Paul Henman formula1 Italian Grand Prix – Qualifying

Italian Grand Prix – Qualifying

After another Red Bull 1-2 in Belgium, they’re expected to have more competition at the low-downforce Monza circuit.

Pirelli have provided the medium (white band) and soft (yellow) compounds. The teams (mostly Red Bull) have been warned not to exceed Pirelli’s recommendations for camber (the amount to which the wheels lean) and could be excluded on safety grounds.

Air temperature 29°C; track 43°C; wind 2.0m/s; humidity 49%

Qualifying session 1
JT is first on track as the lights turn green
JT 1:33.967
HK locks up and uses the escape route through the first chicane
TG 1:28.466
PD 1:27.811
JA 1:26.610
5mins gone = 15mins left; half the field are on track
JB 1:24.872
(SV P2)
(FA P2)
MW still in the pits with 10mins left of Q1 – he’s the only one of the front-runners without a new engine for this race
LH 1:24.476
SV 1:24.002
PM has dropped his Williams in Parabolica – breaks his front wing and heads to the pits
LH 1:23.976
7mins left; everyone’s inside the 107% time at present, except for PM who has yet to set a lap time
Looks like the Williams team have finished replacing the nose cone and checking over PM’s car; he exits the pits with 5:30 left
5mins left; bottom 7 are JT, HK, TG, JD, VL, DR, PM
PM sets his first lap time; up to P15
3mins left; the front-runners are all in the pits as the lower-order guys are on the option (soft) tyres for their last few laps
1min left; bottom 7 are KK, JT, HK, TG, JD, VL, DR
KK to P16; pushes BS to P17
BS to P10; now SB in P17
Chequered flag falls; they can finish their current lap
SB to P16; RB to P17
RB to P14; JA to P17
Back of the grid will be: JA, JT, HK, TG, JD, DR, VL; they’re all inside the 107% time

Qualifying 2
No-one waiting to get out on track
Lights turn green
The two Williams cars (PM & RB) and BS on track
PM struggles through the chicane (Rettifilo)
PM 1:26.716 (compared to his 1:24.798 in Q1)
BS 1:24.715
JB 1:23.427
SV 1:23.105
SV 1:22.914
(MW P2)
Mid-way through Q2
(NR P2)
(JB P2)
Force India (AS & PD) and Sauber (KK & SP) yet to set a time
5mins left; bottom 7 are AS, SB, RB, PM, KK, SP, PD
LH exits the pits on soft tyres – he’s currently P8
3mins left; bottom 7 are BS, AS, SB, SP, RB, PM, KK
BBC report LH has his DRS open on his out lap – so much for warming the tyres gently
(LH P3)
Chequered flag; bottom 7 are AS, BS, SP, RB, PM, SB, KK but all bar SB are on track
PM to P13
RB to P13
BS to P10, relegating PD to P11 and out of Q3
Middle of the grid will be: PD, AS, RB, PM, SP, SB, KK

Qualifying 3
Battling over the top spots are SV, MW, LH, JB, FA, FM, MS, NR, VP & BS
The two Ferraris exit the pit lane, much to the excitement of the Tifosi
FM 1:23.252
FA 1:22.999
JB 1:22.777
SV 1:22.613
(LH P2)
(VP P6)
5mins = half-way through Q3; order is SV, LH, JB, FA, FM, VP – no time from the rest (NR, MW, MS, BS)
SV pushing hard – runs wide in Ascari and backs off
(NR P7)
(MW P5)
2mins left; order is SV, LH, JB, FA, MW, FM, VP, NR; no time from MS or BS
FA following FM, hoping for a tow
1min left; everyone on track except BS – he’s settled for P10
Chequered flag
LH locks up – compromised his last lap – lets MS past
JB abandons his lap and pits
(MS P7)
SV 1:22.275
Everyone qualified on soft tyres except NR (medium) and BS (didn’t go out in Q3)
Front of the grid: SV, LH, JB, FA, MW, FM, VP, MS, NR, BS

Provisional grid: SV, LH, JB, FA, MW, FM, VP, MS, NR, BS, PD, AS, RB, PM, SP, SB, KK, JA, JT, HK, TG, JD, DR, VL.

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