Paul Henman formula1 Brazilian Grand Prix – Qualifying

Brazilian Grand Prix – Qualifying

It’s the last race of the season and FA has to beat SV by 13 points in order to take the Drivers’ Championship. (Red Bull won the Constructors’ Championship at the previous race.)

It’s MS’s last race in F1 (unless he un-retires a second time) and LH’s last drive for McLaren before his move to Mercedes.

Tyre compounds: prime = hard (silver side wall); options = medium (white)

There was a rain shower about 30 minutes before Qualifying and there’s more forecast during this session.

Air temperature: 23°C; track 25°C; humidity 62%; wind 5.9m/s

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
HK waits at the end of the pit lane, followed by his HRT teammate
Different shades of track surface show some places are damper than others
Radio from PRo – “it’s really wet out here”
HK runs wide, kicking up some water
HK 1:34.219
TG 1:30.090
KK 1:24.957
NH going out on intermediate tyres
JV 1:22.355
KK 1:20.607
JV 1:20.567
Radio for NH suggesting the pit because it’s not wet enough for inters
JV 1:18.986
BS catches his car just as it starts to break away
PM 1:18.709
10mins left of Q1; 11 drivers yet to set a time
PM 1:17.894
Radio for FA telling him they’re targetting 7 timed laps
BS 1:17.803
LH 1:17.772
FA 1:17.385
LH 1:17.346
Radio for LH telling him to keep the pace up
5mins left of Q1
PRe 1:16.621 (on options; LH & FA on primes)
FA 1:16.505
LH 1:16.147
Replay shows RG try to pass an HRT on the inside but PRo takes his line and RG loses part of his front wing
BS 1:15.955
RG’s front wing comes off completely – fortunately it slides well off track
RG pits for new front wing
2mins left of Q1; bottom 7 are HK, PM, VP, TG, NK, CP, PRo
LH 1:15.551
LH 1:15.075
Chequered flag
(PM P11)
(RG P17)
(DR P17)
Back of the grid: RG, VP, HK, TG, CP, NK, PRo
LH was fastest (1:15.075)
Everyone is inside the 107% time (1:20.330)

Qualifying 2
Incident involving cars 10 and 22 (RG and PRo) will be investigated after Qualifying
JV 1:16.348
NH 1:14.810
FA 1:14.631
FA 1:14.288
Big lockup for KK – huge flat spot on his front right
Front runners finally exit the pits with about 6mins left of Q2 – all on options
LH 1:13.398
SV 1:13.209 partially thanks to a tow up the hill from FM
2mins left; bottom 7 are FM, MS, SP, DR, BS, KK, JV
(BS P11)
Chequered flag
(FM P10; PRe to P11)
Middle of the grid: PRe, BS, SP, MS, KK, DR, JV
Fastest was SV (1:13.209)

Qualifying 2
Pole battle is between SV, MW, JB, LH, FA, FM, NR, KR, NH & PM
NR first on track; radio message tells him 2 timed laps on this set
NR 1:22.398
LH 1:12.850
(FA P2)
(FM P2)
(MW P2)
(JB P2)
(SV P6)
4mins left; order is LH, JB, MW, FM, FA, SV, NR; no time yet from PM, KR or NH
NH locks up his front right
(NH P4)
FA leaves the pits for the final run, followed by SV
(KR P6)
1min left; order is LH, JB, MW, NH, FM, KR, FA, SV, NR; no time from PM
Radio for FM – “we can do this”
Chequered flag
MW 1:12.581
(FA P5)
(PM P4)
LH 1:12.458
(JB P2)
Front of the grid: LH, JB, MW, SV, FM, PM, NH, FA, KR, NR
62nd P1+P2 combo for McLaren

Provisional grid: LH, JB, MW, SV, FM, PM, NH, FA, KR, NR, PRe, BS, SP, MS, KK, DR, JV, RG, VP, HK, TG, CP, NK, PRo

2 thoughts on “Brazilian Grand Prix – Qualifying”

  1. Williams’ Pastor Maldonado has been handed a 10-place grid penalty by the Brazilian stewards after failing to bring his car to the weigh bridge when called to do so by officials during Saturday’s qualifying session.

    Maldonado, who had qualified in sixth, received a reprimand for the incident, but because it was his third reprimand of the 2012 season he was automatically dropped ten places on the Interlagos grid.

    [source: FIA]

    This means FA will start one place closer to his championship rival SV.

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