Malaysian GP: Top 10 qualifying for Williams Martini
By Andrew Hooper
March 28 2015
In what would turn out to be a difficult final period of qualifying, due to heavy rain affecting the track, the Williams Martini team would see its drivers finish in the top ten. Felipe Massa would finish in 7th and Valtteri Bottas 9th. The team was somwewhat disappointed with their wet weather performance but Sunday's race was expected to be dry. Valtteri will start the race from eighth with other drivers receiving penalties.
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Williams
Martini Malaysian GP Qualifying |
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Team Summary:
The session would start with the temperature falling and dark skies with the
chances of showers falling on the track, possibly during the session. The
first period would see both Williams drivers through but Valtteri was well
ahead of Felipe with the Finn in fifth and his team-mate eleventh. The
second period would see both Williams drivers make it into the top ten with
Valtteri third and Felipe sixth. Both drivers were able to set a time prior to heavy showers falling on the track.
The final period was delayed by thirty minutes and with the start the Williams team would
send both their drivers out on the full wet tyre. This would turn out to be
the wrong choice as they would have to pit to take on the intermediate tyre.
But they would pit again taking on another set of intermediate tyres. Felipe
and Valtteri would finish in seventh and ninth in what was somewhat of a
confusing final period for the Williams team seeing their drivers only set a
time in the closing moments of the period.
Felipe Massa:
Q1: Felipe would be first out for Williams running on the hard tyre
with three minutes of the session completed. There was a mixture of hard and
medium tyres as Hamilton and Rosberg went fastest, both on the medium tyre.
Hamilton set a 1m:39.269 while Felipe was on his timed lap, but it was a
slow 1m:55.739. Felipe would complete a second lap but it was only a1m:40.905 to be only
seventh. Felipe had also come back in and he would drop to ninth now behind
the Torro Rosso pair. But these cars had set their times on the medium tyre.
Felipe would come back out now on the medium tyre as the period came to a
close. Felipe was only going to get one flying lap as drivers started to
return rain. Felipe would complete his lap setting a 1m:40.543 to be only
eleventh.
Q2: Felipe was out on a new set of medium tyres as Rosberg was told
that his first timed lap would be it with rain likely. Felipe was told that
he must complete this lap with spots of rain falling. A 1m:39.632 from
Vettel followed by a 1m:39.377 from Rosberg. Felipe was down in sixth,
1m:41.230, after his first lap. Felipe would say that it was raining
massively, half way through the second period.
Q3: Felipe would come out running on the wet tyre. Vettel was on the
intermediate tyre with the first quickest time set by Hamilton with a
1m:49.834, with Felipe also pitting taking on the intermediate tyre. Felipe
had yet to set a time. Felipe would come back out behind Valtteri. Felipe
would also pit again taking on intermediate tyres. Felipe would set a
1m:52.473 to be sixth but he would drop to seventh as Verstappen went sixth.
Valtteri Bottas:
Q1: Valtteri would follow Felipe out also on the hard tyre. Valtteri
would set a 1m:40.249 to be third quickest behind Rosberg. Valtteri would
drop to fourth now behind Vettel. Vettel was on the hard tyre setting a
1m:39.814. Valtteri was 0.980 behind the quickest time. Valtteri would pit
with just over seven minutes remaining. Valtteri would drop to fifth as
Sainz moved ahead of him running on the medium tyre. Valtteri was still in his pit as the period ended and would finish in fifth
behind Ericsson.
Q2: Valtteri first out for Williams running on a new medium tyre.
Valtteri's first lap was a 1m:40.650 to be third. Valtteri would set a
personal best on his second lap but the rain was falling heavily now and he
would pit ending his time out on the track due to the heavy rain.
Q3: Valtteri was also out on the wet tyre but was it the right
choice. Valtteri would finally pit swapping to the intermediate. Valtteri
had yet to set a time but would come back out but would not set a time prior
to pitting again taking on another set of intermediate tyres. The period
would come to an end with Valtteri setting a 1m:53.179 to be way down in
ninth. |
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Valtteri Bottas:
Q1: Valtteri was out with fourteen minutes remaining in the eighteen
minute period, also running on the medium tyre. On the soft tyre Raikkonen
would set a 1m:30.188 as Valtteri started his flying lap. He would complete
his lap and would finish with a 1m:30.305 to be third, ahead of Rosberg.
Valtteri sets a 1m:29.641 to now be second. Valtteri would drop to third as
Vettel set a 1m:29.307 to be second.
Quickest was now Rosberg with a 1m:28.906. But Hamilton would go fastest with a 1m:28.586. Valtteri was now
fourth and back in his pit. Valtteri was one of the four cars that had set
their quickest times on the medium tyre, along with team-mate Felipe.
Valtteri was still in his pit but having dropped to seventh which would
become eighth as the period ended, but Valtteri had saved a set of soft tyres.
Q2: Valtteri first out for Williams running on the soft tyre for the
first time. Valtteri would go fastest in sector tow and would complete his
lap setting a 1m:28.012 to be quickest. Hamilton would set a 1m:26.894 to
move ahead of Valtteri. Valtteri would drop to third as we now had Hamilton
and Rosberg at the front. Valtteri would pit having dropped to fifth.
Valtteri was now 0.770 ahead of Felipe. Valtteri would come back out with
new soft tyres fitted. Valtteri was on a better lap as the period came to an
end. Valtteri was now sixth but he would move up to fourth, 1m:27.796.
Q3: Valtteri would be first out running on new soft tyres. Valtteri's
first lap was messy locking brakes after having gone quickest in sector one.
Valtteri would come on the radio complaining about the bite of the brakes.
Valtteri had yet to set a time with Valtteri returning to the pits after his
troubled first run. Valtteri would be first back out for Williams for his
second run. Valtteri was now fourth after a big moment coming onto the main
straight. Valtteri would finish in sixth and on his walk back to be weighed
looked less than happy. |
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