Turkish Grand Prix – qualifying

August 25, 2007 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

After three long weeks, it’s race weekend again. My notes from qualifying are after this cut …

Qualifying – session 1:
First on track are TS &
TS pits instead of completing his lap
SY runs wide on his first lap … as does teammate AS
VL 1:29.451
AW 1:28.550
(RS can only manage P2)
NR 1:28.275
LH kicks up a little dust but posts 1:27.513
KR 1:27.294
LH runs wide in the same spot as last lap
5mins left
SY spins the Spyker; keeps the engine running and clears the track but the car sounds very rough
Front wing adjustment for RS as he sits in the garage
3mins left: bottom 6 are RS, AD, TS, SV, AS, SY
90secs left – no change at the bottom
AD bottoming out a lot, shaving off the legality plank
AD jumps up P8 – a huge improvement
Chequered flag is out
VL up to P16
MW to P15
RS can’t improve (“Third best driver in the world”, remember!) but his teammate is in P10
Sessions ends; the bottom 6 are: P17=VL, 18=RS, 19=TS, 20=SV, 21=AS, 22=SY.

Qualifying – session 2:
AW is the first (and only) one on track
Big slide for AW but he gets the Williams back on track … and aborts his lap
10mins left
JT 1:28.368
MW 1:28.013
HK 1:27.824
KR 1:26.902
Everyone bar JT on track at present
(LH to P2)
(FM P3)
FA 1:26.841
5mins left; bottom 6 are RB, AW, AD, NR, NH, RK
(RK to P5, relegating JT)
(NH to P6, bumping JB)
3mins left; bottom 6 are JB, JT, RB, AW, AD, NR
Chequered flag out
AD jumps to P8, pushing DC to P11
DC can’t improve
NR to P7 – now MW in P11
JT to P9; AD back down to P11 – that’s a shame for AD & Super Aguri
Bottom 6 are: P11=AD, 12=MW, 13=DC, 14=RB, 15=JB, 16=AW.
The queue is already forming for the start of Q3!

Qualifying – session 3:
KR leads LH out of the pits
FM runs a little wide; backs off to open a gap behind LH
KR 1:28.585
kR 1:28.501
10mins left; order is KR, LH, NH, FM, RK, FA, HK, JT, NR, GF
JT first to pit for a change of tyres
KR, LH, FM, RK all pit
KR runs wide in Turn 1
5mins left; KR, LH, NH, JT, FM, HK, RK, FA, NR, GF
KR 1:27.546
(RK P3)
FM 1:27.520
(FA P3)
3mins left
Final pit stops underway – McLaren are being watched closely
90secs left; FM, KR, FA, LH, NH, RK, NR, JT, HK, GF
Chequered flag falls
LH 1:27.373
FM 1:27.329
(FA can’t improve on P4)
So the top 10 are P1=FM, 2=LH, 3=KR, 4=FA, 5=RK, 6=NH, 7=HK, 8=NR, 9=JT, 10=GF.