WilliamsF1 ouside top ten in Spanish qualifying

Mark in 11th
By Andrew Hooper
May 13 2006

Both WilliamsF1 drivers would finish ouside the top ten after qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix. Mark was in eleventh while Nico was two places further back in thirteenth. Nico was lucky to make it past the first period of qualifying only been one tenth ahead of Speed who did not make the cut.

Spanish GP Qualifying

With Michael Schumacher setting the fastest time in practice and Fisichella second it looked like qualifying would again be a fight between Ferrari and Renault. Villeneuve will face a ten grid place penalty as a result of an engine change prior to the weekend starting. The first fifteen minute period of qualifying would get under way with Ralf Schumacher first out. followed by
Coulthard and Sato. They would be joined by Trulli, Monteiro, Albers, Speed, Montagny. Coulthard would pit.

Rosberg Ralf would set the first time, 1m:20.567. Sato would go faster with a 1m:20.257. Raikkonen and Klien were both out on the circuit. Montagny was third with a 1m:20.989. Liuzzi would be the first driver to set a quick time, 1m:17.925. He would be beaten by Trulli with a 1m:17.531 to move to the top of the times. Scott Speed was now in second, 1m:17.661. Kimi was on a very quick lap while Speed went fastest. Kimi would move ahead of the American with a 1m:16.613. Klien was now second with a 1m:17.22. Both Honda's were out joined by both of the Ferrari's. Coulthard had returned to the circuit but would crash at Turn three spinning into the barriers. This would end his qualifying seeing him start from the rear of the grid.

The red flags would come out in order to clear Coulthard's damaged car. Everyone was back in their pits with just seven and a half minutes remaining in the session. Neither of the WilliamsF1 drivers had joined in the action yet. The session would resume and both of the Renault's were out joined by both of the WilliamsF1 cars, both Ferrari's, and Honda's. Everyone was looking to set a time in the final five minutes. Alonso was on a quick lap, fastest in the first sector. Trulli would move ahead of Alonso. Michael's first lap would see him in second while Trulli was now sixth and Alonso would move to the top of the times with a 1m:15.816. Fisichella was second, Button third and Massa now fourth.

Mark's first lap would see him move to sixth, while Nico was in ninth. They would drop down the order was Heidfeld moved into fifth only to have Barrichello move ahead of him. Mark was now in twelfth and Nico fifteenth. Would he make it into the next period? With just one minute remaining Mark was in fourteenth and Nico sixteenth. Both drivers were back in their pits as the final seconds counted down. The session would end with Alonso fastest from Fisichella, Michael, Button, Villeneuve, Trulli, Montoya, Ralf, Barrichello, and Heidfeld.

The drivers to drop out of the running would be Coulthard due to his crash, Montagny, Sato, Albers, Monteiro, and Speed. Nico was very lucky to make it through as Speed was just 0.1 seconds behind.

The next fifteen minute period would get underway. Would the WilliamsF1 drivers be able to make it through to the final period of qualifying? Villeneuve would be first out. He was followed by Liuzzi. Mark and Nico would also come out early in the period. Trulli and Klien were also out. joined by Heidfeld. Alonso was also out on the circuit. Villeneuve would set the first time, 1m:16.349. Ralf was also out.

Mark would move into second with a 1m:16.350. But Nico would move to the top of the times with a 1M;16.069 but Trulli would quickly move past the German., 1m:15.564. Alonso would go even faster, 1m:15.124, to go fastest. Ralf was now in third with Klien fourth. Both Mark and Nico had pitted. Heidfeld was now in fifth. Nico and Mark were now in sixth and eighth. All the other drivers were
out on the circuit as those who had set earlier times pitted. Raikkonen would move into second, 1m:15.422. Trulli and Ralf were now in third and fourth.

Rosberg

Nico and Mark were in seventh and ninth. Massa was now in second, 1m:15.245 but team-mate Michael would move to the top of the times with a 1m:14.637. A stunning lap. Barrichello was now in fourth but Button would push him down the order when he went third fastest. Nico and Mark were now down in thirteenth and fifteenth with five minutes remaining. Everyone was back in the pits as they made their final checks. Ralf and Montoya were back out, joined by Trulli. Montoya looked to be on new tyres. Montoya was currently in ninth. Juan Pablo would pit.

Mark was back out for his final run. He was joined by Nico. Montoya would come back out. Ralf was now in fourth, 1m:15.164. Those top six drivers had not come back out confident in their times. Trulli was now in second, 1m:15.068. Both WilliamsF1 drivers were currently outside the top ten. Mark's lap would see him move into ninth, 1m:15.502 but this became tenth when Fisichella went second fastest, 1m:14.766. Mark was now in eleventh and Nico thirteenth as the period came to an end.

The drivers not to make the cut were Liuzzi, Klien, Villeneuve, Rosberg, Montoya, and Webber. For one of the WilliamsF1 drivers not to make the final period of qualifying could be described as unfortunate but both drivers was just a disappointing performance which will require a lot of hard work from the team to turn things around for Sunday's race.

The final twenty minute period would get underway minus the two WilliasF1 cars. Alonso would come out first joined by the rest of the ten cars as they commenced their usual burn off of fuel. With half the period run Massa would be fastest from Michael, Alonso, Fisichella, Button, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Ralf, Trulli and Heidfeld.

Webber

Fisichella would move into second with eight minutes remaining. No one had pitted as yet. Now we would see a flood of drivers coming into the pits headed by Alonso. Button would get a front wing adjustment on his Honda. Kimi would pit. Now the times would start to come down with six minutes remaining. Michael was fastest in sector one. he would follow this with a fastest time in sector two. Michael would move to the top of the times with a 1m:15.862 but Alonso would go even faster with a 1m:14.875. Fisichella was now in second, 1m:15.247 and Massa third. Michael was now down in fourth.

Button and Barrichello were currently fifth and sixth. Both the Honda's would pit. Fisichella had also come in. Kimi was in seventh followed by Heidfeld, Ralf and Trulli. Michael would pit, as would both Toyota's. With a minute thirty left time was running out. Massa as quickest in sector one. Alonso was quickest in sector two on his quick lap. Fisichella was now fastest in sector one. Alonso would improve his time with a 1m:14.468. But Massa and Fisichella would not improve their places.

Michael would move into third with a 1m:14.970 as the period came to an end. This would give us an all Renault front row for Sunday's race. Ralf and Trulli would improve their positions. The top ten order was Alonso, Fisichella, Michael Schumacher, Massa, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Trulli, Button, Raikkonen, and Heidfeld.