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After a positive
final practice session for the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix the Williams F1 team
would be hoping to see both Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna make it into
the top ten. Pastor had finished fifth in the final practice while Bruno was
down in fourteenth after having, as he would later say, not made the best
use of the track conditions. Bruno was in his car early waiting for the opening twenty minute
period to get underway. Rosberg would be first out trying to make up for
lost time after his problem in the final practice. He would be joined by
both Lotus cars, both Sauber's, and both Torro Rosso's. For Williams Bruno
would be first out followed by Pastor. The track was very busy as we only had a handful of cars in the pits.
Both Glock and Pic were on the super soft tyres as Di Resta was fastest with
a 1m:16.999, followed by Ricciardo and Raikkonen. Hamilton was now fastest
with a 1m:16.232 joined by Button in second. Perez would move ahead with a
1m:16.131. Kobayashi would joining Perez at the front going fastest with a
1m:15.906. He was quickly passed by Alonso with a 1m:15.121 to be fastest,
followed by Hulkenberg. Di Resta would move up to fourth while Bruno was
down in fourteenth with a 1m:19.003. Hamilton would move from fifth to
second, 1m:15.300. Massa was now third from Schumacher, Hulkenberg, and Button. Pastor was down in fourteenth with a
1m:17.080 and Bruno twentieth. Hulkenberg would go fastest with a 1m:15.106.
Bruno was on a better lap setting a 1m:15.997 to be fourteenth. pastor had
also improved to be tenth with a time of 1m:15.634. With ten minutes
remaining Alonso would go fastest with a 1m:14.916, from Hulkenberg,
Hamilton, Button, Massa, Kobayashi, Rosberg, and Schumacher. Vettel had yet
to set a time as Schumacher completed a better lap seeing him fastest with a
1m:14.892. Pastor and Bruno had pitted leaving just six cars on the track.
One of those was Vettel while team-mate Webber would set a 1m:15.239 to be
sixth. Vettel's lap would see him set a 1m:15.106 to be fourth. Perez and
Grosjean were back out as both Red Bull's were on improved laps. Webber
would go to third while Vettel would go quickest with a 1m:14.743. Webber
was now fourth as more cars came back out, including both Williams.
More drivers were using the super soft tyre, including both Williams cars.
Pastor would run wide at Turn one taking to the grass but he would continue.
Bruno would set a 1m:15.632 to be fourteenth as Vettel set a 1m:14.661 to
improve his time. Button was also on a better lap seeing him second with a
1m:14.799. Hamilton was third from Schumacher, Alonso, Webber, Di Resta, and
Rosberg in eighth. Bruno was now fifteenth and Pastor seventeenth. Bruno was
on a better lap seeing him jump up the order to be seventh, 1m:14.995.
Pastor would move up to thirteenth, 1m:15.204, while the top six were all
back in their pits as the period came to an end. Pastor was on a quicker lap
and this would see him move up to seventh with a 1m:14.979. This would see
Bruno drop to eighth. Those not making the cut were Kovalainen, Petrov, Vergne, De la Rosa, Glock, Pic, and
Karthikeyan. The top ten was Vettel from Button, Hamilton, Schumacher,
Alonso, Webber, Pastor, Bruno, Raikkonen, and Di Resta. Despite the Williams
teams concerns over their qualifying pace it was a good start to the
session. |
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The opening period would be close with one second covering the top
seventeen. The second fifteen minute period would commence with Ricciardo
first out followed by more drivers. There was a mix of soft and super soft
tyres on various cars, with both Ferrari's were on the soft tyre. Ricciardo
set a 1m:15.995 to be fastest but was passed by Kobayashi with a 1m:15.454.
Perez was second as Rosberg went fastest with a 1m:14.568. Button was now
second from Hulkenberg and Kobayashi. Hamilton was pushing using the super
soft tyre setting a 1m:14.510 to be fastest. But Vettel would move ahead
with a 1m:14.187 also on the super soft tyre. Bruno was now in ninth,
1m:15.283, while Pastor was twelfth, 1m:15.500.
Webber was now second with a 1m:14.479 with Hamilton now third. Drivers
would start to pit including Vettel. Hamilton was on a quick lap as Bruno
pitted. Hamilton would set a 1m:14.371 to be second. Raikkonen was now
tenth, 1m:15.162. Pastor was now twelfth and Bruno thirteenth. Schumacher
would improve to be fourth with a 1m:14.480. Pastor would pit with just over
six minutes remaining. Slowest was Alonso as he came back out on the super
soft tyre. As Alonso started his lap the track became quite empty but we
would have Massa, Kobayashi, and Bruno return to the track. Alonso's lap would see him second with a 1m:14.314. Ricciardo
was now eleventh with a 1m:15.078. Both Williams cars were again on the
super soft tyre as the final minutes counted down.
Kobayashi was up to seventh with a 1m:14.688 but both Di Resta and Button
would move up to seventh and eighth. Kobayashi was now ninth. The top six
were all still in their pits as we had the Williams cars in fifteenth and
sixteenth. It was now looking good fro either Williams driver as Raikkonen
moved up to tenth. Pastor would suddenly find pace to go fastest in sector
one. But the final corner of his lap would see him spin his car going across
the kerb at the chicane seeing him spin and hit the wall of champions with
his right rear tyre. He would continue to spin across the track with damage
to the rear of his car as he went down the track. He would be pushed to the
end of the pit exit and we would see Pastor walk lonely back to the Williams
garage. It looked like he was pushing to make up for a poor middle sector.
So those not making the cut were Kobayashi, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg,
Ricciardo, Perez, Bruno and Pastor. The top ten was Vettel from Webber,
Button, Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher, Rosberg, Grosjean, and Di
Resta. For the Williams team this must have not been the result that they
were hoping for with both cars well at the back of the grid. |
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The final ten minute period would see Button out first followed by Hamilton.
Button was on the soft tyre while Hamilton the super soft. Di Resta would go
out but come straight back in not having set a time. Webber was also still
in his pit as Button set a 1m:18.632 and Hamilton a 1m:19.523. Rosberg would
go fastest with a 1m:14.664 but he was passed by Massa with a 1m:14.465.
Grosjean was now second and Rosberg third. Hamilton's next lap would see him
go fastest with a 1m:14.439 but Vettel would set a 1m:13.905 to be
convincingly fastest.
Alonso was now second with a time of 1m:14.151. Hamilton was now third while
Webber set a 1m:14.632 to only be fifth. Button would set a 1m:15.182 but
was slowest as the drivers pitted. Di Resta would come back out joined by
Vettel and Grosjean. Button was now the only driver in the pits as Vettel
went fastest in sector one and two. Di Resta was on a quick lap as Vettel
set a 1m:13.784 while Hamilton set a 1m:14.087 to be second. Rosberg was now
fourth as Alonso set a 1m:14.151 to be third. Webber was now fourth from
Rosberg, Massa, Grosjean, Di Resta, Schumacher and Button in tenth.
For the Williams F1 team their drivers wills start from sixteenth and
seventeenth. Pastor has shown that the car has pace but will he be able to
use it given that he is starting from so far at the back of the grid after
making a mistake when he was on a quicker lap. For Bruno he may be starting
ahead of Pastor but this was down to luck more than any real pace. If the
view that the FW34 has good race pace holds true maybe Pastor and Bruno can
score further points. |
