Spanish GP: Qualifying as expected for Williams Racing

Team Summary:
The practice session leading up to qualifying would see both Williams drivers not have the best of times with their times seeing them on or around the top fifteen. Prior to the start of the session Simon Roberts would comment: "Picked up a bit of pace in FP3 ...Hoping to get both drivers into Q2." The session would commence with the first eighteen minute period seeing both Williams cars out joined by both Haas cars. More drivers would start to come out as a Williams was quickest. Both Williams would pit along with both Haas cars.

As other drivers completed their laps it would be Perez quickest with a 1m:18.609 only to see Hamilton the fastest. But he was beaten by Verstappen and the Bottas would go quickest with a 1m:18.005 with both Mercedes on the medium tyre. Sainz was now in third and Leclerc fifth. Sixth was now Perez followed by Tsunoda, and Vettel eighth. Norris would move up to eighth but his lap had been hampered by slower cars. Gasly was now third and Ocon sixth. The track would empty with Bottas still quickest from Verstappen, Gasly, Perez, Sainz, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Ocon, Leclerc and Alonso. The Williams drivers were 11th and 19th.

As the period drew to a close the top five cars would remain in their garages but ninth through to 20th were all out for their final laps. After the laps were completed it would be Norris quickest with a 1m:17.821 from Bottas, Leclerc, Verstappen, Gasly, Perez, Sainz, Stroll, Hamilton, and Ricciardo tenth. One Williams car was through into the second period courtesy of a 14th but the other was out down in 19th.

The second period would commence with those out all on the soft tyre except Giovinazzi who was on the medium. A 1m:17.632 from Hamilton but Bottas would move ahead with a 1m:17.400. Perez was third but Stroll would move into this spot. Verstappen was now quickest with a 1m:16.922 to be 0.478 ahead of Bottas. Norris was now fourth followed by Stroll, Gasly, Perez, Vettel and Giovinazzi ninth. Ocon would move into seventh becoming eighth as Alonso went fifth. But Sainz was now fifth followed by Leclerc, Alonso, and Stroll eighth. After their run the Williams of Russell would finish in 14th. The Williams had been alone on the tarck but as the period drew to a close their rest of the top fifteen, apart from quickest Verstappen, were all back out. After their runs the order was Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Sainz, Perez, Norris, Leclerc, Ricciardo, Ocon, and Alonso tenth. The remaining Williams would finish in 15th a position that was a good as really could be expected.

The top ten would start the final period with runners on the soft tyre. After their first runs it would be Hamilton quickestwith a 1m:16.741 followed by Verstappen, Bottas, Ocon, Sainz, Ricciardo, Leclerc, Norris and Alonso tenth. Perez had spun and had not set a time. With their second runs it would be Hamilton who would secure pole, his 100th, over Verstappen, Bottas, Leclerc, Ocon, Sainz, Ricciardo, Perez, Norris and Alonso tenth. For Williams it was pretty much and expected result. Russell was able to perform his usual piece of excellence but again Latifi seemed to struggle possibly hampered by his trip over the kerbs that did some damage to his car,

George Russell:
George would follow his team-mate out also on the soft tyre. But George would not set a time pitting. With ten minutes remaining he still had yet to set a time. But he would return and would complete a timed lap setting a 1m:18.635 to be 11th. George's aborted lap was a planned thing with the team. On his lap George would drop to 16th but completing his lap would see him set a 1m:18.445 to be 14th. George would come out for his only run in the second period having the track to himself as the rest of the top fifteen had pitted. He would set a 1m:19.154 to be fourteenth pitting after a three lap run. He would finish the period in 15th and out of qualifying.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would be amongst the first out in the opening period running on the soft tyre. Nicholas would set a 1m:20.241 to be quickest. He would pit after a three lap run but would quickly return currently tenth. He would drop down the times and despite setting a 1m:19.431 was only 19th. He would say his left hand side mirror was cracked. Replays would show that this happened when he ran over a kerb shaking the car violently. Nicholas would return for a further run. He would improve with a 1m:19.219 to be 18th dropping back to 19th. From comments made by Simon Roberts it would appear that Nicholas's car was damaged possibly affecting his run.