Spanish GP: Great result for Maldonado in Qualifying

For the AT&T Williams F1 team the final practice for the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix would see team drivers Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado finish in tenth and thirteenth. For Rubens finishing in the top ten must have been encouraging but will this pace be seen in qualifying. For Pastor Maldonado it is again going to be a difficult time with his best maybe being close to the top ten. How the teams would use the hard and soft tyres in the session would be interesting given the wide difference in the pace of the two types of tyres. The track temperature was 34 Celsius and rising.

After his fire Heidfeld was still waiting on his car to be repaired as the opening twenty minute period commenced. If Heidfeld does not make it out he will start from the back of the grid. Karthikeyan would be first out followed by Liuzzi and D'Ambrosio. Petrov was next out as Karthikeyan started a flying lap. Glock was next out followed by Button and Sutil. A 1m:28.981 from Karthikeyan but Liuzzi set a 1m:28.851 to go fastest. Pastor would leave the pit lane as Petrov set a 1m:28.823 to move to the top of the times. His time was set on the hard tyre. Both Mercedes cars were out on the track as Karthikeyan pitted.

Both Red Bull's had left the pit lane joined by Alonso, Di Resta, and Massa. A 1m:26.107 from Petrov. Most of the drivers were out on the hard tyre for their first runs. A 1m:30.180 from Button as Sutil moved up to second, 1m:28.126. Rubens was now out on the track with fourteen minutes remaining. Glock was now third as Button went on a 1quick lap. A 1m:25.621 from Petrov while Pastor set a 1m:25.621 to be second. Button was now fastest with a 1m:24.708. Di Resta was now fourth followed by Rosberg and Sutil.

Webber was now fastest with a 1m:23.938 on the hard tyre. Button was second and Petrov third. Alonso was up to fourth and Pastor now fifth with a 1m:26.452. Vettel was now second with a 1m:24.274. Pastor was now seventh but he would drop to ninth as Alguersuari set a 1m:24.049 to be second. Pastor would improve to be sixth, 1m:25.772, but this would become sixth as Schumacher moved up to fifth. Hamilton was now fourth, 1m:24.370, while Rubens was slowest with a 1m:32.418. Both Torro Rosso cars were on the option tyre and with eight minutes remaining Rubens would move up to twelfth, 1m:26.910. Buemi was now second, 1m:23.962, making good use of his soft tyres. Pastor was now tenth and in the pits.

Webber was still fastest from Buemi, Alguersuari, Vettel, Hamilton, Button, Schumacher, Alonso, Petrov, and Pastor in tenth. Most of the field was back in their pits as Kobayashi, on the soft tyre, moved up to second, 1m:23.656. Pastor was back out in the track while Rubens had pitted. Pastor was twelfth and Rubens sixteenth with five minutes remaining. Perez was up to sixth using the options. Petrov was now out on the softer tyre as team-mate Heidfeld sat waiting in his car, hoping to go out. Schumacher was also out on the softer tyre. Petrov would set a 1m:23.069 to go fastest. Alonso also felt the need to go put on the soft tyre. He was joined by Massa as Pastor also gained from the soft tyre setting a 1m:23.406 to go second.

With two minutes remaining Rubens was still in the pits as Schumacher set a 1m:22.960 to go fastest on the option tyre. It was looking like Rubens would not make it back out as Pastor pitted. Di Resta moved up to tenth, 1m:24.332, using the soft tyre. With the end of the period Rubens would be eliminated. On their soft tyres Alonso was now fourth from Massa and Rosberg. It was reported that Rubens had a gearbox related problem seeing him out of qualifying. Rubens would finish the period in nineteenth while Heidfeld would not get out seeing him start from the rear of the grid. Those not making the cut were Trulli, Rubens, Glock, Liuzzi, Karthikeyan, D'Ambrosio and Heidfeld. The top ten was Schumacher, Petrov, Pastor, Alonso, Massa, Rosberg, Webber, Kobayashi, Buemi, and Alguersuari.

Rubens would confirm that it was a gearbox problem but he added that it was very frustrating and that is is all a bit of a mess. The only positive that he saw was that he did save a lot of tyres for tomorrow. A huge disappointment of the Brazilian and the Williams team.

The second fifteen minute period would get underway with Pastor being the only Williams representative. Vettel was out very early followed by Webber and Alguersuari. Vettel was out on the soft tyre as he started his timed lap. A 1m:21.540 from Vettel to go fastest while Webber set a 1m:21.773. We had ten cars out on the track with nine minutes remaining. Alguersuari was third with a 1m:24.091. Massa was now third with a 1m:23.026 but he would see Button and Hamilton move ahead. Button was third and Hamilton fourth. Alonso was now fifth and Massa sixth.

Vettel would pit followed by Webber. There was a large number of cars who appeared to be looking at only one run. Pastor was amongst them as Perez moved into ninth. Kobayashi was now in eight, 1m:23.702. The top six had all pitted with only ten drivers having set a time. Five minutes remaining and we had Rosberg, Petrov, Schumacher, Sutil, and Di Resta all out on the track. Rosberg was on the soft tyre setting a 1m:22.569 to move up to fifth. Pastor was now out on the track with three and a half minutes remaining. Petrov was up to seventh, 1m:22.948. Five drivers had yet to set a time as Perez came back out. Schumacher was on a quicker lap setting a 1m:22.671 to go sixth.

Rosberg had pitted as Pastor, on the softer tyre, completed his flying lap setting a 1m:22.854 to be eighth. A great effort from Pastor while it was reported that both Force India cars had set their times on the harder tyre, looking at saving the softer tyre for the race. Pastor would pit with the end of the period. Those not making the cut were Buemi, Perez, Alguersuari, Kobayashi, Kovalainen, Di Resta, and Sutil. The top ten was Vettel, Webber, Button, Hamilton, Rosberg, Schumacher, Alonso, Pastor, Petrov, and Massa. This period saw a real reversal of fortunes for Pastor with the rookie making it into the final period. A really great effort from Pastor and a biog lift for the Williams team after the disappointment of seeing Rubens suffer his gearbox problem.

Now it would come down to how the Williams team will play their strategy in regard to tyres in the final period. Would Pastor simply come out on the hard tyres and set a time that would be good enough to see him near tenth looking to save the softer one's for the race.

TWith Pastor in the final ten minute period it was now down to how the Williams team wants to use the period knowing full well that they can not realistically to be near the front. It was confirmed that Pastor would make one run using the soft tyre. Button would be the first man out of the pit lane followed by Hamilton. Both were on the soft tyre as Vettel came out third, joined by Webber. There were only four cars out on the track as Vettel went fastest in sector one. Button would set a 1m:21.996 to go fastest but Hamilton would move ahead with a 1m:21.961, but Vettel would go even faster with a 1m:21.181.

But Webber would move ahead with a 1m:20.981 to go fastest. Webber would finally beat Vettel as Button and Hamilton pitted. Vettel would also come in and with three minutes left in the period only four times had been set. Now Rosberg and Pastor would come out joined by both Ferrari's. Schumacher was out on the hard tyre looking to save a set of soft tyres. Both Red Bull drivers were out of their cars as Schumacher pitted. He would not set a time seeing him start from tenth. It was now a question of whether this second group of drivers could move into the top four. Pastor would go fifth, 1m:22.952, but he was passed by Rosberg. But Alonso would split the McLaren's moving into fourth, 1m:21.964.

Button was now fifth with Petrov sixth followed by Rosberg, Massa, Pastor, and Schumacher in tenth. A great effort from Pastor to make it into the final period and to finish in ninth. Now it would come down to Sunday's race and whether he can turn a good qualifying effort into a good race result and possibly the first points of the year of Williams. Rubens is also not totally out of the picture given his tyre situation for the race.