Australian GP: Williams disappointing in final practice

With AT&T Williams drivers Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg finishing Friday practice in ninth and fourteenth there was still a lot of work to do as the Williams team prepared for Saturday's practice for the 2010 Australian Grand Prix. After a wet Friday afternoon Saturday saw vastly improved conditions, even if it was cooler. The drivers were strapped in their cars ready to take to the track. The session would get underway with a rush of drivers coming out. Nico would leave the pits first as everyone returned to their pits after their installation laps. Rubens would come out along with the McLaren's. Rubens would pit With five minutes of the session completed four drivers had yet to take to the track, including both Mercedes Benz cars.

Senna was out on the track running by himself returning to the pits. Petrov was the first driver back out starting his first timed lap. Other drivers would start to come back out, including De la Rosa, Massa and Glock. Petrov would set a time of 1m:32.342. Nico Hulkenberg was out on the track while Petrov was having a hard time with his Renault but he would improve with a 1m:28.597. More cars had taken to the circuit as Massa went fastest with a 1m:28.516 from Petrov, De la Rosa, and Glock. Both Mercedes cars would finally come out as Petrov set a 1m:27.532. Liuzzi was sixth and Alguersuari fourth. Massa was again fastest with a 1m:27.190. Nico's first lap was a 1m:28.910 seeing him fifth. Kobayashi was up to fourth with Rubens now joining Nico on the circuit.

Nico was now second with a 1m:27.449 but was quickly beaten by Petrov. Massa was still fastest from Petrov, Nico, Vettel, Kubica, Buemi, De la Rosa, Kobayashi, Alguersuari, and in tenth Rosberg. Rosberg would jump from tenth to be fastest with a 1m:26.463. Vettel would respond with a 1m:26.242 to be fastest. Nico was now fifth while Rubens had yet to set a time. Petrov and Massa would pit while we had the rest of the field on the circuit. Massa would quickly come back out Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:26.242 from Rosberg, Massa, Schumacher, Petrov, Nico, Buemi, Kubica, and Alguersuari. Hamilton was now fastest with a 1m:25.706 while Rubens was in thirteenth, 1m:29.380. Nico had dropped to eighth, 1m:27.449. Schumacher would improve to be second, 1m:26.083. Nico would improve with a 1m:27.050. Button was up to fourth while Vettel was in second, 1m:25.963. The two HRT cars were slowest. With just over thirty minutes remaining Webber would move up to second, 1m:25.774. Rubens would have a moment with Senna as the HRT driver cut across the front of the Williams.

Button was now third, 1m:25.917, as the track emptied. Senna would pull off with a problem at Turn two. Petrov would return joining just Button on the track. Nico was now in ninth and Rubens had improved to be eleventh. Button would pit. With twenty six minutes remaining there would be drivers coming back out including both Ferrari's, both Mercedes Benz cars, and those from Sauber. Both Williams drivers were still in their pits. Alonso would improve to be third, 1m:25.916. Hamilton was out on the circuit and was still fastest from Webber, Alonso, Button, Vettel, Schumacher, Rosberg, Petrov, Massa, and Buemi in tenth. Rubens was running again while Alguersuari would move up from fourteenth to twelfth with a lap of 1m:27.131. Alonso was now fastest with a time of 1m:25.559. With most of the field running Alonso continued to push going fastest in sector one.

Schumacher was now second, 1m:25.690, while Alonso had aborted his lap to return to the pits. Nico and Rubens were down in thirteenth and fourteenth. Vettel was now third, 1m:25.692, while Schumacher went fastest by 0.065 with a time of 1m:25.494. Rosberg was fifth from Webber, Button, Massa, Petrov, and Kubica. Both Williams drivers were running while Schumacher would pit. Sutil would improve to be tenth, 1m:26.654. Webber was now fastest with a 1m:25.309 with sixteen minutes left in the session. Rubens and Nico had reversed positions with Rubens and Nico now fourteenth and fifteenth. Rubens time was a 1m:27.035 and Nico a 1m:27.050. Rubens would pit having run wide at Turn thirteen. With fourteen minutes left the track would empty as the drivers came in to prepare for their qualifying simulations.

Both Williams drivers were in their pits while Kobayashi was out running on the softer tyres. He was joined by both Toro Rosso cars. Kobayashi would improve to be eleventh, 1m:26.366. Alonso was out joined shortly after by Hamilton and Button. Alguersuari was up to twelfth after his run while more drivers started to come out for their final runs. Rubens and Nico weer now in sixteenth and seventeenth. Alonso was now second, 1m:25.456, while the majority of the field was back out. Neither of the McLaren's would improve after their laps. Webber was fastest in sector one while Hamilton was in fourth with a 1m:25.505. Both Williams cars were out for their runs as Webber would improve his time with a 1m:24.794 to go easily fastest. Alonso would improve his time with a 1m:24.929 to remain in second. Rubens was on an improved lap while Vettel would move ahead of Rosberg who was third. Rubens was up to eighth after his lap while Schumacher was up to fourth, 1m:25.216.

Nico was on a better lap but would remain in seventeenth. With three minutes remaining it was Webber from Alonso, Vettel, Schumacher, Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Sutil, Massa, Button, and Liuzzi in tenth. Webber would improve his time with a 1m:24.719 while Schumacher would also improve to be third from Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Sutil, Massa, Button, Liuzzi, and Rubens in eleventh. Nico was down in a disappointing seventeenth. The session would end with Button setting an improved time to be sixth, 1m:25.399. A far from encouraging session for both Williams driver making their prospects for qualifying and their ability to make it into the final period doubtful.

Pos  Driver         Team		    Time      Laps
 1.  Webber         Red Bull-Renault        1:24.719  16
 2.  Alonso         Ferrari                 1:24.929  19
 3.  Schumacher     Mercedes                1:24.963  17
 4.  Vettel         Red Bull-Renault        1:25.122  19
 5.  Rosberg        Mercedes                1:25.366  16
 6.  Button         McLaren-Mercedes        1:25.399  20
 7.  Hamilton       McLaren-Mercedes        1:25.505  14
 8.  Sutil          Force India-Mercedes    1:25.525  18
 9.  Massa          Ferrari                 1:25.549  20
10.  Liuzzi         Force India-Mercedes    1:25.782  19
11.  Barrichello    AT&T Williams-Cosworth  1:25.852  17
12.  Buemi          Toro Rosso-Ferrari      1:26.104  21
13.  Kubica         Renault                 1:26.184  21
14.  Kobayashi      Sauber-Ferrari          1:26.275  21
15.  Alguersuari    Toro Rosso-Ferrari      1:26.368  17
16.  Petrov         Renault                 1:26.661  19
17.  Hulkenberg     AT&T Williams-Cosworth  1:26.804  19
18.  de la Rosa     Sauber-Ferrari          1:26.818  18
19.  Kovalainen     Lotus-Cosworth          1:29.539  19
20.  Trulli         Lotus-Cosworth          1:29.800  16
21.  di Grassi      Virgin-Cosworth         1:30.800  18
22.  Glock          Virgin-Cosworth         1:31.114  12
23.  Chandhok       HRT-Cosworth            1:34.334  11
24.  Senna          HRT-Cosworth            1:36.649  8