Spanish Grand Prix – Qualifying

Tyre compounds this weekend: prime=hard (orange); option=medium (white)

MAS was fastest in the last practice session (1:21.901) ahead of RAI and WEB

There was rain in the earlier practice sessions but it’s dry today
Air temperature 20°C; track 36°C; wind 2.2m/s; humidity 60%

There are no penalties carried forward from Bahrain

McLaren say they have fixed the power steering problem on PER’s car

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
Lights are green – pit lane is open but no rush to get on track
4mins in to Q1; RIC is first out of the pits
RIC 1:24.100 – a solid but not stunning lap
HUL 1:23.760
VER 1:23.467
BIA first to go out on options
RAI 1:23.087 despite running wide in Turn 2
7mins left of Q1; still waiting for the front runners to leave the pits
HUL reporting gear selection problems
ALO 1:22.264
Looks like the top teams (except Ferrari) are sending their drivers out on options
ROS 1:21.913
HAM 1:21.728
3mins left; bottom 6 are MAL, GUT, PIC, CHI, VDG, BIA
Radio from BUT saying he was “massively held up by a Williams”; (that’s MAL); “he’s got to get a penalty for that”
1min left; bottom 6 are BOT, HUL, PIC, CHI, VDG, BIA
GUT totally ruins RAI’s lap – he should be penalised too
Chequered flag; bottom 6 are BOT, MAL, PIC, CHI, VDG, BIA
(BIA P19)
(CHI P20)
(VDG P19)
Back of the grid: BOT, MAL, VDG, BIA, CHI, PIC – that’s both Williams out, along with the Marussia and Caterhams.
No word on investigations for MAL or GUT blocking during Q1
107% time is 1:27.448 – everyone safely through

Qualifying session 2
GUT and HUL first on track
Red Bull send out VET and WEB fairly early
GUT 1:22.910
HUL 1:22.708
RAI 1:21.676
WEB complaining about MAS but it looked OK to me
ALO 1:21.646
BUT on used options can only manage P15
4mins left of Q2; bottom 6 are VER, PER, DIR, SUT, BUT, RIC
Pit lane gets busy as everyone heads out for their final flying laps
VET 1:21.602
(DIR P8, relegating GUT)
Chequered flag
RIC, PER both jump up
(SUT P11)
HAM 1:21.001
(BUT P14) – that’s terrible! First time he’s not in Q3 this season
Middle of the grid: RIC, VER, SUT, BUT, HUL, GUT
Race control: Alleged impeding incident involving cars 4 (MAS) and 2 (WEB) will be investigated after Qualifying

Qualifying session 3
Top-10 shootout will be between HAM, VET, ALO, RAI, WEB, ROS, PER, MAS, GRO & DIR
Track temp has dropped 2° since the start of Quali
Lights turn green
RAI heads out on new options, followed by ROS and then ALO, both on options too
Very gentle out-laps as the drivers try to preserve their new tyres
RAI locks up in Turn 5 but posts 1:21.539
ROS 1:20.824
(ALO P2)
(GRO P3)
(MAS P3)
Half way through Q3; order is ROS, ALO, MAS, GRO, RAI with DIR, VET, WEB, PER & HAM yet to set a time
VET heads out on new options, followed by RAI; short gap and then everyone else exits the pits
(VET P2)
(RAI P3)
ROS 1:20.718
(HAM P2)
(ALO P5)
(WEB P8)
(MAS P6)
(DIR P10)
Front of the grid: ROS, HAM, VET, RAI, ALO, MAS, GRO, WEB, PER, DIR – Mercedes lock out the front row

Provisional grid: ROS, HAM, VET, RAI, ALO, MAS, GRO, WEB, PER, DIR; RIC, VER, SUT, BUT, HUL, GUT; BOT, MAL, VDG, BIA, CHI, PIC.