Good morning everybody and welcome to the heat and humidity (69%) in Malaysia and as always the threat of rain being anticipated at the end of the session. HRT are under pressure to perform and as we know in Australia they didn't beat the 107% rule and hence didn't get into the race.
Renault have struggled this weekend and a suspension failure hindered their weekend running. Ferrari are also struggling as they simply can't find the set up. For whatever reason they say they have lost pace since winter testing and don't know where the problem is so they are in damage limitation in the early part of the season.
Sauber had an unfortunate end to the race in Melbourne as it was deemed their rear spoiler top section was outside the parameters. This means both cars were disqualified which was a great shame particularly for new boy Perez who drove a brilliant race without a tyre stop.
It is going to be interesting to see whether Red Bull deploy KERS and Christian Horner confirmed they are running the system on the car this weekend. As if they aren't fast enough they now have a further 10 to 15 bhp and that will be significant. Ferrari were also off the pace in Friday running and couldn't get the car hooked up and ran in the low end of the top ten.
The first stoppage in quali one came as Sebastian Buemi lost the side pod on his Torro Rosso and the session was Red flagged whilst the offending piece of bodywork was collected. Teams are now under pressure to qualify after the interuption and many will have lost a set of tyres.
In the early running Lewis headed the times but that isn't really significant as all they are doing at this stage is moving through the three sessions whilst targetting pole. Red Bull didn't pull out any stops in Q1 finishing tenth (SB) and fifteenth (MW) as Felipe headed the times but not really significant at this early stage.
All teams ran under the 107% rule so at least we have a twenty four car grid for the race on Sunday. Red Bull didn't report any problems for Mark, they simply couldn't get the car set up on the different tyre / fuel combination albeit a full second behind Sebastian.
As there is a full second difference between the hard and soft tyres and all of a sudden Sebastian shot into the 1.35's but then Jenson shot it up to the front with a mid 1.35 and some half a second quicker than the Red Bull's.
After initial running it is the top 3 teams occupying the first six places and that is one has to say quite normal. All of a sudden both Renault's shot up into the top six and this looks very interesting for tomorrow's race. With only seconds left both Mclaren's led the field with Jenson in front of Lewis for a change.
We lost Michael and Rubens going into Q3 so Nico led his more illustrious team mate once again. So the fight for pole looks very interesting with the Mclaren's, Ferrari's, Red Bull's and Renault's fighting for P1. So we all ask when are Red Bull going to launch to the front.
So ten minutes to find the pole sitter and Lewis was the first out on soft tyres followed by Jenson. Lewis launches himself into his first lap with DRS and KERS in full chat and puts in a staggering 1.35.000 flat, incredible. He was followed by Sebastian, Mark & Jenson after the initial running with only three tenths covering them.
It appears only two of the teams are running twice with the rest only having one run. What a finish to the session but Sebastian pipped Lewis by such a small margin as it was measured in thousands of a second. So we had Sebastian in pole by a tenth followed by Lewis, Mark, Jenson, Fernando, Nick, Felipe, Vitaly, Nico and Kamui coming in tenth.
We have a real prospect for tomorrow as the difference in times really mean little over a race distance. What is interesting is both red Bull's were running KERS and our concerns about them running away at the front isn't materialising.
We all look forward to the race tomorrow.
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Showing posts with label Felipe Massa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Felipe Massa. Show all posts
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Saturday, 25 September 2010
F1 Singapore Quali
Welcome to the night race in Singapore and the fantastic albeit sometimes dangerous Marina Bay circuit. Lewis has criticised certain changes to the circuit complaining that what were already tight corners have now been made dangerous and actually launch the car into the air, very dangerous.
This is a tough track with plenty of turns and of course the drivers have to contend with body clock issues albeit none of them seem to mention that, only the heat.
Teams have difficult decisions to make at this time in the season accepting some of the drivers have a better chance to win the championship. However, Mclaren and Red Bull have both drivers fighting at the top and it appears Ferrari have chosen Fernando based on his points. There is talk Renault could upset the apple cart by taking points away from the front runners.
Into Q1 and it is a real dog fight at the top as Sebastian drops into the 46's. With 10 minutes to go the session was Red flagged as Felipe's Ferrari stopped out on track in a difficult position.
It does seem strange when looking at the long shots of the circuit in the dark yet when watching the race the lighting is so good you don't really notice the dark. However, the cars look even better as the bright lights show the colours in depth under the very strong lighting.
I feel impressed with myself as I have been lapping in the 1.46's on the WII in Lewis's car.
So as they resume it is Sebastian, Fernando, Mark, Jenson, Jaime and Lewis. Red Bull seem to have the edge here as they forecast that would be the case as in fact they said would be the opposite at Monza and Spa.
With Felipe out neither Mercedes cars came out for the remaining time in Q1 as they felt none of the lesser teams would beat their time. Whilst that makes some sense they are not learning anything either but they do save a set of tyres.
So as the session closes Fernando is in P1 with a mid 1.46 followed by Sebastian & Mark. As discussed earlier Robert has shot the Renault up to P4 and could mix the front runners up. We lose Timo, Lucas, Jarno, Heikki, new boy Chrstian Klien in the HRT car, Bruno and of course the luckless Felipe. Lewis finishes in ninth whilst Jenson was up in sixth.
They all launch out into Q2 and this will be a tight battle up front. Fernando found a glitch and had to go back to the pits for the engine to be remapped. Then out of the Blue, Lewis ran the fastest lap ever round the Marina Bay circuit in almost a flat 1.46 some half a second faster than Sebastian albeit Jenson was now third yet Michael in last place.
Jaime is driving fantastic and now running ninth which is great for Toro Rosso. Fernando came back out and the car is now running OK as he usurps Lewis into the 1.45's and it now appears all the top runners are going to have to run in the 45's to stand a chance.
As Q2 finishes things remain the same at the front and the only real point of note is that Michael is in the top 10 for the first time since Silverstone. So we lost Jaime, Nico H, Vitaly, Sebastien, Nick, Adrian and Vitantonio.
Going int Q3 we now have the five contenders for the championship in the top five positions so we await the pole lap session in Q3 with interest. Sebastian obviously got something wrong on his first Q3 run as he finished up seventh whilst Fernando and Lewis were running one and two.
In they all come for another set of tyres, refuel and off they go again. They are all finding turn two a problem as it is still a bit damp and with twenty three turns it is a very difficult track under pressure.
So we finish with Fernando on pole followed by Sebastian, Lewis, Jenson, Mark and still the top five in the championship are in the first five places. Then we have Rubens, Nico, Robert, Michael and Kamui.
The grid is going to give us a great race tomorrow and I am sure we all await with interest.
This is a tough track with plenty of turns and of course the drivers have to contend with body clock issues albeit none of them seem to mention that, only the heat.
Teams have difficult decisions to make at this time in the season accepting some of the drivers have a better chance to win the championship. However, Mclaren and Red Bull have both drivers fighting at the top and it appears Ferrari have chosen Fernando based on his points. There is talk Renault could upset the apple cart by taking points away from the front runners.
Into Q1 and it is a real dog fight at the top as Sebastian drops into the 46's. With 10 minutes to go the session was Red flagged as Felipe's Ferrari stopped out on track in a difficult position.
It does seem strange when looking at the long shots of the circuit in the dark yet when watching the race the lighting is so good you don't really notice the dark. However, the cars look even better as the bright lights show the colours in depth under the very strong lighting.
I feel impressed with myself as I have been lapping in the 1.46's on the WII in Lewis's car.
So as they resume it is Sebastian, Fernando, Mark, Jenson, Jaime and Lewis. Red Bull seem to have the edge here as they forecast that would be the case as in fact they said would be the opposite at Monza and Spa.
With Felipe out neither Mercedes cars came out for the remaining time in Q1 as they felt none of the lesser teams would beat their time. Whilst that makes some sense they are not learning anything either but they do save a set of tyres.
So as the session closes Fernando is in P1 with a mid 1.46 followed by Sebastian & Mark. As discussed earlier Robert has shot the Renault up to P4 and could mix the front runners up. We lose Timo, Lucas, Jarno, Heikki, new boy Chrstian Klien in the HRT car, Bruno and of course the luckless Felipe. Lewis finishes in ninth whilst Jenson was up in sixth.
They all launch out into Q2 and this will be a tight battle up front. Fernando found a glitch and had to go back to the pits for the engine to be remapped. Then out of the Blue, Lewis ran the fastest lap ever round the Marina Bay circuit in almost a flat 1.46 some half a second faster than Sebastian albeit Jenson was now third yet Michael in last place.
Jaime is driving fantastic and now running ninth which is great for Toro Rosso. Fernando came back out and the car is now running OK as he usurps Lewis into the 1.45's and it now appears all the top runners are going to have to run in the 45's to stand a chance.
As Q2 finishes things remain the same at the front and the only real point of note is that Michael is in the top 10 for the first time since Silverstone. So we lost Jaime, Nico H, Vitaly, Sebastien, Nick, Adrian and Vitantonio.
Going int Q3 we now have the five contenders for the championship in the top five positions so we await the pole lap session in Q3 with interest. Sebastian obviously got something wrong on his first Q3 run as he finished up seventh whilst Fernando and Lewis were running one and two.
In they all come for another set of tyres, refuel and off they go again. They are all finding turn two a problem as it is still a bit damp and with twenty three turns it is a very difficult track under pressure.
So we finish with Fernando on pole followed by Sebastian, Lewis, Jenson, Mark and still the top five in the championship are in the first five places. Then we have Rubens, Nico, Robert, Michael and Kamui.
The grid is going to give us a great race tomorrow and I am sure we all await with interest.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
F1 Monza Quali
Welcome to quali at the home of the passionate Tiffosi at Monza. The fans come in their droves to view their beloved Ferrari who have been at the top of everyones mind over the past few weeks. All the talk over the past week is the result of the FIA / WMSC ruling over the debacle in Germany where Felipe was asked to move over to allow Fernando to win the race.
The question of team orders has been a problem for many a year and there are of course varied thoughts across the sport. There is no doubt Ferrari applied a team order and now the other teams are saying the cost of breaching team orders is $100,000 which is a small cost in the world of F1.
I feel sure all the teams apply team orders in one way or another but Ferrari always have a habit of doing it in your face which does not help. From the teams point of view they have a massive investment, sponsors expect results without their names coming under disrepute and the drivers all want to win. So it is an issue that is very unlikely to go away and how the FIA and World Motor Sport Council deal with it will only become clear at the end of the season.
Anyway back to Monza. The weather looks good as we await for quali to begin. The big guns were locked in combat but both Red Bull's seem to be behind Mclaren and Ferrari in the early stages. Felipe, Fernando and Lewis were all in the 22's which is mighty around Monza. So both Ferrari's headed the timing sheets after Q1 in what is basically a warm up session for Q2 & Q3.
So after Q1 we unfortunately lost Yarno, Heikki, Antonio, Timo, Lucas, Bruno and Saron.
As we move into Q2 the track temperature is 39 & air temperature of 27 which is a little warmer than the drivers have had during the practice sessions. The Tiffosi will be pleased after Q1 with both cars in P1 & P2 but will the others haul them in as they all come out onto the track.
Lewis went straight in the mid 1.22's and has thrown down the gauntlet on soft tyres in difference to all the others. When you watch the cars in the Ascari chicane the cars are mighty and onto the straight into the famous Parabolica. Then it hotted up as Fernando slotted in with a faster time in the low 1.22's.
Again the Red Bull's don't seem to have the outright pace which is not what we have to expect albeit Sebastian sent in a 1.23 but six tenths off the pace. Michael is 1.256 off the pace and down in twelfth three places behind Nico up in ninth.
So everything points to a fantastic pole qualifying sessions as the top cars and drivers are locked in very tight combat. So out went Adrian, Michael, Sebastien, Kamui, Vitaly, Jaime and Pedro leaving us with the top ten to fight it out for pole.
Out they went and Fernando immediately threw in the first one twenty one of the weekend and is looking mighty. Jenson slotted into P2 followed by Felipe and Lewis after the first runs. The Red Bull's are in line astern in p5 and P6. Then they all came in to change tyres and the pole shoot out begins with only just over a minute to go.
The Tiffosi goes wild as Fernando takes his first pole for Ferrari at Monza followed by Jenson with a different set up to Lewis and the F Duct should give him a bonus down to turn one. Felipe took third, Mark fourth and a low grid position for Lewis in fifth.
Sebastian took sixth followed by Nico, Nico (H), Robert and Rubens. All is now set for a brilliant race tomorrow and the chicane at turn one will be very interesting. We look forward to a good race tomorrow with two new protagonists on the front row.
The question of team orders has been a problem for many a year and there are of course varied thoughts across the sport. There is no doubt Ferrari applied a team order and now the other teams are saying the cost of breaching team orders is $100,000 which is a small cost in the world of F1.
I feel sure all the teams apply team orders in one way or another but Ferrari always have a habit of doing it in your face which does not help. From the teams point of view they have a massive investment, sponsors expect results without their names coming under disrepute and the drivers all want to win. So it is an issue that is very unlikely to go away and how the FIA and World Motor Sport Council deal with it will only become clear at the end of the season.
Anyway back to Monza. The weather looks good as we await for quali to begin. The big guns were locked in combat but both Red Bull's seem to be behind Mclaren and Ferrari in the early stages. Felipe, Fernando and Lewis were all in the 22's which is mighty around Monza. So both Ferrari's headed the timing sheets after Q1 in what is basically a warm up session for Q2 & Q3.
So after Q1 we unfortunately lost Yarno, Heikki, Antonio, Timo, Lucas, Bruno and Saron.
As we move into Q2 the track temperature is 39 & air temperature of 27 which is a little warmer than the drivers have had during the practice sessions. The Tiffosi will be pleased after Q1 with both cars in P1 & P2 but will the others haul them in as they all come out onto the track.
Lewis went straight in the mid 1.22's and has thrown down the gauntlet on soft tyres in difference to all the others. When you watch the cars in the Ascari chicane the cars are mighty and onto the straight into the famous Parabolica. Then it hotted up as Fernando slotted in with a faster time in the low 1.22's.
Again the Red Bull's don't seem to have the outright pace which is not what we have to expect albeit Sebastian sent in a 1.23 but six tenths off the pace. Michael is 1.256 off the pace and down in twelfth three places behind Nico up in ninth.
So everything points to a fantastic pole qualifying sessions as the top cars and drivers are locked in very tight combat. So out went Adrian, Michael, Sebastien, Kamui, Vitaly, Jaime and Pedro leaving us with the top ten to fight it out for pole.
Out they went and Fernando immediately threw in the first one twenty one of the weekend and is looking mighty. Jenson slotted into P2 followed by Felipe and Lewis after the first runs. The Red Bull's are in line astern in p5 and P6. Then they all came in to change tyres and the pole shoot out begins with only just over a minute to go.
The Tiffosi goes wild as Fernando takes his first pole for Ferrari at Monza followed by Jenson with a different set up to Lewis and the F Duct should give him a bonus down to turn one. Felipe took third, Mark fourth and a low grid position for Lewis in fifth.
Sebastian took sixth followed by Nico, Nico (H), Robert and Rubens. All is now set for a brilliant race tomorrow and the chicane at turn one will be very interesting. We look forward to a good race tomorrow with two new protagonists on the front row.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
F1 Quali Hungary
Well, after the one, two at Hockenheim there has been no other talk apart from the question of team orders. As we armchair viewers there was no question Felipe slowed to let Fernando through after a call from his engineer Rob Smedley advising him Fernando was quicker than he was. Rob then followed it up with a further radio call apologising for the situation.
Rule 39.1 of the FIA Rule Book is quite clear that "there are no team orders in Formula 1" and there are of course three schools of thought. The teams are looking after the interests of their massive financial investment in the sport and accumulating points towards the manufacturers championship, the drivers wish to do the same thing towards the drivers championship and the fans want to see great racing.
It is fair to suggest Ferrari were going to finish with a one, two no what the driver was in front. Both Ferrari drivers drove brilliantly and definitely deserved their result. However, Ferrari did break the rules and it must now to be left to WMSC to decide what will happen in the best interest of the sport.
The stewards on the day decided Ferrari had broken rule 39.1 and fined them $100,000 and it must be left to Jean Todt and the WMSC to make the final decision. There has been much talk in the press and on the radio about how Ferrari have brought the sport into disrepute.
Personally I think that is rubbish as the fighting was over and Ferrari were one and two anyway. The Ferrari switch at Hockenheim has no reflection on the sport and this year is as competitive a season as we have had, Formula 1 is a team sport and always will be.
Let's turn our thoughts back to what we all enjoy, Formula 1 Motor Racing. We now have a six way fight at the front now Ferrari have finally got their act together. The controversy over the Red Bull flexible front wing goes onward and the teams are wishing the FIA to investigate it and Christian Horner is adamant that the car meets scrutineering and that should be the end of it.
Mercedes are still struggling and even after abandoning the new floor the car still doesn't seem to t0 be on the pace. Williams are ever competitive and Rubens particularly is showing the merit of the car. Hopefully they will get back to the results of Clay Regazzoni followed by Alan Jones, Ayrton Senna and our Nige, great times and we keep our fingers crossed for them.
Red Bull seem to be on fire for the weekend but Mclaren are struggling with both Lewis and Jenson in damage limitation mode this weekend. It always seems to be inevitable this year that Red Bull will be on pole with one of their drivers and we wait with anticipation to see if Fernando particularly can break Red Bull's stranglehold on the front row of the grid.
Felipe is also driving with more grit and this is of course the place of his accident during 2009 and we all wish him well for the weekend. Hopefully the two of them can start fighting consistently at the sharp end if Mclaren can't. Mclaren are lacking downforce and without doubt Lewis is having to punch the car and track into submission.
The usual protagonists are in the first drop out group and we lost Kamui, Timo, Heikki, Yarno, Lucas, Bruno and Yamomoto still in the car in place of Karun Chandock. The mid pack are getting tighter and tighter with each race with Force India, Sauber, Williams, Mercedes, Renault fighting for honours.
As they all move into Q2 Red Bull seem to be in a class of their own and it is obviously not a favourite Mclaren circuit as the F Duct doesn't work as well here as it is a more twisty circuit than say Silverstone. Both Renault's are after all working well here running in fourth and fifth with only a couple of minutes to go in Q2.
So we have lost Jenson, Rubens, Adrian, Michael, Sebastien, Vitantonio and Jamie bringing up the rear. So we lost two world champions in Q2 with both Jenson and Michael not going into the top ten shoot out. Q3 is going to be classic as there is only a tenth of a second between the top eight.
The pole shoot out will be tremendous as we watch with anticipation but Sebastian and Mark are so much quicker it is unbelievable. Both Red Bull's are one and two followed by Fernando, Felipe and Lewis ringing the neck of the Mclaren and only eight one thousands of a second slower than Felipe.
So pole went to Sebastian followed by Mark, Fernando, Felipe, Lewis, Nico, Vitaly, Robert, Pedro and Nico H in his Williams finishing tenth. So a great grand prix in prospect tomorrow and if the Ferrari's and Lewis can get off the line and fight at the front this could be exciting. Good drivers from both Vitaly and Robert in the Renault's and Nico in his Williams.
The big question is can Red Bull run from pole to the finish which they haven't done yet. Their cars are perfectly suited to the downforce levels required at Hungary and hopefully they don't run away from the front albeit it seems likely.
Martin Whitmarsh has brought a new term to Formula 1 "the best of the flxed wing cars" relating to the eighty five mm limit from the floor during racing.
Bring on the Hungarian Grand Prix tomorrow.
Rule 39.1 of the FIA Rule Book is quite clear that "there are no team orders in Formula 1" and there are of course three schools of thought. The teams are looking after the interests of their massive financial investment in the sport and accumulating points towards the manufacturers championship, the drivers wish to do the same thing towards the drivers championship and the fans want to see great racing.
It is fair to suggest Ferrari were going to finish with a one, two no what the driver was in front. Both Ferrari drivers drove brilliantly and definitely deserved their result. However, Ferrari did break the rules and it must now to be left to WMSC to decide what will happen in the best interest of the sport.
The stewards on the day decided Ferrari had broken rule 39.1 and fined them $100,000 and it must be left to Jean Todt and the WMSC to make the final decision. There has been much talk in the press and on the radio about how Ferrari have brought the sport into disrepute.
Personally I think that is rubbish as the fighting was over and Ferrari were one and two anyway. The Ferrari switch at Hockenheim has no reflection on the sport and this year is as competitive a season as we have had, Formula 1 is a team sport and always will be.
Let's turn our thoughts back to what we all enjoy, Formula 1 Motor Racing. We now have a six way fight at the front now Ferrari have finally got their act together. The controversy over the Red Bull flexible front wing goes onward and the teams are wishing the FIA to investigate it and Christian Horner is adamant that the car meets scrutineering and that should be the end of it.
Mercedes are still struggling and even after abandoning the new floor the car still doesn't seem to t0 be on the pace. Williams are ever competitive and Rubens particularly is showing the merit of the car. Hopefully they will get back to the results of Clay Regazzoni followed by Alan Jones, Ayrton Senna and our Nige, great times and we keep our fingers crossed for them.
Red Bull seem to be on fire for the weekend but Mclaren are struggling with both Lewis and Jenson in damage limitation mode this weekend. It always seems to be inevitable this year that Red Bull will be on pole with one of their drivers and we wait with anticipation to see if Fernando particularly can break Red Bull's stranglehold on the front row of the grid.
Felipe is also driving with more grit and this is of course the place of his accident during 2009 and we all wish him well for the weekend. Hopefully the two of them can start fighting consistently at the sharp end if Mclaren can't. Mclaren are lacking downforce and without doubt Lewis is having to punch the car and track into submission.
The usual protagonists are in the first drop out group and we lost Kamui, Timo, Heikki, Yarno, Lucas, Bruno and Yamomoto still in the car in place of Karun Chandock. The mid pack are getting tighter and tighter with each race with Force India, Sauber, Williams, Mercedes, Renault fighting for honours.
As they all move into Q2 Red Bull seem to be in a class of their own and it is obviously not a favourite Mclaren circuit as the F Duct doesn't work as well here as it is a more twisty circuit than say Silverstone. Both Renault's are after all working well here running in fourth and fifth with only a couple of minutes to go in Q2.
So we have lost Jenson, Rubens, Adrian, Michael, Sebastien, Vitantonio and Jamie bringing up the rear. So we lost two world champions in Q2 with both Jenson and Michael not going into the top ten shoot out. Q3 is going to be classic as there is only a tenth of a second between the top eight.
The pole shoot out will be tremendous as we watch with anticipation but Sebastian and Mark are so much quicker it is unbelievable. Both Red Bull's are one and two followed by Fernando, Felipe and Lewis ringing the neck of the Mclaren and only eight one thousands of a second slower than Felipe.
So pole went to Sebastian followed by Mark, Fernando, Felipe, Lewis, Nico, Vitaly, Robert, Pedro and Nico H in his Williams finishing tenth. So a great grand prix in prospect tomorrow and if the Ferrari's and Lewis can get off the line and fight at the front this could be exciting. Good drivers from both Vitaly and Robert in the Renault's and Nico in his Williams.
The big question is can Red Bull run from pole to the finish which they haven't done yet. Their cars are perfectly suited to the downforce levels required at Hungary and hopefully they don't run away from the front albeit it seems likely.
Martin Whitmarsh has brought a new term to Formula 1 "the best of the flxed wing cars" relating to the eighty five mm limit from the floor during racing.
Bring on the Hungarian Grand Prix tomorrow.
Sunday, 16 May 2010
F1 Race Monaco
It's showtime. The spectacle of Monaco is the jewel in the crown of F1, the cars are nearer to the crowd, the speeds around this iconic street circuit are immense, the walls are ever close and the tunnel is still as dark and scary.
Martin took us around Mark Webber's pole lap which not only confirmed how great a lap it was but what a lap around Monaco is about. The bumps, barriers and turns of Monaco are around normal roads and we all know what "normal roads" are in the UK.
The talk is now over and it's time to race with a track temperature of 40 and air temperature of 22. As many of the drivers live in Monaco for them it is like a home grand prix which gives them added incentive.
The sound of the cars going around the principality onto the grid is deafening on TV but when you are there ear plugs are an absolute must. As usual the narrow Monaco grid is packed with team mechanics, paparazzi, reporters and many celebrities as the Monaco grid is the place to be seen.
The tyre covers come off as the teams move back to the pit lane as all the cars move off for the siting lap except Fernando who is starting from the pit lane after his appointment with the barrier wrecking his chassis before qualifying.
As the flag dropped 20,000 hp launched into the first corner as Sebastian (V) launched past Robert into Saint Devote making it a Red Bull one, two. All went well until the dreaded tunnel and Nico (H) hit the wall coming out of it making a mess of his car and bringing out the safety car. During the safety car period some of the cars on the soft tyres (they have to use both tyre compounds through the race) including Fernando changed to the prime tyres.
Then out of the blue Jenson stopped with what appeared to be a cooked engine and the second retirement on only lap one. It appeared a bung was left in one of the engine intakes going to the grid cooking the engine. All the rest followed the unbelievable Mercedes safety car whilst the debris from Nico's Williams was cleared out of the way.
Keeping all the temperatures under control is very difficult for the drivers and they would all be relieved when the safety car came in on lap six and back to racing. Mark launched his self away followed by Sebastian, Robert, Felipe and Lewis and then a small gap back to Rubens who was struggling on the first lap after the safety car.
It was exciting watching the mighty Fernando trying to get past Lucas and after a lot of gesticulating he passed him into the chicane after the tunnel and then quickly disposed of Jarno. The top five, with Mark moving away from the next four were leaving the rest behind but the interest will come if the tyres start to grain.
The cars in front of Fernando were getting a whole bag of TV coverage as the cameras were watching his surge from the back of the field and it was a feature of the early stage of the race. Mark seems to have Monaco under control and he was lapping in the mid 1.17's at a meteoric rate and on lap 17 he was some 5 seconds ahead of Sebastian.
Lewis was the first of the top runners to change to the prime tyres and he came out in front of Fernando and behind Jaime and this will be interesting to watch accepting Fernando has already changed his tyres. Then came a host of tyre stops on lap eighteen for all of the top teams and race on as we wait for the positions to settle down.
So after the tyre stops the positions were Mark, Sebastian, Robert, Felipe, Lewis and Fernando but after Nico's tyre stop it dropped him behind Michael into eighth. Rubens finished up with two wheels on my wagon as he hit the wall in Massenet with what looked like a mechanical failure to bring out the safety car for the second time.
All Mark's good work out in front was negated and he has now to be do it all over again as the team bunches up behind the Mercedes safety car. What seemed a quite rapid removal of Rubens' Lotus Mark was biting at the bit behind the safety car and Mark launched again at the front and he looks remarkably under control and in the groove.
Lewis seems to have stalled Fernando's meteoric move through the field but still not really putting pressure on Felipe in front of him. Nico was falling away from Michael in the hands of the Force India's whilst up at the front Mark was now already 2.5 seconds ahead of Sebastian after only three laps after the safety car withdrawal on lap forty one.
Mclaren are asking Lewis to be patient and look after his car and he received the information with comments better not repeated. Then out came the safety car for the third time as it was announced a drain cover had come loose and that of course is extremely dangerous and a most unusual occurrence. It appeared to be false alarm and the safety cover was deemed OK.
Poor old Mark had to do it again for the third time and he must be thinking what do I have to do to win this thing. So in came the safety car and off went Mark again with the rest line astern with no problems.
The safety cars of course reduce the problem of the leaders having to overtake the back markers which at Monaco can always cause problems for the faster cars. The top ten were covered by only nine seconds with 30 laps to go which shows how close the front runners are.
One of the features of Monaco is the speed the rubber goes down on the circuit and coupled with burning off the fuel the speeds get quicker as the times are now in the 1.16's. Fernando has had the tyres on his Ferrari since in effect lap one and yet they are still performing well albeit they will not be as good as those who have changed tyres and he is dropping away from Lewis.
Michael is driving a steady race in seventh but just can't get near enough to Fernando to make a pass. Nico (R) is dropping back from Michael and now some 2.5 seconds behind on lap 57. The last couple of races have seen Michael jump ahead of Nico for the first time this season and one wonders whether Michael is getting back to form.
Mark is driving supremely as he has done all weekend seeming to bas one with the Red Bull. Out in front he is now in the 1.15's and his drive around the Monaco streets is not matched by the rest. Robert is keeping Sebastian honest but the top 6 are spread evenly and not really fighting each other.
On lap 61 they started to come into the back markers and one hopes they all get through without incident. Sebastian and Robert got a little held up which put Robert nearer to Sebastian but enabling Mark to leap to six seconds ahead at the front on lap 64. Lewis has dropped a long way behind Felipe which we can only assume is caused by traffic.
Mark has now started to protect his car with ten to go but Sebastian has Robert pushing him so the gap came down slightly but all under control really. The tyres are all holding up well and there won't be any stops now being so close to the end.
Then Karun and Jarno had a big accident as Jarno tried to go inside Karun into La Rascasse, the wheels locked and over the top of Karun went Jarno. That brought the safety car out again in the safe hands of Bert Mylander for the fourth time and the race was destined to finish under the safety car and so it was to be.
However, you can always rely on Michael to be involved in Monaco controversy and particularly at La Rascasse, and in 2010 he didn't disappoint. I must explain the rule behind the safety car is different this year as once it leaves the circuit the drivers go across a line after which they can pass, they do not have to wait until crossing the finishing line.
They started the last lap and as the safety car peeled off into the pits after La Rascasse, Michael stuffed his Mercedes alongside Fernando and took sixth away from him going into Anthony Noades. Not often that the safety car can cause so much excitement and trust Michael to be aware of every trick in the book albeit a great move.
So after the final bit of excitement the race finished and Mark took the chequered flag followed by Sebastian (another 1,2 for Red Bull), Robert, Felipe, Lewis, Michael, Fernando, Nico, Adrian and Vitantonio making the top 10. There were nine retirements through the race including Karun and Jarno who completed seventy laps and there were only 12 cars running at the flag.
Mark's prize was to be presented with his trophy by Prince Albert in a somewhat different ceremony to the usual podium and as we left Monaco the championship has taken a new turn with a Red Bull one, two.
Mark & Sebastian leave with 78 points and take over the championship lead followed by Fernando (73), Jenson (70), Felipe & Robert (59), Lewis (57), Nico (54), Michael (22), Adrian (18), Vitantonio (9), Vitaly & Rubens (7), Jaime (2) and finally Nico H (1).
In the team championship Red Bull take over the lead with 156 points followed by Ferrari (132), Mclaren (127), Mercedes (76), Renault (66), Force India (27), Williams (8) and Toro Rosso (2).
After the thrills, spills and spectacle of Monaco the circus moves to Turkey for the next race 30th June and the question has to be asked who is going to stunt Red Bull's charge. They certainly have the quickest car even though not the most reliable. The stunning pace of Mark in qualifying and his pace in the race suggests someone has to do something special.
I look forward to talking to you again in Turkey.
Martin took us around Mark Webber's pole lap which not only confirmed how great a lap it was but what a lap around Monaco is about. The bumps, barriers and turns of Monaco are around normal roads and we all know what "normal roads" are in the UK.
The talk is now over and it's time to race with a track temperature of 40 and air temperature of 22. As many of the drivers live in Monaco for them it is like a home grand prix which gives them added incentive.
The sound of the cars going around the principality onto the grid is deafening on TV but when you are there ear plugs are an absolute must. As usual the narrow Monaco grid is packed with team mechanics, paparazzi, reporters and many celebrities as the Monaco grid is the place to be seen.
The tyre covers come off as the teams move back to the pit lane as all the cars move off for the siting lap except Fernando who is starting from the pit lane after his appointment with the barrier wrecking his chassis before qualifying.
As the flag dropped 20,000 hp launched into the first corner as Sebastian (V) launched past Robert into Saint Devote making it a Red Bull one, two. All went well until the dreaded tunnel and Nico (H) hit the wall coming out of it making a mess of his car and bringing out the safety car. During the safety car period some of the cars on the soft tyres (they have to use both tyre compounds through the race) including Fernando changed to the prime tyres.
Then out of the blue Jenson stopped with what appeared to be a cooked engine and the second retirement on only lap one. It appeared a bung was left in one of the engine intakes going to the grid cooking the engine. All the rest followed the unbelievable Mercedes safety car whilst the debris from Nico's Williams was cleared out of the way.
Keeping all the temperatures under control is very difficult for the drivers and they would all be relieved when the safety car came in on lap six and back to racing. Mark launched his self away followed by Sebastian, Robert, Felipe and Lewis and then a small gap back to Rubens who was struggling on the first lap after the safety car.
It was exciting watching the mighty Fernando trying to get past Lucas and after a lot of gesticulating he passed him into the chicane after the tunnel and then quickly disposed of Jarno. The top five, with Mark moving away from the next four were leaving the rest behind but the interest will come if the tyres start to grain.
The cars in front of Fernando were getting a whole bag of TV coverage as the cameras were watching his surge from the back of the field and it was a feature of the early stage of the race. Mark seems to have Monaco under control and he was lapping in the mid 1.17's at a meteoric rate and on lap 17 he was some 5 seconds ahead of Sebastian.
Lewis was the first of the top runners to change to the prime tyres and he came out in front of Fernando and behind Jaime and this will be interesting to watch accepting Fernando has already changed his tyres. Then came a host of tyre stops on lap eighteen for all of the top teams and race on as we wait for the positions to settle down.
So after the tyre stops the positions were Mark, Sebastian, Robert, Felipe, Lewis and Fernando but after Nico's tyre stop it dropped him behind Michael into eighth. Rubens finished up with two wheels on my wagon as he hit the wall in Massenet with what looked like a mechanical failure to bring out the safety car for the second time.
All Mark's good work out in front was negated and he has now to be do it all over again as the team bunches up behind the Mercedes safety car. What seemed a quite rapid removal of Rubens' Lotus Mark was biting at the bit behind the safety car and Mark launched again at the front and he looks remarkably under control and in the groove.
Lewis seems to have stalled Fernando's meteoric move through the field but still not really putting pressure on Felipe in front of him. Nico was falling away from Michael in the hands of the Force India's whilst up at the front Mark was now already 2.5 seconds ahead of Sebastian after only three laps after the safety car withdrawal on lap forty one.
Mclaren are asking Lewis to be patient and look after his car and he received the information with comments better not repeated. Then out came the safety car for the third time as it was announced a drain cover had come loose and that of course is extremely dangerous and a most unusual occurrence. It appeared to be false alarm and the safety cover was deemed OK.
Poor old Mark had to do it again for the third time and he must be thinking what do I have to do to win this thing. So in came the safety car and off went Mark again with the rest line astern with no problems.
The safety cars of course reduce the problem of the leaders having to overtake the back markers which at Monaco can always cause problems for the faster cars. The top ten were covered by only nine seconds with 30 laps to go which shows how close the front runners are.
One of the features of Monaco is the speed the rubber goes down on the circuit and coupled with burning off the fuel the speeds get quicker as the times are now in the 1.16's. Fernando has had the tyres on his Ferrari since in effect lap one and yet they are still performing well albeit they will not be as good as those who have changed tyres and he is dropping away from Lewis.
Michael is driving a steady race in seventh but just can't get near enough to Fernando to make a pass. Nico (R) is dropping back from Michael and now some 2.5 seconds behind on lap 57. The last couple of races have seen Michael jump ahead of Nico for the first time this season and one wonders whether Michael is getting back to form.
Mark is driving supremely as he has done all weekend seeming to bas one with the Red Bull. Out in front he is now in the 1.15's and his drive around the Monaco streets is not matched by the rest. Robert is keeping Sebastian honest but the top 6 are spread evenly and not really fighting each other.
On lap 61 they started to come into the back markers and one hopes they all get through without incident. Sebastian and Robert got a little held up which put Robert nearer to Sebastian but enabling Mark to leap to six seconds ahead at the front on lap 64. Lewis has dropped a long way behind Felipe which we can only assume is caused by traffic.
Mark has now started to protect his car with ten to go but Sebastian has Robert pushing him so the gap came down slightly but all under control really. The tyres are all holding up well and there won't be any stops now being so close to the end.
Then Karun and Jarno had a big accident as Jarno tried to go inside Karun into La Rascasse, the wheels locked and over the top of Karun went Jarno. That brought the safety car out again in the safe hands of Bert Mylander for the fourth time and the race was destined to finish under the safety car and so it was to be.
However, you can always rely on Michael to be involved in Monaco controversy and particularly at La Rascasse, and in 2010 he didn't disappoint. I must explain the rule behind the safety car is different this year as once it leaves the circuit the drivers go across a line after which they can pass, they do not have to wait until crossing the finishing line.
They started the last lap and as the safety car peeled off into the pits after La Rascasse, Michael stuffed his Mercedes alongside Fernando and took sixth away from him going into Anthony Noades. Not often that the safety car can cause so much excitement and trust Michael to be aware of every trick in the book albeit a great move.
So after the final bit of excitement the race finished and Mark took the chequered flag followed by Sebastian (another 1,2 for Red Bull), Robert, Felipe, Lewis, Michael, Fernando, Nico, Adrian and Vitantonio making the top 10. There were nine retirements through the race including Karun and Jarno who completed seventy laps and there were only 12 cars running at the flag.
Mark's prize was to be presented with his trophy by Prince Albert in a somewhat different ceremony to the usual podium and as we left Monaco the championship has taken a new turn with a Red Bull one, two.
Mark & Sebastian leave with 78 points and take over the championship lead followed by Fernando (73), Jenson (70), Felipe & Robert (59), Lewis (57), Nico (54), Michael (22), Adrian (18), Vitantonio (9), Vitaly & Rubens (7), Jaime (2) and finally Nico H (1).
In the team championship Red Bull take over the lead with 156 points followed by Ferrari (132), Mclaren (127), Mercedes (76), Renault (66), Force India (27), Williams (8) and Toro Rosso (2).
After the thrills, spills and spectacle of Monaco the circus moves to Turkey for the next race 30th June and the question has to be asked who is going to stunt Red Bull's charge. They certainly have the quickest car even though not the most reliable. The stunning pace of Mark in qualifying and his pace in the race suggests someone has to do something special.
I look forward to talking to you again in Turkey.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
F1 Quali Barcelona
Now we are back in Europe in Catalunya and it is nice to see the hospitality suites and trucks back in the paddock. Most of the teams come here with plenty of upgrades but Red Bull still appear to have the edge in qualifying. Whilst both Lewis and Jenson were top of the field in testing on Thursday, as is usual this season Red Bull showed the field with Sebastian and Mark heading the field on Friday.
Michael looks happier with the car and let us hope he can get up up with Nico. Mclaren made a mess of the set up for Friday but they both seemed happier with the set up in readiness for quali. Lotus are more confident with the car and Heikki suggests there maybe a second a lap improvement in the car.
So off we go into Q1 and the first to put in a time was Heikki in a 1.26.048 but in testing yesterday Sebastian was running in the late 1.19's. Massa was next along flying compared with the Lotus and he slots in a banker 1.23 as Fernando then moved into P1. The times will come down as the track rubbers in and the hard tyres bed in.
Then we had both Mclarens leading the field but locked in battle with the Red Bull's with the Ferrari's loitering. So after Q1 we lost Rubens, Jarno, Heikki, Timo, Karun, Lucas and Bruno. Williams were disappointing as Rubens lost out and both Lotus cars were out which is a shame.
Q2 is going to be very interesting as the times in the mid field are so close. Very interesting development on the Ferrari as Fernando is having to use only one hand whilst adjusting the F duct trying to copy the Mclaren development as well as adjusting the brake balance using no hands at times.
As we move into Q2 Red Bull seem to have it in the bag as early in the run they were one and two. Mclaren are ever closer, this is going to be very close. Lewis seems to have the edge on Jenson as Mark appears to have the same on Sebastian but we know how that can change. Michael then came up into third and is he coming to be as one with the car whilst Nico is back in ninth which is a change in the team positions in the season so far.
After all the comings and goings in Q2 we lost Adrian, Pedro, Nico (H), Vitaly, Sebastian (B), Jamie and Vitantonio. Disappointment for both Force India's as they have been so competitive in the previous races this season. Q2 remained tight at the top but both Red Bull's still have the edge but Lewis is hovering.
Here we go into the pole shoot out and this will be even tighter looking at the times so far. Again we had an issue in the pit lane as Fernando was released into the pit lane in front of Nico and a near accident was only just avoided. It does make it difficult for the drivers with peripheral vision as the sides of the modern F1 car are so high but that is why they rely heavily on the pit crew in the pit lane particularly.
Both Red Bull's then laid down the gauntlet with mark followed by Sebastian but both 1 second quicker than Lewis followed by Jenson and Michael but Nico down in tenth. So all the cars went into the pits to add some fuel but only just enough to complete the run.
With all the cars now on the Green walled tyres and the times are tumbling. Then Mark put the rest in the shade with the first into the 1.19's. What a furious last 10 minutes and Mark was just over a tenth ahead.
So the final grid looks like this: Mark, Sebastian, Lewis, Fernando, Jenson, Michael, Robert, Nico, Felipe and Kamui. So Michael heads Nico for the first time this season, Lewis heads Jenson and Fernando heads Felipe. All this suggests we should have a great grand prix with 4 world champions in the top 6.
Now things will be hectic in the pits evaluating all the data and let us hope we have a good Spanish GP.
Michael looks happier with the car and let us hope he can get up up with Nico. Mclaren made a mess of the set up for Friday but they both seemed happier with the set up in readiness for quali. Lotus are more confident with the car and Heikki suggests there maybe a second a lap improvement in the car.
So off we go into Q1 and the first to put in a time was Heikki in a 1.26.048 but in testing yesterday Sebastian was running in the late 1.19's. Massa was next along flying compared with the Lotus and he slots in a banker 1.23 as Fernando then moved into P1. The times will come down as the track rubbers in and the hard tyres bed in.
Then we had both Mclarens leading the field but locked in battle with the Red Bull's with the Ferrari's loitering. So after Q1 we lost Rubens, Jarno, Heikki, Timo, Karun, Lucas and Bruno. Williams were disappointing as Rubens lost out and both Lotus cars were out which is a shame.
Q2 is going to be very interesting as the times in the mid field are so close. Very interesting development on the Ferrari as Fernando is having to use only one hand whilst adjusting the F duct trying to copy the Mclaren development as well as adjusting the brake balance using no hands at times.
As we move into Q2 Red Bull seem to have it in the bag as early in the run they were one and two. Mclaren are ever closer, this is going to be very close. Lewis seems to have the edge on Jenson as Mark appears to have the same on Sebastian but we know how that can change. Michael then came up into third and is he coming to be as one with the car whilst Nico is back in ninth which is a change in the team positions in the season so far.
After all the comings and goings in Q2 we lost Adrian, Pedro, Nico (H), Vitaly, Sebastian (B), Jamie and Vitantonio. Disappointment for both Force India's as they have been so competitive in the previous races this season. Q2 remained tight at the top but both Red Bull's still have the edge but Lewis is hovering.
Here we go into the pole shoot out and this will be even tighter looking at the times so far. Again we had an issue in the pit lane as Fernando was released into the pit lane in front of Nico and a near accident was only just avoided. It does make it difficult for the drivers with peripheral vision as the sides of the modern F1 car are so high but that is why they rely heavily on the pit crew in the pit lane particularly.
Both Red Bull's then laid down the gauntlet with mark followed by Sebastian but both 1 second quicker than Lewis followed by Jenson and Michael but Nico down in tenth. So all the cars went into the pits to add some fuel but only just enough to complete the run.
With all the cars now on the Green walled tyres and the times are tumbling. Then Mark put the rest in the shade with the first into the 1.19's. What a furious last 10 minutes and Mark was just over a tenth ahead.
So the final grid looks like this: Mark, Sebastian, Lewis, Fernando, Jenson, Michael, Robert, Nico, Felipe and Kamui. So Michael heads Nico for the first time this season, Lewis heads Jenson and Fernando heads Felipe. All this suggests we should have a great grand prix with 4 world champions in the top 6.
Now things will be hectic in the pits evaluating all the data and let us hope we have a good Spanish GP.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
F1 Malaysia Quali
After a tremendous race in Australia the F1 circus moved to Malaysia and the weather is obviously on everyone's mind after the first Red flag and half points finish in 2009. The weather didn't disappoint as it rained prior to the start of quali and all hell was to break loose.
Jenson had struggled with set up all day on Friday whilst Lewis was fastest throughout practice but that all means nothing now the rain has come. Into quali and the teams had 4 sets of inters and 3 sets of full wets for the weekend so it was critical to try and preserve tyres for the race.
As the session started most of the teams were out straight away but Mclaren and Ferrari decided to wait as their weather reports suggested the first rain storm was to be the only one and how wrong could they have been.
The teams on inters were able to put banker laps in but Mclaren and Ferrari struggled as the rain came again and they simply weren't quick enough on their full wets. Eddie Jordan commented it was a disgrace as the 2 top teams should know better and he was quite scathing of their decision.
Sebastian (Buemi) was the first to register a quick lap whilst all the big guns sat it out Then Sebastian put in a quick one followed by Kubica. With 12 mins to go all the teams were out and it was obvious the second downpour was going to hamper Lewis, Fernando and Felipe and they were stuck in 19, 20 and 21st places which was really what they deserved.
Jenson slid out into the gravel trap on turn 5 and was to take no further part so he finished his day in 17th as a miserable day for the Mclaren & Ferrari's continued.
The interest wasn't for once up front as the drop outs from Q1 made interesting reading. Trulli (17), Fernando (19), Lewis (20), Felipe (21) followed by those one would sadly expect to go out in Q1, Karun (22), Bruno (23) and Lucas (24).
What a prospect we now had with some of the new teams elevated into Q2. Jenson admitted after Q1 the team had got it wrong as they should have gone out on inters at the very start of quali and put bunker laps in and not sat it out in the garage. Was the decision naive (I don't think so), was it bravado (I don't think so either) so that leaves a degree of arrogance believing they can't be beaten in Q1!
Into Q2 and the top 17 looked very different as Vitaly put in a 1.48 only to be usurped by the rain meister, Michael but the places kept changing throughout as we still had big guns such as Sebastian, Mark, Nico and Robert.
However, None of the top 10 were safe at any time as the times changed constantly but eventually we lost (Vitaly (11), Pedro (12), Sebastian (Buemi) (13), Jaime (14), Heikki (15), Timo (16) and of course Jenson who only finished 17th from his time from Q1.
At the end of Q2 it was Sebastian (1), Robert (2), Adrian (3), Nico (Hulkenberg) (4), Nico (5), Robert (6), Mark (7), Vitantonio (8), Rubens ((9) and last but not least Michael (10).
The weather didn't improve much for Q3 with another downpour at the start. Less than 3 minutes in and with all the teams on full wets it was still considered dangerous and Red flagged which is always unnerving for the teams. The standing water at Malaysia once again playing havoc with proceedings.
Yet, out came the gladiators with 7.17 mins to go onto a very wet track with rivers running across. All the teams, apart from Mark were on full wets with both Force India's leading the field.
As Red Bull had its 2 cars on alternate tyres it was obvious one of them would stamp their authority on proceedings. Mark grabbed his Red Bull by the scruff of its neck and put in a stunning 1.49.327, some 1.3 secs in front of the rest.
After Mark it was Nico out qualifying his more experienced rain meister team mate once again followed by Sebastian in the second Red Bull and completing row 2 was Adrian again putting that Force India in the lead group.
With a stunning drive Nico (Hulkenberg) confirmed his F2 talent starting the third row with Robert, the fourth row was Rubens and Michael and rounding out the top 10 was Kamui and Vitantonio.
After the mayhem it only goes to prove the best teams in the world with the very finest technology can make catastrophic blunders and they really do not deserve any better. To be outshone by even some of the new teams must be very gauling for them and so it should.
From an armchair point of view it will make the grand prix tomorrow very exciting so we will have to see what 3 world champions and Felipe can do from their lowly grid positions. Let us all hope it is a safe race and gives us the excitement Australia did.
Jenson had struggled with set up all day on Friday whilst Lewis was fastest throughout practice but that all means nothing now the rain has come. Into quali and the teams had 4 sets of inters and 3 sets of full wets for the weekend so it was critical to try and preserve tyres for the race.
As the session started most of the teams were out straight away but Mclaren and Ferrari decided to wait as their weather reports suggested the first rain storm was to be the only one and how wrong could they have been.
The teams on inters were able to put banker laps in but Mclaren and Ferrari struggled as the rain came again and they simply weren't quick enough on their full wets. Eddie Jordan commented it was a disgrace as the 2 top teams should know better and he was quite scathing of their decision.
Sebastian (Buemi) was the first to register a quick lap whilst all the big guns sat it out Then Sebastian put in a quick one followed by Kubica. With 12 mins to go all the teams were out and it was obvious the second downpour was going to hamper Lewis, Fernando and Felipe and they were stuck in 19, 20 and 21st places which was really what they deserved.
Jenson slid out into the gravel trap on turn 5 and was to take no further part so he finished his day in 17th as a miserable day for the Mclaren & Ferrari's continued.
The interest wasn't for once up front as the drop outs from Q1 made interesting reading. Trulli (17), Fernando (19), Lewis (20), Felipe (21) followed by those one would sadly expect to go out in Q1, Karun (22), Bruno (23) and Lucas (24).
What a prospect we now had with some of the new teams elevated into Q2. Jenson admitted after Q1 the team had got it wrong as they should have gone out on inters at the very start of quali and put bunker laps in and not sat it out in the garage. Was the decision naive (I don't think so), was it bravado (I don't think so either) so that leaves a degree of arrogance believing they can't be beaten in Q1!
Into Q2 and the top 17 looked very different as Vitaly put in a 1.48 only to be usurped by the rain meister, Michael but the places kept changing throughout as we still had big guns such as Sebastian, Mark, Nico and Robert.
However, None of the top 10 were safe at any time as the times changed constantly but eventually we lost (Vitaly (11), Pedro (12), Sebastian (Buemi) (13), Jaime (14), Heikki (15), Timo (16) and of course Jenson who only finished 17th from his time from Q1.
At the end of Q2 it was Sebastian (1), Robert (2), Adrian (3), Nico (Hulkenberg) (4), Nico (5), Robert (6), Mark (7), Vitantonio (8), Rubens ((9) and last but not least Michael (10).
The weather didn't improve much for Q3 with another downpour at the start. Less than 3 minutes in and with all the teams on full wets it was still considered dangerous and Red flagged which is always unnerving for the teams. The standing water at Malaysia once again playing havoc with proceedings.
Yet, out came the gladiators with 7.17 mins to go onto a very wet track with rivers running across. All the teams, apart from Mark were on full wets with both Force India's leading the field.
As Red Bull had its 2 cars on alternate tyres it was obvious one of them would stamp their authority on proceedings. Mark grabbed his Red Bull by the scruff of its neck and put in a stunning 1.49.327, some 1.3 secs in front of the rest.
After Mark it was Nico out qualifying his more experienced rain meister team mate once again followed by Sebastian in the second Red Bull and completing row 2 was Adrian again putting that Force India in the lead group.
With a stunning drive Nico (Hulkenberg) confirmed his F2 talent starting the third row with Robert, the fourth row was Rubens and Michael and rounding out the top 10 was Kamui and Vitantonio.
After the mayhem it only goes to prove the best teams in the world with the very finest technology can make catastrophic blunders and they really do not deserve any better. To be outshone by even some of the new teams must be very gauling for them and so it should.
From an armchair point of view it will make the grand prix tomorrow very exciting so we will have to see what 3 world champions and Felipe can do from their lowly grid positions. Let us all hope it is a safe race and gives us the excitement Australia did.
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