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In practice for
the 2012 European Grand Prix the Williams F1 team would see their drivers
Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna finish in tenth and fourteenth. For the
Marussia team Glock would not be running in qualifying due to illness.
Valtteri Bottas would wish both Williams drivers well prior to heading out
for the first twenty minute period of qualifying. With the start Pastor would come out early following
Ricciardo. Pastor was on the medium tyre for this run as Bruno also came
out. More drivers would come out including both Ferrari's, both Lotus cars,
Di Resta, and Perez. Webber was also out on the track after his earlier
practice problems.
Ricciardo would set a 1m:40.707 as both Mercedes cars were out on the
circuit. Pic was second from Pastor. Bruno would go fastest with a
1m:40.468. Perez was third with a 1m:45.795 as more drivers et times. Massa
was fastest with a 1m:39.634 from Raikkonen and Di Resta. Grosjean was now
fourth and Bruno fifth. Pastor was down in eighth with a time of 1m:41.047.
Perez would move up to fifth with a 1m:40.249 as Alonso moved ahead with a
1m:39.849 to be fourth. Bruno was now seventh and Pastor eleventh. Both
McLaren's were out on the track as Schumacher went fastest with a 1m:39.577.
Ricciardo and Vergne had both pitted. Kobayashi was now third with a
1m:39.651. Button would go second with a time of 1m:39.622 with Massa now
third. Pastor had improved to be tenth with a lap of 1m:40.069. Bruno had
pitted and was twelfth. With just under ten minutes remaining Hamilton would
go fastest with a 1m:39.169, followed by Massa and Alonso with times of 1m:39.388 and
1m:39.409.
Vettel and Webber would have not set times yet with Schumacher now fourth,
1m:39.447. Button was now fifth from Kobayashi sixth. Pastor was now twelfth
and Bruno fourteenth. Both Red Bull cars were now out on the track with
seven minutes remaining. Both Torro Rosso cars were on the track running the
soft tyre. Pastor would leave the pits as Vettel moved up to sixth,
1m:39.626. With so little time on the track Webber would go straight onto
the soft tyre. The track was again very busy with drivers coming out for
their second runs. Bruno was also out on the track as Hamilton pitted.
Webber would only go sixteenth fastest with a 1m:40.431. Both Pastor and
Bruno were on the soft tyres while we would see Raikkonen move up to fifth,
1m:39.464.
Grosjean was sixth as Bruno moved up to fifth, 1m:39.449. Perez was now in
second with a time of 1m:39.353. This would become third as Di Resta went
fastest with a 1m:38.858. Rosberg was now second but Hulkenberg would take
this spot with a time of 1m:39.009. The final minute started as Pastor went
fastest with a 1m:38.825. Bruno had pitted and was tenth. Webber was only in
eighteenth as the period came to an end. Kobayashi was under investigation
for impeding Hulkenberg. Both Williams cars would get into the second
period. Those not making the cut were Vergne, Webber, Petrov, de la Rosa,
Karthikeyan, Pic, and Glock not setting a time. |
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With both Williams drivers into the second period of qualifying it was now
down to whether r not they could get into the final period. Pastor would
come out first at the start of the second period. Both Ferrari's would also
come out joined by several drivers including Bruno. Both Force India cars
were also out on the track with both Ferrari's out on medium tyres. Both
Pastor and Bruno were on the soft tyre amongst many other drivers who took
the option tyre. Both McLaren's were out on the track with Kovalainen yet to
come out.
Pastor would set a 1m:39.924 but he was beaten by Di Resta who was fastest
with a 1m:38.922. Bruno would go second, 1m:39.207. But Bruno would be
passed by Hulkenberg with a 1m:39.074. The times were coming fast as Rosberg
went fastest with a 1m:38.504 from Raikkonen and Kobayashi. Vettel was now fourth
from Di Resta, Hulkenberg, Bruno, Alonso, and Perez in tenth. Pastor had
pitted and was down in twelfth. Grosjean would move into fifth with a
1m:38.725. Bruno had also pitted as Hamilton only went third fastest with a
1m:38.616. This would become fourth as Button moved into third, 1m:38.563.
Massa was down in fourteenth with Kovalainen yet to set a time. Hamilton
would pit followed by Button. We now had both Force India cars and Alonso
out on the track. Massa was yet to run on the soft tyre as Pastor came back
out on the soft tyre.
Massa was also back out along with Bruno, both on the soft tyre. Alonso
would move up to sixth with a 1m:38.707. Hulkenberg went fastest in the
middle sector and would set a 1m:38.689 to be fifth. Di Resta was also on a
flying lap with two minutes remaining. He would finish with a 1m:38.519 to
be second. Both McLaren's were out on the track as Pastor set a 1m:38.570 to
be fifth. On his lap he was quickest in the final sector. Massa was only
twelfth while Bruno was only fourteenth with a 1m:39.207. Vettel would set a
1m:38.530 to be third as Bruno started his final lap. Grosjean would go
fastest with a 1m:38.489 with Rosberg still second. Schumacher was only
twelfth while Bruno would not improve and remained fourteenth. Pastor would
finish the period in seventh.
Those not making the cut were Alonso, Schumacher, Massa, Bruno, Perez,
Kovalainen, and Ricciardo. The top ten was Grosjean from Rosberg, Di Resta,
Vettel, Raikkonen, Button, Pastor, Hamilton, Hulkenberg, and Kobayashi. For
the Williams team the result was somewhat expected with Pastor again leading
Bruno. |
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The final period would see Raikkonen out first followed by Pastor. Pastor
was on the soft tyre as more drivers left the pits. The only drivers yet to
come out were Vettel, Grosjean, and Kobayashi. Pastor would return to the
pits briefly while both Force India cars would also come back in, neither
having set a time. Raikkonen would set a 1m:38.966 but he would be passed by
Rosberg with a 1m:38.623. Hamilton would go second but Button would move
ahead with a time of 1m:38.866. Hamilton's time was a 1m:38.930. Pastor was
back in his pit after having made a mess of it coming back in.
Grosjean would come out for his first run with Pastor also coming out on a
new set of soft tyres. Only four drivers had set times as Grosjean started
his flying lap. Both Force India cars were also back out as Vettel go ready
to come out for his one run. Everyone was now out on the track as Grosjean
set a 1m:38.505 to be fastest. Rosberg was now second from Button and
Hamilton. Pastor was on a quick lap and would finish with a 1m:38.745 to be
fastest. Di Resta was on a quick lap but would only finish with a 1m:38.992.
But the fight was not over as Vettel set a 1m:38.086 to move ahead of
Pastor. Hamilton would also improve to be second with a 1m:38.410. Pastor
would finish in an excellent third.
So the top ten was Vettel from Hamilton, Pastor, Grosjean, Raikkonen,
Rosberg, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Button, and Di Resta in tenth. There must be
something about Spain that Pastor likes in what was a great turn around for
the Williams team after having had less than satisfactory qualifying
sessions in the last few races. Team-mate Bruno must be wondering what he
must do to get close to Pastor's times. For the Williams team at last they
will be able to run Bruno with a different strategy to Pastor not having to
start on the soft tyre. But reports had the Williams car running well on the
prime tyre in longer runs which should serve them well in Sunday's race. |
