British Grand Prix – Qualifying

June 10, 2006 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

It’s the 40th British GP this weekend … although they’ve messed around with the times to accomodate the World Cup.

Super Aguri have signed Japanese Formula Nippon driver Sakon Yamamoto as their third driver to replace Yuji Ide, however Franck Montagny will still be in the #2 seat for this race weekend. [BBC]

Jenson Button is wearing a new helmet design – the Cross of St.George (the English flag) rather than his usual Union Flag.

Track temperature 43°C; air 29°C; wind 2.2m/s; humidity 34%

Session 1:

Cristijan Albers is first on track

Fernando Alonso posted a lap time of 1:23.511

Jarno Trulli’s Toyota is being pushed back into the garage – looks like smoke or fumes

Scott Speed goes fastest with 1:23.202

Replay shows JT entering the pit lane with a plume of smoke behind him – looks like an engine problem

8mins left: SS’s Toro Rosso still tops the timings

Halfway: only 10/22 drivers have set a time so far

A sudden gust (4.4m/s) results in Kimi Raikkonen going off track

Rubens Barrichello 1:22.965

Filipe Massa 1:21.647

4mins left: bottom 6 are TS, FMo, RS, JT, MW, JV (the last 3 yet to post a time)

FA 1:21.018

JV posts 2nd fastest time

JB pits from P16 and there’s no time to come back out, so he’s going to be in the bottom six as other drivers improve

FIA website says JB was called into the weigh bridge by the stewards, which cost him the chance to come back out for a final fast lap

Session ends; FA fastest @ 1:21.018

Bottom six: P17=MW, 18=CA, 19=JB, 20=TS, 21=FMo, 22=JT*

*Trulli will probably need a new engine

Session 2:

Ralf Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve on track straight away

RS 1:21.681

JV 1:20.672

10mins left: only 6/16 drivers posting a time so far

FA 1:20.271

6mins left: bottom 6 are RS, NR, CK, VL, TM, SS

3mins left: SS & TM still yet to set a lap time

Session ends: FA fastest @ 1:20.271

Bottom six: P11=DC, 12=NR, 13=VL, 14=CK, 15=SS, 16=TM

Replay shows DC in the pit lane, waving his fist as he passes someone’s garage – who? Montoya?

Session 3:

A string of 10 cars head out as soon as the lights turn green

MS 1:24.072

FA: 1:23.941

MS 1:23.107

FIA reports that Sato is going to be penalised 10 grid spots for an engine change, so he’s down to P22

MS 1:23.054

MS 1:22.939

10mins left: order is MS, FA, FMa, GF, JM, KR, RB, NH, RS, JV

JV pits for tyres with ~7.5mins left

MS, FMa, FA & RB all pit

KR pits too

JV 1:22.353

4mins left

MS 20.815

3mins left: MS, FA, KR, GF, FMa, RB, JM, JV, RS, NH

2mins left

MS & FA pit again … followed by everyone else

Time for just 1 flying lap each

KR late out of the pits – will he cross the line in time to start a flyer?

Sessions end but the current lap will still count

MS 1:20.574

FA 1:20.253

KR 1:20.397 is only enough for P2

That’s everyone’s flying lap done … and MS didn’t have any problems

Top 10 are: P1=FA, 2=KR, 3=MS, 4=FMa, 5=GF, 6=RB, 7=RS, 8=JM, 9=NH, 10=JV.

Fastest lap of all 3 sessions: well, Alonso was fastest in all 3, but it was his time in Session 3 (1:20.253) which tops them all.

Provisional Grid:
1=FA, 2=KR, 3=MS, 4=FMa, 5=GF, 6=RB, 7=RS, 8=JM**, 9=NH, 10=JV; 11=DC, 12=NR, 13=VL, 14=CK, 15=SS, 16=TM; 17=MW, 18=CA, 19=JB, 20=FMo, 21=JT, 22=TS*.
(*TS penalised for engine change)
(**will JM be investigated for holding up DC in session 2?)