America: Qually – Jarno suffers more bad luck

By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
July 2 2006

As expected the qualifying hour provided much excitement and drama for all evolved. Whilst Ferrari dominated the front row, Toyota again failed to get two cars into the final ten. Jarno had suspension problems on his first flying lap, whilst Ralf could only manage eighth for tomorrow’s grid.

As Formula one returns to Indianapolis after the tyre fiasco which saw only 6 cars take part in the race, Formula 1 will want to win back supporters in America, starting with the countries first taste of the new ultra-competitive knockout qualifying system.

Knockout One

Williams’s driver Mark Webber was the first driver out on track in the session setting the opening time of 1.14.100. Ralf then took over the top spot with a 1.13.776, the early times not stunning compared to the morning pace. With just less than 9 minutes to go Jarno slotted into second place behind Ralf, but it was becoming evident from the TV footage that Jarno’s car seemed to be bottoming out into the ultra-fast banked turn 13, a sign of trouble ahead for Jarno? Meanwhile Midland F1 driver Tiago Monteiro sprung a surprise with a time of 1.13.094. Monteiro driving for Jordan last year finished 3rd behind the two Ferraris after the tyre fiasco so this track holds good memories for the Portuguese driver. With just under six minutes to go and Mclarens Juan Pablo Montoya went fastest with a 1.12.477, times were still not as quick as the morning times but they were starting to fall. Meanwhile Ralf and Jarno were in 17th and 18th places respectively, and in the uncomfortable area of the drop zone. Ralf managed to save himself though with just under 2 minutes to go moving into 3rd place but Jarno was still in the garage and now in 20th position, but he was out of the car, and with not enough time to go to complete a lap out he looked like being one of the first drivers to be knocked out. Jarno’s earlier problems added with a random call to the weigh bridge being the main catalysts. After the high of Canada it was once again bad luck for the Italian in what is proving to be a tough season for the Toyota driver. Jarno wasn’t the only big scalp though Red Bull racings David Coulthard was knocked out by his team mate Christian Klien, who is fighting for his place in F1. Coulthard ended up 17th. Also GP2 champion Nico Rosberg in the Williams was also out finishing in 19th position. Also a surprise was the two MF1’s of Albers and Monteiro. Both drivers making it through to the second period. Ralf finished the period in third and through to the second knock out, lifting Toyota spirits.

Top 6: Massa, M.Schumacher, R.Schumacher, Heidfeld, Villeneuve, Barrichello

Bottom 6 and knocked out: Coulthard, Sato, Rosberg, Trulli, Liuzzi, Montagny

Knockout Two

Toyota were already one car down, but Ralf set an impressive 3rd fastest time in the first knock out which was much better than the times set by both him and Jarno in morning practice. BMW-Sauber driver Jacques Villeneuve was the first driver to set a time with a 1 minute 12 only for German team mate Nick Heidfeld to knock Jacques off the top spot with a 1.11.718, a relatively good time. The lap times were starting to fall and BMW-Sauber were looking strong. Meanwhile Ralf wasn’t looking too bad either sitting in second position. World Champions Renault though were looking off the pace and championship points leader and reigning Drivers champion Fernando Alonso could only manage 6th place with a poor time by his standards; a 1.12.546, but as the Mclarens Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya and Jenson Button in the Honda set times Alonso fell back through the time sheets to 9th place and as Button’s Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello went fastest that pushed Alonso into 10th, meaning he was on the edge of the drop and Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa in the Ferrari’s had yet to set lap times. As the Ferrari drivers set lap times Alonso moved into the drop zone- unless he saved himself that would be very embarrassing for the Spanish star. Schumacher’s time was so good infact that he became the first driver to break into the 1 minute 10’s with a 1.10.636 meanwhile Ralf lay in a strong 5th position on a time of 1m11.673, Ralf looking fairly certain to be one of the drivers going into the pole shoot out. Mark Webber moved into 10th position but with Jacques Villeneuve on track, Alonso yet to set a come back time and even the two Midlands being a threat, Webber was looking very venerable. The two Midlands could only manage 14th and 15th places, still a very good effort to be ahead of the Red Bull of Klien. Alonso saved himself from cheer embarrassment, moving into 9th position with a time of 1.11.877. Villeneuve moved into 7th place which was bad news for Webber who dropped to 12th behind Juan Pablo Montoya who in 11th was also in the drop zone, but Montoya ran out of time to save himself finishing in 11th place, a big scalp from the session. Home town hero Scott Speed finished a rather impressive 13th for Scuderia Toro Rosso, a very good effort. Ralf ended the session in 5th place.

Top 6: M.Schumacher, Massa, Fisichella, Barrichello, R.Schumacher, Heidfeld.

Bottom 6 and Knocked out: Montoya, Webber, Speed, Albers, Monteiro, Klien

Final Pole Shoot-Out

Luckily Ralf was through to the final knock out session after some good times in the first two sessions, defiantly aiming for a top 6 grid slot. He would fight the two Renaults, the two Ferraris, the two BMW-Saubers, the Honda duo and Kimi Raikkonen in the Mclaren for pole. As the cars filtered out onto the circuit the field was lead by World Champion Fernando Alonso- a driver who would be wanting to up his game after two very disappointing knockout periods. As usual the first 10-15 minutes of the session brought the fuel burning ‘banker’ laps, not ‘proper’ laps that count towards to pole position. Regardless Alonso set the first time of the shoot out with a time of 1.14.873 but it was Ralf who sprang he surprise, regardless of whether these were proper laps he moved into provisional pole position with a 1.14.291. With just over 12 minutes in the period to go BMW-Saubers Nick Heidfeld stopped on the pit lane entrance, a big disappointment for Heidfeld, one of the most unluckiest drivers on the grid. He had been looking strong all weekend. He will still start 10th but it could have a lot more. Ralf’s few minutes of fame were up as big brother Michael took the provisional pole slot with a time of 1.13.925. With seven minutes to go BMW-Sauber and Honda were the first teams to blink putting new rubber on their driver’s cars and ready to go and set some quick proper laps towards pole position, with all the other teams following their lead. Alonso set the first time with a 1.12.4, but it was still far off the ultimate Ferrari pace. Team mate Giancarlo Fisichella went fastest with a 1.12135 but still Ferrari could go faster. Ralf had fallen to 7th place, not quite the top 6 he would have aimed for after the first two periods but still a very respectable position. Michael set a great lap time; a 1.10.832 to go once again fastest with team mate Massa in second. Ferrari looked fairly solid I locking out the front row. Maybe this is Ferraris title resurgence after the Alonso-Renault domination of the last few races. Alonso went out for one last effort but could still only manage a 1 minute 12, he stayed in 4th place, while team mate Fisichella looked like he had comfortably cemented third on the grid with a time of 1m11.920. In the dying seconds Barrichello stole 4th away from Alonso, pushing Ralf back to 8th position.

So it is a Ferrari one-two, with Schumacher heading Massa, Fisichella in the first of the Renaults in 3rd, Barrichello once again out-qualifying team mate Jenson Button in 4th, Alonso 5th, Villeneuve a fantastic 6th for BMW-Sauber, Button 7th, Ralf a solid if unspectacular 8th, Raikkonen a disappointing 9th for Mclaren and the unlucky Nick Heidfeld 10th in the second BMW-Sauber.

Top 10: : M.Schumacher, Massa, Fisichella, Barrichello, Alonso, Villeneuve, Button, R.Schumacher, Raikkonen, Heidfeld. Massa.

Notes

Vitantonio Liuzzi’s Toro Rosso crew opted to change his Cosworth V10 ahead of this afternoon’s US Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg has been sent to the back of the grid after the Williams driver ignored a request to have his car weighed, Liuzzi will start the Grand Prix from 21st position. Allowing Jarno to start 19th and Super Aguri’s French driver Franck Montagny to start 20th ahead of Liuzzi and Rosberg.