The first qualifying session of the 2008 Formula One season would get underway at Albert Park. After having finished practice in fourth the prospects for a good result for Nico Rosberg were encouraging. How things would go for Kazuki Nakajima was going to be a difficult call as he has found the going difficult so far in practice. The final practice had produce a mixed result with neither of the McLaren's or Ferrari's in the top ten.
 The main change for qualifying would be in Q3 where we will no longer see the fuel burn off process as the session is just ten minutes in length. Q1 was now twenty minutes.
The session would get underway with Glock out first followed by several other drivers. Nico was told that he would head out after eight minutes of the session. He was told that a change made to his front wing for the session. Bourdais would start his timed lap. Vettel was fastest with a time of 1m:28.131, followed by Glock and Bourdais. Fisichella went fastest, 1m:28.131 but Bourdais moved ahead of the Force India driver with a 1m:27.446. Sutil would take a trip across the gravel. Kazuki was in fifth with a 1m:28.880. Glock was in fourth. Bourdais and Fisichella would pit.
Only eight drivers had taken to the track. With twelve minutes left in the session the track was empty as Nico, Trulli, and several other drivers came out. Both McLaren's would leave the pit lane. Of the top teams only the Ferrari's and BMW's had yet to come out. Several of the earlier runners were back out. Now only the Ferrari's had not come out with eight minutes remaining. At the front it was Nico from Alonso, Webber, Trulli, Coulthard, and Bourdais. Kovalainen was now fastest with a 1m:25.664. Hamilton was now second, 1m:26.572. Nico would pit. Most drivers were on the harder tyre. Kazuki would move into fourth with a 1m:26.891.
Kubica was now second followed by Hamilton, Vettel, Nico, and Kazuki. Both Ferrari's were now out on the track. Both McLaren's would pit. Vettel's time was set on the softer tyre. With under five minutes left only three drivers were on the track. Heidfeld was one of them and he would move into second, 1m:25.960. Massa would move into third, 1m:25.994. Nico was now in seventh and Kazuki eighth. Raikkonen was now in fifth. With under three minutes left Nico was back out. Kazuki would also come out. Kimi would coast slowly into the pit lane. His car would stop in the pit lane seeing the Ferrari mechanics running towards it.
Coulthard would move into sixth, 1m:26.381. With the chequered flag out Nico would improve to sixth, 1m:26.295. Sutil would spin his car and stall it. Raikkonen would be pushed to his pit. Barrichello mad ea big improvement to be in seventh. Those failing to make the cut were Fisichella, Bourdais, Sutil, Sato, Piquet, and Davidson. At the top it was Kovalainen from Heidfeld, Massa, Kubica, Raikkonen, Nico, Barrichello, Coulthard, Trulli, and Hamilton in tenth. Kazuki was in thirteenth. |
The fifteen minute Q2 would get underway with a question mark over Raikkonen after his car stopped in the pit lane. Nico should be safe in getting through into Q3 but there was a question mark over Kazuki. Raikkonen would suffer a penalty for been pushed by his mechanics while his car was technically still on the race circuit.
 The session would start with no one keen to come out. Vettel would be the first to come out with twelve minutes remaining. His was joined by a flurry of other drivers including Alonso, Glock, Nico, Coulthard, Webber, and Hamilton. Under ten minutes left and no times had been set. Vettel was on the softer tyre. He would set a time of 1m:26.291 but was passed by Coulthard with a 1m:26.181. Webber would spin off and into the gravel, ending his session. The session would be red flagged with 8m37s remaining. Everyone would pit. There was a concern that it may have been a brake failure that sent it off.
Webber's car would be removed and the session would restart. Massa was straight out followed by several other drivers including Nico. Massa was on a quick lap and would finish his lap with a 1m:25.691. Barrichello was in fourth. Kubica was now fastest with a 1m:25.362. Kovalainen was now in second, 1m:25.452. Heidfeld was now in third. Nico was in fifth behind Massa, 1m:26.059.
Massa and Nico would pit with three and a half minutes left. Hamilton was now fastest with a 1m:25.187. Nico was back out joined by Kazuki. Alonso had yet to set a time. Both McLaren's were in their pits. As the session came to an end Vettel would move into sixth. Both Honda's were in the top ten. But as drivers completed their final lap they would be pushed down the order. Kazuki was in fourteenth, 1m:26.413. Alonso was in twelfth and he would fail to make the cut. Those not making the cut were Barrichello, followed by Alonso, Button, Kazuki, Webber, and Raikkonen. |
Q2 would see Hamilton fastest from Kubica, Kovalainen, Heidfeld, Massa, Vettel, Nico, Coulthard, Trulli, and in tenth Glock. The ten minute Q3 would see the drivers having to get on with it right from the start. The clock would start for the final period with the drivers having their race fuel onboard. Vettel was first out followed by Rosberg and Heidfeld. Kovalainen would also leave the pit lane. Most of the drivers were on the softer tyre. Only Glock had yet to come out. Surprisingly Nico was on the harder tyre for his first run.
Vettel would pit as Nico went fastest with a 1m:29.144. Heidfeld would easily beat this with a 1m:27.821. Nico was on the harder tyre as Trulli went second fastest. Hamilton was now fastest from Massa and Kovalainen. Hamilton's time was a 1m:27.092. Nico was down in seventh. Vettel and Glock had yet to set a time. The drivers would pit to take on new tyres for their second run. Vettel was out of his car with a problem that would see the engine cover off. Glock finally made it out with the clock counting down the final minute. Kubica was fastest in sector one. Hamilton would go fastest in sector one and two. Kubica would go fastest from Kovalainen but Hamilton would move ahead of the BMW with a 1m:26.714. Nico was down in seventh with a 1m:28.687.
With the end of the session it would be Hamilton from Kubica, Kovalainen, Massa, Heidfeld, Trulli, Nico, Coulthard, Glock and after failing to set a time Vettel in tenth. |
