Japanese GP: Qualifying round up
By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
October 7 2006
Toyota had their best Qualifying of the season at the Suzuka circuit in Japan for tomorrows Japanese Grand Prix. Ralf will line up 3rd and Jarno 4th avenging the disappointment of China a week ago. Meanwhile Felipe Massa in the Ferrari takes pole ahead of his team mate Michael Schumacher with reigning WDC Fernando Alonso back in 5th.
Conditions over the weekend had varied with rain on the Friday and the threat of rain in Qualifying and possibly the race tomorrow. But now the teams had to get their heads down and concentrate on getting a good Qualifying result.
Knock out 1
So with conditions very windy and very unpredictable the drivers went into Qualifying and it was Jarno who became the first driver out on track. This is Toyota’s home event so they will be hoping to avenge the disappointment that struck last weekend in China where both cars failed to get through the first phase of Qually and both Jarno and Ralf retired in the race. Jarno set the opening time of the session of a 1.3.975 which wasn’t too quick but he was the first car on the circuit and a lot of rubber hadn’t been laid down. Ralf then beat Jarno’s time on a 1.33.644. In his and Super Aguri’s first home Grand Prix Sakon Yamamoto spun his car at the hairpin with 10 minutes to go, hardly a great Japanese GP debut for him. He was out the car and out of the session although it really wouldn’t have made much difference he would probably have been at the back anyway. Honda’s Jenson Button was out on track and he went fastest on a 1.33.057 throwing down the gauntlet to Toyota in the home battle between the two rival manufactures. 7 times World Champion Michael Schumacher has the chance to win his 8th World title before he heads into retirement at the end of season providing he wins and reigning World Champion and rival Fernando Alonso does not score, but with that looks highly unlikely. With 6 minutes to go Schumacher went fastest on a 1.31.279 which pushed Ralf back to 12th and Jarno to 14th which would mean that the Toyota duo would need to go again if they were to stand any of chance of going into the second knock out. Schumacher’s team mate Felipe Massa went fastest with just other 3 minutes to go on a 1.30.112 as Jarno went down to 16th and onto the edge of the drop. Alonso went 2nd behind Massa and just ahead of title rival Schumacher. Jarno then went into 2nd and Ralf 3rd-comfortably into the 2nd knock out session. They say 24 hours is a long time in politics then a week must be a long time in Formula 1 a very good effort. Home favorite Takuma Sato went out of the session in the Super Aguri, which wasn’t much of a surprise but was a disappointment for the home fans that turned out in the droves to support Taku. Mclaren Mercedes Pedro De La Rosa got himself out of trouble and jumped from 21st to 8th and then Williams’ Mark Webber went from 17th to 10th which knocked the Red Bull’s of David Coulthard and Robert Doornbos out of the session followed by Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Scott Speed, Takuma Sato, Sypker-MF1’s Tiago Monteiro and Sakon Yamamoto. Jarno stayed 2nd and Ralf was 4th. Massa stayed top.
Top 6: Massa, Trulli, Rosberg, R.Schumacher, Button, Alonso
Bottom 6: Coulthard, Doornbos, Speed, Sato, Monteiro, Yamamoto
Knock Out 2
So thankfully and unlike last weekend Both Jarno and Ralf were through to the Second Session but now the hard the hard work of getting through to the pole shoot out began. As the knock out began Toro Rosso driver Vitantonio Liuzzi became the first driver out on the circuit swiftly followed by Jarno. Liuzzi set the opening time of 1.33.755-He would need to go again. Jarno then went fastest on a 1.30.204 underlining the performance of Bridgestone and Toyota-Was looking good! Ralf went into second behind Jarno just a few hundredths of a second behind Jarno with just over 8 minutes still to go. The good news for Toyota was that Honda were luckily not on their pace. Jenson Button went into 4th place. Schumacher toppled Jarno at the top of time sheets on a 1.28.954-a great lap. He was over a second quicker than title rival Fernando Alonso and his team mate Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault should be worried! Mclaren were struggling, Kimi Raikkonen was 8th and team mate Pedro De La Rosa was 13th with just over 5 minutes still to go-They would need to go again. Massa went into 2nd just ahead of the Toyota’s flowed by Fisichella and Alonso. Toyota was slap bang in the middle of the title battle, and it was in Ferrari’s favor. With seconds to go drivers like Barrichello, Robert Kubica in the BMW-Sauber and De La Rosa were out on track trying to get them into the final phase of Qualifying. Raikkonen was currently in the top 10 but only just-He finished his final lap but stayed in 9th place which was not a handy place to be in. De La Rosa crossed the line but did not improve and both he and Raikkonen were out of Qualifying. Raikkonen was out thanks to a final last gasp effort by Rubens Barrichello in the Honda. Kubica blew his 1 chance at the second Degna corner as he ran off the road. Jarno stayed third and Ralf 5th-Both in the pole shoot out and looking good. Schumacher stayed top.
Top 6: M.Schumacher, Massa, Trulli, Button, R.Schumacher, Fisichella.
Bottom 6: Raikkonen, Kubica, De La Rosa, Webber, Liuzzi, Albers
Pole Shoot out
So for the first time n a few races both Toyota’s were through the pole shoot out and were on the pace. Jarno and Ralf would battle it out for pole between, both of the Ferrari’s, Both Honda’s, Alonso and Fisichella in the Renault’s, Nico Rosberg in the Williams Cosworth and Nick Heidfeld’s BMW-Sauber. As usual the first few moments of the pole shoot out brought the fuel burn phase but it was Michael Schumacher who was fastest in this phase, going P1 on a 1.32.729 as Ralf and Jarno sat back in 8th and 9th respectively. But with 9 minutes to go a dark cloud threatened to sweep over Suzuka which forced the teams into action and set up their drivers for a proper shot at pole. It was very early only 6 minutes in the session had passed but to get a good lap in and avoid the possibility of rain this was the only option. Honda, Toyota, Renault and Ferrari were the first in and Jarno was the first to go out on track and set a proper time, he went P1 on a 1.30.916 which was the area Renault were in, which meant it was advantage Ferrari. Barrichello went into second position proving that Toyota have the faster car in Qualifying. Michael Schumacher though was faster than everyone! He went into provisional pole with a lap time of 1.30.245, which soon became 5th when both Massa and his own team mate Giancarlo Fisichella beat him. He was too far of Michael’s pace. Ralf moved up from 9th to 5th but it could have been more as he was visually held up by Heidfeld in the BMW-Sauber. Schumacher SNR went for 1 last run and improved his time yet further to a 1.29.711 but is team mate Felipe Massa tore up the script and beat Michael to pole as the flag fell, his time a 1.29.599. Alonso went to 3rd place but Jarno was faster than them all through the first and second sector but lost time and could only manage 4th. 4th because Ralf took 3rd and the death beating Jarno by a few hundredths of a second whilst Alonso couldn’t fin enough speed to even get close to Michael Schumacher and will start 5th behind both Ralf and Jarno. A great session for Toyota and their best of the season! For Toyota and the title battle it makes for an exciting race at the last Japanese GP at Suzuka!
So Massa starts from pole ahead of team mate Michael Schumacher. Ralf and Jarno make it an all Toyota second row. Fernando Alonso will be disappointed with 5th and starting from there will not aid his chance of retaining his title. Team mate Giancarlo Fisichella is 6th ahead of the Jenson Button in the first of Honda’s, beating team mate Barrichello to 7th spot. BMW-Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld and Williams’ Nico Rosberg round out the top 10.
Top 10: Massa, M.Schumacher, R.Schumacher, Trulli, Alonso, Fisichella, Button, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Rosberg.
LMC-S.
