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The first period
of qualifying for the 2011 European Grand Prix would commence with the
drivers having twenty minutes to see if they can make it into Q2. For the
AT&T Williams F1 team Rubens Barrichello would come out early joined by over
half the field. We had the likes of Alonso, Webber, both Renault's, and both
Mercedes cars. We only had both McLaren's, Pastor Maldonado, Perez, and both
Torro Rosso cars yet to come out. Heidfeld would set a 1m:41.897 to go
fastest with Di Resta second. Pastor would take to the track with
just over fifteen minutes remaining.
Liuzzi was third with Rubens fourth, 1m:45.955. Rubens would drop to sixth
as Schumacher moved up to second, 1m:42.161. Di Resta was now third from
Glock, Alonso, Liuzzi, and D'Ambrosio. Webber would go fastest with a
1m:40.429 while for Ferrari Massa was now second, 1m:41.027. Both McLaren's
were on the track leaving just three cars in the pits. On his first lap
Vettel would go fastest with a 1m:39.965. Petrov was up to fourth with
Kovalainen now fifth, 1m:41.678. Alonso would improve to be second,
1m:40.254.Rubens was now in eleventh, 1m:42.338, while Pastor had yet to set
a time. Petrov and Heidfeld were fifth and sixth with twelve minutes
remaining. Button would put a stamp on proceedings going fastest with a
1m:39.605. Hamilton was fourth, 1m:40.258. Webber was now fifth followed by
Massa, but Massa would improve to be third, 1m:40.158. |
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Both Renault's
would pit with ten minutes left in the session. Pastor had set a slow
1m:49.4117 as Vettel improved with a 1m:38.356 to remain fastest. Button was
second from Alonso and Massa. Rubens had dropped to thirteenth as Rosberg
moved into seventh, 1m:40.857. Hamilton was on a quick lap moving to the top
of the times with a 1m:39.244. This would put Vettel second from Button,
Alonso, Massa, Webber, Rosberg, Sutil, Schumacher, and Petrov in tenth. Petrov was back out joined by Heidfeld. It
was confirmed that the Williams team had gone back to their old exhaust.
Vettel would respond to Hamilton setting a 1m:39.116 to again be fastest. On
the soft tyres Perez would move up to fourth, 1m:39.754, with just over five
minutes left in the period. On his first lap Buemi would move into fourth,
1m:39.679, again running on the option tyre.
Rubens was now down in sixteenth with Pastor slowest. Alguersuari's first
lap was a 1m:40.498 to now be tenth. Pastor was out on the soft tyre joined
by Rubens. Only the top three were still in the pits. Pastor would set a
1m:39.690 to be fifth but this would become seventh as Sutil moved up to
third, 1m:39.329. Rubens would also improve with a 1m:39.922 to be eleventh.
But he also would drop down to thirteenth with Schumacher and Rosberg moving
into second and fourth. Pastor was now ninth and Rubens thirteenth. The
track was very busy as several drivers started their final runs. Webber was
down in seventeenth only setting a time good enough for fifteenth. Rubens
was now fourteenth as Massa was on a quick lap on the soft tyre.
Massa would use these tyres to good effect going fastest with a 1m:38.413.
Pastor was now tenth and Ruben fifteenth as the period came to an end. On
his last lap Rubens would also improve moving up to ninth, 1m:39.602. With
the end of the period Massa was fastest from Vettel, Schumacher, Hamilton,
Rosberg, Sutil, Button, Perez, Rubens, and Buemi tenth. Those not making the
cut were Alguersuari, Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock, Liuzzi, D'Ambrosio, and
Karthikeyan. |
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With the start of the second fifteen minute remaining both Pastor and Rubens
would take to the track early joined by both Red Bull cars, both Ferrari's,
the Sauber's, and McLaren's. The track was very busy with most drivers on
the soft tyre. Massa was on the same set of soft tyres from the first
period. Massa would set a 1m:38.566 while Di Resta would set a 1m:39.422 to
be second. Rubens was third, 1m:39.489. Webber would go fastest but was
quickly beaten by Alonso, 1m:37.930. Rubens was now fifth and Pastor sixth,
1m:39.645. But Vettel would go fastest with a 1m:37.305, as Button moved
into second with a 1m:37.749.
But Hamilton would move ahead of Button with a 1m:37.727. Button was third
from Alonso, Webber, Rosberg, Massa, Heidfeld, Sutil, and DI Resta in tenth.
Rubens was now twelfth, 1m:39.489, and back in his pit. Pastor was
thirteenth, 1m:39.645, but for Pastor his period would go wrong when he was
to have his car stop in the middle of the track. Pastor would get out of the
car as the period was red flagged as the marshals looked at removing
Pastor's car. Pastor's car would be lifted away ending Pastors qualifying.
Pastor had been driving his car slowly back to his pit with a problem when
it came to a shuddering stop in the middle of the track. Pastor would be
looking at a grid position of seventeenth. With the restart Rubens would be
first back out joined by both Sauber's. Petrov and Buemi would both come out
with both drivers yet to set a time.
Schumacher and Heidfeld had also left the pit lane with four minutes
remaining. Rubens would have a big lock up at the end of his lap seeing him
twelfth. Petrov would set a 1m:39.068 to be ninth. The top six were still in
their pits with Massa also out on the track. Both Force India cars were out
on the track while Pastor was still in fifteenth. Heidfeld was now in ninth,
1m:38.781 to see Petrov tenth. Schumacher was now sixth with a lap of
1m:38.365. Sutil was now tenth, 1m:39.034, as the period came to an end.
Ruben was in thirteenth and Pastor fifteenth. A big disappointment for the
Williams team. The top ten was Vettel from Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Webber,
Schumacher, Rosberg, Massa, Heidfeld, and Sutil tenth. Those not making the
cut were Petrov, Di Resta, Rubens, Kobayashi, Pastor, Perez, and Buemi.
After the end of the period Pastor spoke of how he felt that his problem was
electronics related. |
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The final ten minute would see Alonso first out followed by Massa. It was
reported that he was out on used soft tyres and Alonso a new set. Both
McLaren's were out on new soft tyres, joined by Vettel. We had yet to see
either Mercedes cars or Heidfeld and Sutil. They would probably be on single
runs. But Rosberg would come out with seven minutes remaining as Alonso set
a 1m:37.454. Massa would set a 1m:37.815 but Button would move ahead with a
1m:37.675. Hamilton was now fastest with a time of 1m:37.380 but Vettel
would move ahead with a 1m:36.975.
Hamilton was now second from Alonso, Webber, Button, Massa while Rosberg had
yet to set a time. Both Ferrari's would pit joined by Button. Rosberg would
finish with a 1m:38.231 to be seventh and slowest. Everyone was now back in
their pits as Heidfeld came out to join Rosberg. The drivers would start to
return to the track for their final runs with just over two minutes
remaining. Rosberg would pit while the other nine drivers were all out on
the track. Heidfeld would pit without setting a time with Vettel the last
driver to set a time.
Everyone was on improved laps but not as fast as Vettel. The period would
come to an end with all the drivers on their final laps. Webber would
improve to be second, 1m:37.163, while Alonso would pit without setting an
improved time. Vettel would also pit with pole secure. Hamilton was in third
followed by Alonso, Massa, Button, Rosberg, Schumacher, Heidfeld, and Sutil.
Neither Heidfeld and Sutil had set times. For the Williams team Rubens and
Pastor would start the race from thirteenth and fifteenth. Based on their
practice pace this is about where one would expect them to be. The Williams
team is simply going to have to make the best from their situation. Rubens
is a past winner of this race and Pastor has won here in GP2, so one can
hope that they can look at securing some more points. |
