Bahrain GP – Qualifying

March 11, 2006 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

Let’s see how the new qualifying format works out. The first 15 minute session determines the back grid 6 positions; the next 15 minutes for the next 6 positions, and the final 20 minutes for the front 10 places.

Session 1:
Liuzzi posts a good fastest time 1:34.439 and there’s 5 minutes gone.
6 minutes left and some cars are still sitting in the garage – it’s a dangerous waiting game, because if they wait too long they might not post a good enough time to get through to the 2nd session.
5 mins left – big spin for Raikkonen – rear right suspension failed? No wait – the rear wing came off!!! That’s a very broken McLaren! He’s got to get back to the pits (on 3 wheels) to swap cars and set a time! Fortunately his debris has caused the red flags to come out.
Kimi’s back in the garage and (understandably) not looking happy. McLaren have got to sort out their cars!
Pit lane reopens with 4:30 left on the clock … and the pit exit is really busy – presumably all 22 cars are on circuit at once.
Fastest lap is Heidfeld’s 1:33.74 – when did he do that?
Checkered flag is out but of course everyone can finish this lap …. or can they? They’re all heading into the pits!?
The first six to be dropped (and take the bottom places on the grid) are: 17 R.Schumacher, 18 Albers, 19 Monteiro, 20 Ide, 21 Sato, 22 Raikkonen.

Session 2:
OK, now the remaining 16 drivers start all over again.
Liuzzi posts the first top time 1:34.563
Klien 1:32.106
Half-way through the session and only half the cars have been out.
JPM goes P1 with 1:31.487
The tail of CK’s Red Bull steps out under braking but he keeps it on track
FA put in 1:31.215 with only ~30 seconds remaining
Dropped this time are: 11 Villeneuve, 12 Rosberg, 13 Coulthard, 14 Trulli, 15 Liuzzi, 16 Speed

Session 3: (There’s no more refuelling once this session starts.)
So left to compete for the top 10 spots are Alonso, Fisichella, Montoya, M.Schumacher, Massa, Webber, Barrichello, Button, Klien & Heidfeld
Looks like everyone’s on track and burning off fuel; the expectation is they’ll change tyres before setting the really hot laps
Half-way – f/lap Massa 1:34.906
8 mins left: MS posts 1:31.595 – that’s in the same area as yesterday’s practice times
5:30 left: FM beats his “team-mate” with 1:31.523
3:50 left: the track empties briefly – new tyres going on to most cars, and off we go again
1:30 left: MS takes P1 back – 1:31.431
As the flag falls, Button’s the only one who could really move up … but he slows before crossing the line.

So Michael Schumacher equals Ayrton Senna’s record for poles.
Alonso actually set the fastest lap of the whole qualifying session – 1:31.215

The grid: