USA GP: Qualifying less than expected for Williams Martini

Team Summary:
After an encouraging final practice session the Williams Martini team would get ready for the opening eighteen minute period of qualifying for the 2017 United States Grand Prix. The first drivers to come out were those of Sauber and Torro Rosso all on the ultra soft tyre. Next out were the Hass cars while Hamilton would come out on the super soft tyre. Vettel, Bottas and Raikkonen would also come out running on the same tyre. Wehrlein had the initial quickest time with a 1m:37.682 but Vandoorne would go quicker with a 1m:37.184. A 1m:36.425 from Hamilton but Bottas would go even quicker with a 1m:35.309 followed by Ocon and Raikkonen. Ricciardo would go third on the ultra soft tyre while Sainz was fifth.

Hamilton was able to improve with a 1m:34.822 with Verstappen now second followed by Bottas, Vettel, Felipe, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Ocon and Ricciardo now tenth. The Williams drivers were in fifth and fifteenth. With under two minutes remaining the top ten were all in their pits. Sainz was able to improve from eleventh to be fifth pushing Felipe down to sixth. The top ten was Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, Vettel, Sainz, Felipe, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hulkenberg and Ocon. For the Williams team to lose one car after the opening period was not the result they would have been looking for especially after their pace in the final practice session. But it was reported that Lance had a power deployment issue with his car.

The second fifteen minute period would commence with both Mercedes cars out on the ultra soft tyre. Hamilton would set a 1m:33.560 to go quickest with Bottas second with a 1m:33.793. Ricciardo was now third but nearly a second off Hamilton's time. Verstappen was out on the super soft tyre to be fourth but Vettel was now third followed by Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ocon, Perez, Sainz and Felipe. Hulkenberg was not going back out but he was in line for grid penalties due to engine changes. Verstappen and Hartley were also in the same situation. After the first pit stops drivers would return for their second runs. Hamilton would improve with a 1m:33.437 with Bottas third followed by Raikkonen, Vettel, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Alonso, and Ocon in tenth. For Williams it was a disappointing result given that Felipe had been consistently in the top ten during the practice sessions. Even Lance was quicker during the practice but failed to deliver when it mattered.

The final period of qualifying would commence with only Sainz not coming out. A 1m:33.108 from Hamilton with Bottas second with Vettel now third but Raikkonen would move ahead with Vettel now fourth followed by Verstappen, Ricciardo, Ocon, Alonso, nad Perez. Sainz had yet to set a time. The second runs would commence with Sainz coming out. Last to come out would be Perez. Hamilton would remain quickest but Vettel would move into second followed by Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ocon, Sainz, Alonso and Perez. But Verstappen will move down the grid due to engine change penalties. For the Williams team their drivers will be tenth and fourteenth on the grid assuming that Lance does not receive a penalty from his moment with Grosjean.

Felipe Massa:
Felipe would be amongst the last drivers to come out running on the ultra soft tyre. Felipe would complete his first flying lap setting a 1m:35.603 to be third but he would drop to fifth. After a three lap run Felipe would pit still in fifth. Felipe would go out for the second period and would set a 1m:35.401 to be in tenth. He would pit after a three lap run and would quickly come back out for a second run again on new ultra soft tyres. Felipe would set a 1m:35.155 to be ninth but he would drop to eleventh and was out of qualifying. But he will start the race from tenth with the advantage of selecting his tyres been outside the top ten.

Lance Stroll:
Lance would be first out for Williams running on the ultra soft tyre. Lance would set a 1m:37.600 to be seventh but he would drop to ninth. Lance would get involved with Grosjean while lance was travelling slowly with Grosjean coming up from behind. Lance would try to get out of the way of the Hass but this would see Grosjean forced to leave the track to avoid the Williams. Lance had dropped to fifteenth despite a small improvement with a 1m:37.352 and would return to his pit. This may see him receive a penalty. Lance was quickly back out on a new set of ultra soft tyres. lance would start his flying lap currently eighteenth then nineteenth. A 1m:36.868 would see Lance only manage seventeenth and out of qualifying. This was a surprise given his pace in the earlier practice session. But it was later reported that he had an issue with his car in relation to the deployment of the engines power on his final run. With other drivers penalties Lance will start the race from fourteenth. But there was the possibility of a penalty for impeding Grosjean.