m:17.884 but was still in second. The first driver to come in was de la Rosa. Kimi would also come in. Now it was the turn of Michael and Alonso to pit. They were joined by Fisichella and Massa. Both McLaren's had received new tyres. Five minutes remained. Both McLaren's were on quick laps. Pedro would go fastest with a time of 1m:16.632. Kimi was second with a time of 1m:16.704. Kimi spoilt his lap running wide at one point.

Michael was now on a flyer and he would move ahead of Alonso to go fastest with a time of 1m:15.770. Massa was now in second followed by Alonso and Fisichella. Both McLaren's would pit again followed by Michael, Massa, Trulli, Ralf, and even Nico. Everyone was getting in their final lap.

Michael was still fastest from Massa and Alonso and Fisichella. De a Rosa and Kimi were in fourth and fifth. Michael would go fastest in the first sector. Kimi was now in fourth, 1m:16.281. But Trulli would take this spot with a time of 1m:16.036. Ralf was now in fifth. Nico was still in tenth but would improve to be ninth, 1m:18.272. Nico could be carrying a heavy fuel load. Michael would lower his time with a 1m:15.493 to remain fastest.

Massa was also faster with a time of 1m:15.510. So with the end of the period we had an all Ferrari front row. Massa was sin second with Alonso third followed by Trulli, Ralf, Raikkonen, Fisichella, de la Rosa, Nico, and Coulthard. This would mean that Nico Will start the race from nineteenth. It certainly was a session that was dominated by Bridgestone runners with four of the top five running the Japanese brand.