British Grand Prix – Qualifying

After wet Practice sessions on Friday, it’s overcast but not raining at the moment.

Light rain starts to fall just before the start of Q1; radio for VP says the weather will get worse during Q1 so they’re going out straight away
A queue is starting to form at the pit lane exit, waiting for Q1 to start

Qualifying session 1
Green light marks the start of Q1
Radio for KR telling him to adjust his brake balance because he has a KERS problem
Looks like everyone’s going out on intermediate tyres (green band)
On-board with JB – looks a lot wetter on the back straight
HK tries to pass his teammate on their out lap but he runs wide
Race control: DRS disabled
Radio for JB confirming rain is going to get worse
RG passing SP as KR tries to pass them both – nearly contact between the Lotus teammates
KK 1:50.411
MS 1:49.935
5mins in to Q1 = 15mins left of this session
FM 1:49.568
DR 1:49.446
LH 1:49.175
FM 1:48.499
Looks like the rain may be easing up, but the track’s still damp
Radio from SP confirms track is starting to dry out
KK 1:47.840
JV 1:47.705
DR 1:47.266
PM 1:47.123
10mins left; bottom 7 are VP, NR, HK, TG, PRe, CP, NK* (*outside of current 107% time)
KK 1:46.649
SP 1:46.494
Lap times are approaching the crossover time to move to slicks
NH 1:46.334
PM 1:46.449
SV 1:46.279
KK has changed to dry tyres … but a lap later he’s back for inters
Radio for PRe telling him they need “an almighty timed lap”
3mins left; bottom 7 are JB, VP, HK, TG, PRo, NK, CP*
JB struggling with his tyres; pits for new inters; he’ll only have time for one fast lap
NK runs wide, across the gravel
Chequered flag; JB on a flying lap
TG spins on the main straight – yellow flags means JB has to back off
Back of the grid: JB(!), VP, HK, TG, PRo, NK, CP* (*outside of 107% time)

Don’t forget there are penalties waiting for KK, JV and PM.

Qualifying 2
Rain is clearly getting harder
Busy start for Q2
FA, FM, PM, BS all out on inters; everyone else on full wets
FA pits for wets
JV 2:00.082
MS has spun off going in to Becketts; reverses and carries on
SP 1:59.092
MS loses the tail and goes off again – I thought he was the rain meister?!
FA slides off and barely avoids the wall
MS off track again!
Half way through Q2
FM off onto the grass; rejoins
Red flag (13:36 local time) – stops the clock with 6:19 remaining of Q2; bottom 7 are PM, PRe, RG, MS, FM, FA, BS
Safety car on track, putting in a few laps, but the rain is still hammering down
You know there’s nothing happening when the official TV feed shows a slow-motion replay of rain drops falling on the kerb 🙂
Safety car on track again; it looks like it’s drying up but there are a couple of corners with big puddles
[PVR recording ended]
Lotus team are taking the opportunity to try to fix KR’s KERS problem
Q2 expected to restart at 15:07 local time (that’s 90mins after the red flag came out)
Lotus say they haven’t been able to finish KR’s KERS
LH going out on full wets; KK & KR on inters
Chequered flag; FA is in the drop zone
RG spins
(FA P9)
Middle of the grid: PRe, KK, NR, DR, BS, JV, SP
PRe questions those who set a faster time (and pushed him to P11) under yellow flags

Qualifying 3
Battling over the top 10 spots are SV, MW, LH, FA, FM, MS, KR, NH, PM & RG
LH goes out on full wets but pits for inters
PM 1:58.016
FM 1:55.617
FA 1:52.544
(LH P6)
Front of the grid: FA, MW, MS, SV, FM, KR, PM, LH, NH, RG

Provisional grid: FA, MW, MS, SV, FM, KR, PM, LH, NH, RG, PRe, KK, NR, DR, BS, JV, SP, JB, VP, HK, TG, PRo, NK, CP* (*outside of 107% time)
but there are penalties to be applied:

• NH – five places for a gearbox change
• KK – five places for the collision with FM in Valencia
• JVergne – ten places for the incident with HK in Valencia
• CP – five places for a gearbox change.

So the revised (but still provisional) grid: FA, MW, MS, SV, FM, KR, PM, LH, RG, PRe, NR, DR, BS, NH, SP, JB, KK, VP, HK, TG, PRo, NK, JV, CP.