Turkish GP: Disappointing qualifying for Williams

The AT&T Williams team would go into qualifying for the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix with little in the way of promising result from the earlier practice sessions. By the end of the first qualifying period the positions of both Nico Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello again showed that the FW32 was way of the pace.

Nico would finish the period in fourteenth and Rubens fifteenth. Rubens was eleventh at one stage during the period but dropped down the order as others went faster. Fastest was Vettel from Webber.

The second fifteen minute period would get underway with the early pace setter again been a Red bull this time that of Vettel. He would be fastest with a 1m:27.188 from Kubica, Schumacher, and Button. Hamilton would move ahead of Vettel with a time of 1m:27.103 with Webber now second followed by Vettel.

Rubens would start his lap with under ten minutes remaining. He would be on the softer tyre while team-mate Nico would set a 1m:30.522. Rubens first time was a 1m:28.813 to see him eleventh. Nico was up to fourteenth but both Williams drivers would rop down the order with Rubens now fourteenth and Nico fifteenth. Nico was some 3.5 seconds slower than the quickest time. As the clock counted down Rubens would drop to sixteenth and Nico seventeenth.

At the front Vettel had set a 1m:26.926 to be fastest while Rubens d was now 1.888 seconds slower than the quickest time. Nico was 1.9 seconds off the pace.

Webber would move to the top of the times with a 1m:26.818 followed by Vettel and Hamilton. Rubens would set a 1m:28.392 to now be fifteenth. Vettel would again move to the top of the times with a 1m:26.729. The Williams team would see their drivers finish the period in fifteenth and seventeenth. Both drivers would fail to make the cut into the final period.

Overall it was another poor performance from both team and drivers. It should be noted that it was five years since the Williams team had secured a pole position. It was in 2005 with Nick Heidfeld behind the wheel.

The final period would commence with everyone out on the softer tyres. Hamilton would set the early quickest time but would be passed by Webber who set a 1m:26.510. He was followed by Hamilton, Vettel, and Button. The drivers would make their pits stops and on their second runs Webber was able to improve with a 1m:26.295 while Hamilton would remain in second. He was followed by Vettel, who was troubled by a broken rear role bar, Button, and Schumacher. Schumacher would spin on his last flying lap seeing him run wide and spin the car.

Not the performance that the AT&T Williams team wanted to take away but it was not surprising given the lack of pace shown by both drivers and car in the lead-up to qualifying. Sunday's race is going to be a difficult day with it been very unlikely that the team will be able to come away with any points.