Paul Henman formula1 Bahrain Grand Prix – Qualifying

Bahrain Grand Prix – Qualifying

NR was fastest in final Practice (FP3), as well as in Practice 2.

“A man is shot dead in Bahrain during overnight protests ahead of Sunday’s F1 Grand Prix, opposition activists say.” [source: BBC News]

Weather: air temp 31°C; track 43°c; wind 6.4m/s; humidity 14%; significant headwind on the main straight

Pirelli have brought the medium (white band) and soft (yellow) compounds; the option (soft) tyre is about a 0.6sec/lap faster than the primes.

PM has a 5 grid spot penalty waiting for him after a gearbox change in his Williams.

Qualifying 1 (Q1)
Pit lane light turns green
Force India driver PRe is first to leave his garage – remember Force India didn’t run in FP2
PRe 1:43.620
NH 1:35.970
JV loses the Toro Rosso’s tail in Turn 7 but catches it before he spins
FM fights with his Ferrari through Turn 11
(FM P4)
FA on option tyres! Ferrari must be concerned with their pace
KK 1:35.529
LH locks up his front right and runs wide in Turn 7
MW 1:35.283
JB 1:34.792
10mins gone of Q1 = 10 mins left
FA 1:34.760 (on options)
(LH P3)
NR runs wide in Turn 6
KR 1:34.552
RG 1:34.041
Radio from JB asking about doing another lap; team says yes as they’re concerned about times (“the track will evolve”)
TG is outside the 107% time; he’s switched to options for another run
4mins left; bottom 7 are BS, VP, JV, PRe, NK, CP, TG
(TG can only manage P21 but at least he’s inside the 107%)
90secs left of Q1; bottom 7 are HK, BS, VP, TG, CP, PRo, NK
DR 1:33.988
SP 1:33.814
Chequered flag; bottom 7 are PM, HK, VP, TG, CP, NK, PRo
(PM P13 moving JV to P18)
(HK P17 pushing MS to P18) – the Caterham relegates the Mercedes!
MS was sitting in the pits instead of trying to improve his team, and now he’s out
Replay shows JV ignoring the stewards direction to stop for a legality check as he entered the pit lane – expect a penalty
Back of the grid will be: MS, JV, VP, CP, PRo, TG, NK.
Only SV, MW, JB, LH, NR, KR and RG got through Q3 on prime tyres (MS was on primes too)
Mercedes say MS had a technical issue which prevented him for making a second run

Qualifying 2
NH exits the pit lane on primes, followed by PRe and FM on options
PRe 1:35.677
NH 1:35.325
FM 1:34.861
SP 1:34.257
KR 1:33.789
LH 1:33.209
(MS says the [controversial] DRS “rear wing failed on my last try.”)
4mins left; bottom 7 are RG, DR, FM, NH, PRe, PM*, HK* (*PM & HK yet to set a time)
Radio for FM suggests he may only qualify P10 so why try getting through to Q3 – they’d be able to choose their starting tyres for the race
BBC reports PM has a KERS problem that’s keeping him in the garage
1min left; bottom 7 are FA, SP, BS, RG, DR, HK, PM
Ferrari struggling – P10 and P11 at present
Chequered flag; bottom 7 are FA, SP, BS, RG, DR, HK, PM
(DR P7; relegating FM)
(SP P8; that’s NH down to P11)
(FA P4; KK to P11)
(RG P3; KR to P11)
Middle of the grid: KR, KK, NH, FM, BS, HK, PM* (*PM has a 5 grid spot penalty waiting for him after a gearbox change)

No word from the stewards for JV ignoring the weighbridge in Q1

Qualifying 3
The top 10 shootout is between LH, NR, RG, MW, FA, JB, PRe, SV, DR & SP
Pit lane light is green but no-one rushing to get on track
MW goes out on used options; JB on new options; LH and SV leave the pits too
MW 1:32.785
LH 1:32.671
(JB P2)
(SV P4)
FA returns to the pits without setting a time
1min left of Q3; order is LH, JB, MW, SV; no-one else has set a time yet
NR on a fast lap, as is MW
(DR P4)
Chequered flag
(RG P6)
(NR P4)
MW 1:32.637
SV 1:32.422
(LH P2)
JB abandoned his lap and ducked into the pit lane
Front of the grid: SV, LH, MW, JB, NR, DR, RG, SP, FA*, PRe* (*FA & PRe didn’t set lap times)

Provisional grid: SV, LH, MW, JB, NR, DR, RG, SP, FA, PRe, KR, KK, NH, FM, BS, HK, [PM*] MS, JV, VP, CP, PRo, PM, TG, NK.
*PM has a 5 grid spot penalty waiting for him after a gearbox change

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