Canadian Grand Prix – Qualifying

One of these years we’ll actually go to the Grand Prix in Montreal! Instead I was leading a photo walk so my notes are a little late.

Weather for Qualifying: air temperature 25°C; track 46°C; wind 4.1m/s; humidity 48%; it’s sunny if a little cloudy.

Tyre choices: prime = soft compound (yellow lettering), option = supersoft (red)

The rivalry between Mercedes teammates HAM and ROS continues, both looking good in the practice sessions.

My GridBids picks for the race are: ROS, HAM, MAG & VER (because I couldn’t afford BUT)

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
GUT will not take part in Quali after damaging his car in an accident in Free Practice 3
Green light; Q1 starts; no-one looking rushed to get on track
BOT and ERI exit the pits; BOT on primes but ERI going straight out on options
BOT 1:18.270
MAS 1:17.728
Smoke from BUT’s front right brake
BOT 1:17.696
ROS 1:16.690
HAM locks up and cuts across Turn 1
HAM 1:16.438
10mins left of Q1; bottom 5 (because GUT will be P22) are: GRO, RAI, KOB, RIC, VET
Radio problems at Mercedes – team can’t hear ROS
HAM 1:15.750
5mins left; bottom 5 are BIA, MAL, KVY, ERI, KOB
ROS is out of his car, confident in his Q1 time
PER touches the grass under braking, spins but recovers
VET locks up and cuts Turn 1
(MAG P2)
MAL has pulled off and parked his Lotus
ERI has hit the wall out of Turn 8; brings out the red flags to end the session (there’s just 0:16 left)
Back of the grid: MAL, CHI, BIA, KOB, ERI & GUT

Qualifying session 2 (Q2)
BOT, SUT & HUL head on track
SUT 1:18.006
HUL 1:16.623
BOT 1:15.924
MAS 1:15.773
RAI seems to be fighting a lot of oversteer
(ROS P2, HAM P3)
5mins left of Q2; bottom 6 are VER, VET, GRO, KVY, PER, SUT
(PER P12)
SUT improves his time but he’s still P16, a long way behind KVY
(BOT P2) – so Williams P1 & P2
Chequered flag
VET P5 relegating MAG
VER P11, displacing HUL
(RIC P5, ahead of VET)
ROS 1:15.289
HAM 1:15.054 – so Mercedes reclaim P1 & P2
Middle of the grid: HUL, MAG, PER, GRO, KVY, SUT

Qualifying session 3 (Q3)
Top 10 shootout is between HAM, ROS, MAS, BOT, RIC, VET, ALO, RAI, BUT & VER
Green light but quiet in the pit lane
BOT 1:15.550
ROS 1:14.946
HAM P2
ALO P4
MAS P4
BUT P6
VER P7
VET P5
RIC P5
4mins left of Q3; order is ROS, HAM, BOT, MAS, RIC, VET, ALO, VER, BUT, RAI* (*no time from RAI)
RAI on his quick lap just as everyone else comes out of the pits for their out laps
RAI P8
Chequered flag; order is ROS, HAM, BOT, MAS, RIC, VET, ALO, RAI, VER, BUT
VET P3
ROS 1:14.874
BUT P8
VER P8
MAS P5
Front of the grid: ROS, HAM, VET, BOT, MAS, RIC, ALO, VER, BUT, RAI

Provisional grid: ROS, HAM, VET, BOT, MAS, RIC, ALO, VER, BUT, RAI, HUL, MAG, PER, GRO, KVY, SUT, MAL, CHI, BIA, KOB, ERI & GUT