Belgian Qualifying: Great effort from Rosberg

After seeing their drivers finish the final practice session in seventh and nineteenth the AT&T Williams team would prepare for qualifying for the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg had been able to improve from his Friday performance but team-mate Kazuki Nakajima was still way down the order with things not looking good for qualifying. With Heidfeld setting the fastest time on the harder tyre in the final practice there was uncertainty as to how the softer tyre would perform. Webber had an engine change due to a failure in the
earlier practice as Fisichella took to the track.

He was joined by both Ferrari's with Badoer running on the softer tyre. Alguersuari was also out joined by Nico and Grosjean. Nico on the softer tyre as Nico was told that there was very little chance of rain. More drivers would come out including Alonso, Kazuki, Sutil, Button, Barrichello, Webber, Trulli, Glock, and Kovalainen. Three minutes of the session completed and only four drivers remained in their pits. Badoer would go fastest with a 1m:48.182 but was beaten by several drivers with Nico going fastest with a 1m:47.237. Grosjean was second from Raikkonen and Badoer. Kazuki was now fourth, 1m:47.957, while Glock and Trulli would go first and second. Glock's time was a 1m:46.394. Alonso was now third followed by Raikkonen and Sutil. Nico would improve with a 1m:46.571 to move up to second.

Buemi was now fourth followed by Alonso, Webber, and Kazuki. Button was up to second while Trulli went fastest with a 1m:45.974. Glock was second from third placed Barrichello. Alonso was now up to fourth but it was all changing with Buemi moving to the top of the times with a 1m:45.951. Heidfeld was fourth from Barrichello, Alonso, Raikkonen, Nico, Button, and Sutil. Sutil would improve to be fastest with a 1m:45.746. Kazuki was down in thirteenth and Nico ninth. Things were not looking good for the Williams team. Heidfeld was now fastest
with a time of 1m:45.566. Vettel was now third but Button would take this place but Barrichello moved into second. So its Heidfeld from Barrichello, Sutil, Button, Vettel, Buemi. Trulli, Glock, and Kubica.

Fisichella was now fifth, 1m:45.873, as Nico and Kazuki had both dropped well down the order to be seventeenth and eighteenth. Only Alguersuari and Badoer were slower. With six and a half minutes remaining it was looking like both Williams would not make it past Q1. Hamilton was sup to fourth, 1m:45.767, as both Williams drivers left the pits to see if they can improve. With most of the field back out Raikkonen was able to move up to second, 1m:45.579. Only Heidfeld was still in the pits as Trulli moved to the top of the times with a 1m:45.331. Nico was on an improved lap as Sutil moved up to second, 1m:45.489. Glock would take second as Nico moved up to ninth, 1m:45.789, as Vettel also moved up the order taking third with Webber second.

With the end of the period Fisichella would go fastest with a 1m:45.102 with Trulli now second from Sutil, Webber, Vettel, Glock, and Nico. Barrichello was now third seeing Nico drop to eighth. Kazuki was still in eighteenth while Kubica had moved from seventeenth to eleventh. Badoer had spun at Le Combes backing his car into the barrier. So those not making the cut were Buemi, Alguersuari, Kazuki, Grosjean, and Badoer. The order was Fisichella from Trulli, Barrichello, Sutil, Webber, Vettel, Glock, Nico, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Kubica, Kovalainen, Alonso, Button, and in fifteenth Hamilton.

The second fifteen minute period would commence with a rush of drivers taking to the track. Fist out was Kubica While Nico was still in his pit along with Kovalainen and Alonso. Kubica was on his flying lap while Nico remained in his pit with twelve minutes remaining. Kubica's time was a 1m:45.496 but he was beaten by several drivers. Trulli was fastest with a 1m:44.865. Raikkonen was second from Glock and Hamilton. Sutil was fifth from Vettel, as Webber moved up to fifth.

Kubica was up to second, 1m:44.933, from Raikkonen. Drivers would start to pit while Nico still had not come out. Vettel was now third from Barrichello. Webber would improve to now be in second, 1m:44.927. Kubica was third from Vettel and Barrichello. Hamilton was in eighth. Nico would finally exit his garage with the harder tyre while Trulli was fastest from Webber, Kubica, Vettel, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Glock, Hamilton, Button, and Fisichella in tenth. Five minutes of the session remaining as Nico started his timed lap. Other drivers would return to the track as Nico seemed to be struggling with his car. Everyone was on the track as Raikkonen went fastest in sector one. Nico's time was a 1m:45.603 to be fifteenth.

Raikkonen would move from fourth to sixth, 1m:44.953. Button was still ninth as Alonso moved up to sixth. Nico's next lap would see him fourteenth while Glock moved up to second but Vettel would move past him. Fisichella was now fastest with a 1m:44.667. Nico would go fastest in sector two seeing him move up to tenth. With the end of the period it would be Trulli fastest from Kubica, Fisichella, Heidfeld, and Barrichello. Vettel was now up to third while Nico was able to keep his tenth place making it into Q3.

Those not making the cut were Sutil, Hamilton, Alonso, Button, and Kovalainen. The top ten was Trulli from Kubica, Vettel, Fisichella, Heidfeld, Barrichello, Glock, Webber, Raikkonen, and Nico. A great effort from Nico to make it into Q3.

The final ten minute period would commence with Raikkonen first out joined by Heidfeld. Seven cars were out with two minutes completed. Nico was now one of them as Raikkonen started his flying lap. Nico would come out leaving just Fisichella still in the pits. Raikkonen's time was a 1m:47.218 Several drivers would pit swapping from the softer tyre to the harder one. The medium compound tyre was seeming to perform better given the temperatures. Only Raikkonen had set a time with three and a half minute left in the period.

Heidfeld was second with a 1m:48.778. Nico was now second with a 1m:48.479 but he would not stay second with this time. Barrichello was now fourth, 1m:49.730, With two minutes left neither Red Bull had seta time while Heidfeld was fastest with a 1m:46.895. Kubica was now fastest but was beaten by Trulli with a 1m:46.511. Nico was now eighth as Barrichello moved up to third while Fisichella went fastest with a 1m:46.308. Nico was now tenth while Raikkonen move into third.

Heidfeld was now second but Trulli would move up to second from Heidfeld, Barrichello, Kubica, Raikkonen, Glock, Vettel, Webber, and Nico in tenth. So it would be a Force India on pole. Nico was down in tenth but it would most likely be that he was running with a heavy fuel load.