Malaysian GP: Not much different for Williams in qualifying

The final practice session for the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix would see the Williams F1 drivers Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas finish in eleventh and fifteenth. A small step forward for Pastor but qualifying was going to be difficult. Valtteri was 1-0 over Pastor after qualifying in Australia. For the start of qualifying it would be dry and hot with a chance of rain looking small. Pirelli had the hard and medium tyre available but the issue of tyre wear was a talking point. The opening twenty minute period would commence with no one coming straight out. First ot would be Chilton for Marussia followed by Bianchi. Both Valtteri and Pastor would leave their pits along with both Torro Rosso's.

Both Sauber's were out on the track while both Williams were out on the hard tyre for their first run. The Marussia and Caterham's were on the option tyre as more drivers took to the track. A 1m:40.053 to be fastest from Chilton while Valtteri would set a 1m:38.376 to be fastest. Pastor was now third, 1m:39.011, behind Gutierrez. Hulkenberg was up to third and Pastor fourth. Rosberg would jump to the top of the times with a 1m:37.239. Valtteri was still second and Pastor fifth. Valtteri would pit as Vergne went third, 1m:38.708. Replays had shown Valtteri's car running very low with sparks coming from underneath. Alonso was now second, 1m:37.314, followed by Hamilton, Massa, Perez, and Valtteri. Button was up to fourth, 1m:37.560.

Pastor was now eleventh but his next lap would see him set a 1m:38.045 to be sixth, while Valtteri was now eighth. We yet to see either Red Bull or Lotus cars with just under ten minutes remaining. Di Resta was up to sixth seeing Pastor now seventh. on the medium tyre Sutil would go fastest with a 1m:36.809 as Pastor pitted. Hamilton would improve with a 1m:37.513 to be fifth. Webber was out on the medium tyre joined by Vettel and the Lotus cars. They are obviously looking to save their hard tyres. Pastor and Valtteri were now ninth and tenth. Grosjean was now fourth with a 1m:37.363 as Raikkonen set a 1m:36.959 to be second. Di Resta was now seventh as both Williams cars returned to the track running the medium tyre.

Vettel was down in eleventh with a 1m:37.899 as the final minutes counted down. A 1m:38.207 from Valtteri seeing him currently seventeenth. Pastor had set a 1m:37.867 to be twelfth. Webber was down in fifteenth, 1m:38.020, while Valtteri would complete his final lap having dropped to eighteenth. Webber was able to improve to be ninth while Pastor was in thirteenth. This would see Valtteri not make the cut as Gutierrez moved up to eleventh, 1m:37.707. The six not to make the cut were Vergne, Valtteri, Bianchi, Pic, Chilton, and Van der Gar. The top ten was Sutil, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Alonso, Grosjean, Button, Di Resta, Hamilton, Webber, and Perez.

Valtteri had just missed out on Q2 by the smallest of margins as the second fifteen minute period commenced. Di Resta was out first followed by both Mercedes, Sutil, Perez, Ricciardo, and Grosjean. Webber would also come out joined by Button. There was a mix of used and new medium tyres being used. only Pastor and the two Ferrari's had yet to come out as Di Resta pitted. Both Ferrari's would take to the track as Sutil set a 1m:36.834 to be fastest with Gutierrez second. Grosjean was now second from Ricciardo as Rosberg went fastest with a 1m:36.190 with Hamilton second, 1m:36.517. Sutil was third from Perez and Grosjean.

Pastor had left the pits as Webber moved up to second with a time of 1m:36.449. Button was fifth and Vettel sixth as reports of rain started to come in. Alonso was up to sixth, 1m:36.877 as Pastor pitted with out having set a time. Pastor had completed his first run on the hard tyre and would have to get his tyres changed quickly. Raikkonen was now fourth with Sutil fifth followed by Massa, Alonso, Button, Vettel, and Perez in tenth. Pastor was back out but with the rain it would be very difficult to see him set a competitive time. The top nine were all back in their pits as Di Resta spun in the tricking conditions. Pastor would pit without having set a time. A strange decision to send Pastor out on hard tyres for his first run as the rain continued to fall.

The top ten would be Rosberg from Webber, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Sutil, Massa, Alonso, Button, Vettel, and Perez tenth. Those not making the cut were Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, Gutierrez, Di Resta, and Pastor. So for the Williams team they will see Pastor and Valtteri start from sixteenth and eighteen. A frustrating session for the Williams team as Pastor had a good opportunity to be closer to the top ten.

With sunshine coming through the rain the drivers would line up at the pit exit all on intermediates. It was really going to come down to tyre choice for the conditions. DRS was not allowed under the conditions as the cars produced lots of spray. As the sun continued to come out. A 1m:58.293 from Sutil but more drivers would go faster with Vettel going fastest with a 1m:52.576 from Rosberg, Massa, Alonso, Hamilton, Perez, Raikkonen, Sutil, Webber, and Button. Webber would go fastest in sector one as Vettel told his team that he wanted another set of intermediates. Webber would go second with a 1m:53.017 as Vettel pitted, along with several other cars.

Everyone was taking on new intermediate tyres as Webber elected not to pit while Hamilton was on a quicker lap as Webber set a 1m:52.244 to be fastest but Hamilton would move ahead with a 1m:51.699. Vettel was now third as Raikkonen went fastest in sector one. Vettel was also on a quicker lap going fastest in sector two. Raikkonen would go fourth as Rosberg went third. Alonso was now fastest, 1m:50.727 but Vettel would finish his quick lap to go fastest with a 1m:49.674. Massa would move ahead of team-mate Alonso to be second seeing Alonso third. Hamilton would complete his final lap to remain fourth from Webber, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Button, Sutil, and Perez tenth.

Not the result that Williams were looking for with Pastor sixteenth and Valtteri eighteenth. Valtteri's pace was probably the best he could have hoped for but for Pastor it must have been frustrating to get caught out by the weather as well as the decision to run with the hard tyre in the second period rather than the medium. Sunday's race is, like Australia, going to be a difficult one with tyre choice and maybe the weather having to play their part in achieving any point scoring result.