Spanish GP: Williams outside top ten after qualifying

The AT&T Williams team would go into qualifying for the 2010 Spanish Grand Prix with neither driver making it into the top ten in the final practice session. It was going to be difficult going for both Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg. The first twenty period would get underway with both Lotus cars coming out first. Both Virgin cars would be facing a five grid penalty due to the team been late in telling the FIA their gear ratio details. Massa and Alonso were both out on the track along with Liuzzi. Kovalainen was first
to set a time with a 1m:26.048 only to be beaten by Trulli with a 1m:25.527. Sutil and Senna were also out on the track. Nico would take to the track as Massa went fastest with a 1m:23.068 running on the harder tyres.

The track was now very busy with Rubens also coming out as Alonso moved into second with a 1m:23.121. Liuzzi was third followed by Trulli and Kovalainen. Kovalainen would pit while Senna moved into sixth. Alonso was on a quicker lap going fastest with a 1m:22.572. Buemi was up to fourth, 1m:24.544, as Nico moved up to third with a 1m:23.168. Button was now in second, 1m:22.716, with Massa third and Nico now fourth. Rubens was down
in twelfth with a time of 1m:27.339 but he would drop to fifteenth. Nico would improve to be third with a 1m:22.857. Frank Williams was at the circuit looking on as with ten minutes left in the period Kubica went fastest with a 1m:22.488. Hamilton was now fastest with a 1m:22.083. Kubica was now second from Alonso, Button, Nico, Massa, Kobayashi, Schumacher, Alguersuari, and Buemi in tenth.

Button was now fastest with a 1m:21.915 but team-mate Hamilton would improve to move ahead of Button with a 1m:21.723. Those setting the quickest times were still on the harder tyre. Nico had pitted while Rubens had improved to now be tenth, 1m:23.352. Webber would move up to third with a 1m:21.965, on his first lap on the harder tyres. Rosberg was now tenth while Vettel had yet to set a time with eight minutes remaining. Vettel's first lap would see him in fourth, 1m:22.243. Rubens was now in thirteenth while Nico had dropped to seventh. Both Red Bull cars were still running and were both on improved laps. Vettel was now in second, 1m:21.894, while Webber would go fastest after been fastest in the last two sectors with a 1m:21.412.

Both Ferrari's were back out along with Nico. Rubens was in his pit while Vettel improved with a 1m:21.680. With four minutes left it was Webber fastest from Vettel, Hamilton, Button, Kubica, Alonso, Nico, Massa, Sutil, and Kobayashi in tenth. Rubens was back out on the track looking to improve from fourteenth. The top four were all in their pits as the final minutes counted down. Alonso was now in fifth, 1m:22.442. Schumacher was now in seventh from Alguersuari, Sutil and Rosberg in tenth. Buemi was now tenth, 1m:22.699, while Rubens had dropped to seventeenth. Nico was now thirteenth and in his pit while De la Rosa put in a very quick alp to be sixth with a time of 1m:22.211. Rubens was in real trouble facing the prospect of not making the next period.

Rubens was now in eighteenth with the end of the period while Nico was in fifteenth. Joining Rubens in not making the cut were Trulli, Kovalainen, Glock, Di Grassi, Chandhok, and Senna. A big disappointment to see Rubens not make it into period two. What is even more difficult to understand was that Rubens car was running the updated the car. Given Nico's pace it was very unlikely that Nico would make it past the second period.

In this session Rubens car was 1.5 seconds faster than the Lotus while back in Australia it was three seconds ahead of the Lotus. Hard to explain why they have gone backwards. The second period would start with Vettel coming out early. Nico was also out on the track along with the majority of the field. Liuzzi would set the first time with a 1m:22.982 while Vettel would set a 1m:241.97. Both Red Bull cars were out on the hard tyre while Webber went fastest with a 1m:21.198. Buemi was in fourth while Hamilton moved into second, 1m:21.574 with Alonso now third. Sutil was fourth from Alguersuari while Vettel went fastest with a 1m:21.189. Nico was in ninth with a 1m:22.338. Hamilton was third from Button, Alonso, Massa, Sutil, and De la Rosa in eighth.

Hamilton would pit while Webber again moved to the top of the times with a 1m:21.112. Nico would improve to be ninth, 1m:22.131, but he would drop to tenth as Kubica move dup to sixth. Webber would pit while neither Mercedes cars had set a time. It would be Schumacher who would set the first time moving into third with a 1m:21.557. Rosberg was seventeenth while Nico had pitted from eleventh. So with seven minutes remaining it
was Webber fastest from Vettel, Schumacher, Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Kubica, Massa, De la Rosa, and Sutil in tenth. Rosberg was on an improved lap going into ninth, 1m:21.867. Only Rosberg was on the track and he would be joined by Hamilton. Four and a half minutes remaining as other drivers took to the track. Vettel was out along with Nico.

Webber would leave the pits along with Alonso, De la Rosa, Button, and others. Nico was told that Q3 was a realistic goal. Most drivers were out on the softer tyre as Hamilton's first lap would see hi in third, 1m:21.415. Now we would see what the Red Bull car do with the softer tyre. Everyone was on the track except Schumacher. Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:20.655. Webber would follow this with a 1m:20.655 with Hamilton third from Alonso, Schumacher, Kubica, Massa, Rosberg, and Sutil in tenth. Nico was down in twelfth. Button was now third with a 1m:21.168 while Kobayashi was up to eighth with a 1m:21.725. The period would come to an end with Webber fastest from Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Alonso, Schumacher, Kubica, Kobayashi, Massa, and Rosberg in tenth. Nico would not make the cut starting the race from thirteenth. Those not making the cut were Sutil, De la Rosa, Nico, Petrov, Buemi, Alguersuari, and Liuzzi.

Rubens was asked what went wrong. His answer was somewhat confusing as he said that the updates did not work. But he also added that he did not have a clear run complaining of slower cars but he again stated that the updates did not work.

The final period would commence with neither Williams car taking part. Kubica was first out running on the softer tyres. Alonso was released into the pit lane nearly running into Rosberg as the Mercedes came down the pit lane. Rosberg said that Alonso should get a penalty for what he did. Only Kobayashi had yet to come out with seven minutes left in the period. Kubica would set a 1m:22.038 but he was beaten by Button with a 1m:21.659. Hamilton was now fastest with a 1m:21.413.

Alonso was now third with a time of 1m:22.023, but this became fourth as Schumacher moved into third, 1m:21.836. Kubica had pitted from fifth while Rosberg was now sixth.
Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:20.342 but he was beaten by Webber with a 1m:20.239. Kobayashi was till in his pit as the drivers pitted. Kobayashi would come out onto the track with four minutes left. He would be the only driver on the track. Vettel would leave his pit joined by Webber. Alonso and Rosberg would come back out joined by Massa. Only Schumacher was still in his pit but he would come out as Kobayashi moved up to seventh with a 1m:21.984.

Everyone was still on the softer tyre as Vettel started his flying lap. Vettel was fastest in the first two sectors but his middle sector time was beaten by Webber. Vettel would set a 1m:20.101 to go fastest but Webber would respond with a 1m:19.995 to go fastest. Alonso was now third but he was passed by Hamilton. Alonso was now fourth from Button, Kubica, Rosberg, and Massa. Schumacher would be the last to set a time moving up to sixth, 1m:21.294.

It was a Red Bull front row with Webber fastest from Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Button, Schumacher, Kubica, Rosberg, Massa, and Kobayashi in tenth. Big smiles from the Red Bull team but again it was a big disappointment for the Williams team with Nico and Rubens starting from thirteenth and eighteenth. The prospect of even scoring a few points come Sundays race is looking very remote, a repeat of the last race in China.