|
After several
rain affected practice sessions qualifying was again going to be run under
wet conditions. It would all come down to who would have their drivers on
the track at the right times. The grip levels would be variable during the
session and it was a question as to what setup the teams would run with now
that parc ferme conditions applied. The drivers would line up at the exit to
the pit all looking to set an early time. After practice the AT&T Williams
team saw their drivers finish in thirteenth and sixteenth. Both Williams
drivers would come out early running on the intermediate tyre. Despite the
wet track it was sunny but rain was reported. Rubens car was only just
finished after a setup change on his FW33.
But for Schumacher it would go all wrong after having crashed at Rivage
putting his car into the barriers. His qualifying was over as we had
everyone out on the track. They would all start their flying laps and
Alguersuari would set a 2m:14.320 to be fastest. Buemi would move ahead with
a 2m:11.806. Button was now second as Hamilton went fastest with a
2m:09.506. Alonso was now second, 2m:09.990, with Buemi now third. Massa
would take this spot with a 2m:11.002 as the track continued to dry. Senna
was now in third, 2m:10.625, as Buemi moved up to second, 2m:09.653. Pastor
would jump up to fifth, 2m:10.769, while Rubens was in tenth, 2m:12.045. The
times kept falling as Webber went fastest with a 2m:06.872. |
|
Vettel was
second from Sutil and DI Resta. Rubens was in sixteenth and Pastor
thirteenth. Hamilton was now fifth from Massa, Buemi, and Alguersuari. With
ten minutes remaining Button would move up to second, 2m:07.195. The rain
was reported to be five minutes away as Pastor and Rubens dropped to
sevente3enth and nineteenth. Senna was up to sixth, 2m:08.112, as Buemi
moved into seventh. Both Pastor and Rubens were on improved laps and Pastor
would move into tenth, 2m:08.971. This would become twelfth as Rubens went
into tenth, 2m:08.828, and Alguersuari eleventh. But as the times fell
Webber would improve with a 2m:04.481 while Hamilton would go fastest with a
2m:04.240.
Rubens and Pastor were now in fifteenth sixteenth. Button would match his
team-mate going fastest with a 2m:03.882. But Hamilton would respond with a
2m:03.008 to again be fastest. Alonso was now third from Webber, Vettel,
Massa, Sutil, Perez, and Petrov. Senna would jump up to fifth, 2m:05.047.
Rubens and Pastor were now in eighteenth and nineteenth. But on the drying
track Pastor would find a big amount of time to move into seventh,
2m:05.621. This would become eighth as Petrov moved ahead while Rubens was
in ninth with a 2m:05.720. Alguersuari was now in eighth while Buemi was now
sixth. This would see Pastor and Rubens tenth and eleventh. Rosberg was now
in eighth, 2m:05.091, moving up from fifteenth. Pastor and Rubens were now
eleventh and twelfth.
Both McLaren's had pitted with Button fastest with a time of 2m:01.813.
Webber was in second, 2m:02.827, from Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Buemi,
Senna, Rosberg, Petrov and Alguersuari in tenth. With the end of the period
Pastor and Rubens remained in their eleventh and twelfth. Those not making
the cut were Di Resta, Trulli, Glock, D'Ambrosio, Liuzzi, Ricciardo, and
Schumacher. |
|
With both Williams drivers making it through to the second period light rain
was falling as the teams waited for the start of the second period. Again
the drivers would line up at the end of the pit lane looking to get out
early. One of those was Rubens followed by Pastor. The track was getting
wetter with the drivers looking to set an early time on their intermediates.
The only driver yet to come out was Kovalainen as the drivers started their
flying laps. The times would come quickly with Alguersuari setting a
2m:10.471. Buemi was faster with a 2m:09.421. Rubens was up to second,
2m:10.368, but the order would change with Button fastest, 2m:07.232, from
Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Buemi, Rosberg, and Rubens in ninth. Pastor
was in twelfth, 2m:10.691.
Vettel would go fastest with a time of 2m:07.085 while Sutil moved into
fifth, 2m:07.777. Kovalainen was now out on the track while Sutil would
crash his car pulling off the track. He would lose control of his car on the
ruin up from Eau Rouge. While this was happening Webber was now fastest with
a time of 2m:06.644. Vettel was second from Button and Hamilton as the
period was red flagged. This was as a result of the debris on the track from
Sutil's accident. With just under seven minutes remaining Rubens and Pastor
would be fourteenth sixteenth. Pastor would have a moment locking up his
front left and running off into the asphalt run-off area at the Bus Stop
chicane. He was able to continue and would eventually pit.
After a short break the track was cleared and the pit lane exit would see
drivers again lining up. The period would restart. Senna was told to push
hard for all his laps while Alonso was complaining about traffic. Alonso was
down in eleventh as Alguersuari moved into second while Buemi would go
fastest, 2m:06.310. Alonso would move ahead with a 2m:06.119. But Button was
now fastest with a 2m:05.150. But Webber would take first with a 2m:04.452.
It was all changing as Vettel went fastest with a time of 2m:03.317. For
Williams Pastor and Rubens were fifteenth and sixteenth as the period drew
to a close. Rubens was on a better lap but he was baulked badly in
Blanchimont. Rubens would finish with a 2m:07.349 to be fourteenth. For
Pastor he would make contact with Hamilton as they turned into the final
corner. Hamilton would move ahead to be fastest with a 2m:02.823.
Senna would move up to fifth as Alonso went fastest with a 2m:02.768. But
Pastor would make what appeared to be very unsporting as he would come along
side Hamilton on the run down from La Source. Pastor would move alongside
Hamilton and would move sideways across the track seeing his FW33 make
contact with Hamilton's car. Whether this was deliberate is the big
question. Those not making the cut were Buemi, Kobayashi, Button, Rubens,
Sutil, Pastor, and Kovalainen. |
|
The final ten minute period would commence with Alonso out on the soft tyre.
Everyone was on the track except Hamilton. Massa would run off the track at
Malmedy but was able to continue. Hamilton would leave the pits also on the
soft tyre. There was now sunshine as Rosberg pitted to change to the soft
tyre. A 1m:54.550 from Alonso to be fastest from Perez. But Webber would go
fastest with a 1m:53.798 from Massa who set a 1m:54.516. Vettel was now
fourth from Alguersuari, Petrov, Senna, and Perez. Hamilton and Rosberg had
yet to set times as Perez went fastest with a 1m:52.896.
he would be easily beaten by Webber with a 1m:50.875. Hamilton was up to
second but Vettel would move ahead with a 1m:51.239. Hamilton was now third
from Massa, Alguersuari, Perez, Senna, Alonso, Rosberg, and Petrov. The
times continued to fall Webber would improve with a 1m:49.376. Hamilton was
now in second with a 1m:49.467. But again Vettel would show his pace setting
a 1m:49.180. Alguersuari was now fourth from Rosberg, Senna, Massa, Perez,
Petrov, and Alonso in tenth. The period would come to an end as Massa moved
up to fourth, 1m:50.256. Hamilton would go fastest with a 1m:48.730 but
Vettel was again fastest with a 1m:48.298. Webber was now third from Massa,
Rosberg, Alguersuari, Senna, Alonso, Perez, and Petrov in tenth.
Another pole from Vettel but for the Williams team the very big issue would
be whether or not Pastor would receive a penalty and if so what type of
penalty would be applied. Both Pastor and Dickie Stanford were seen heading
off together to no doubt see the Stewards to give their version of events. |
