Italian GP: Great effort from Williams in qualifying


Nico Hulkenberg

By Andrew Hooper
September 11 2010

Qualifying for the 2010 Italian Grand Prix would see a great effort from both AT&T Williams drivers with Nico Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello finishing in eighth and tenth. For the Williams team their final positions was pretty much where we would have expected them to finish given their practice pace. But to have both cars again in the top ten was another great performance from all in the team.

 
 Italian GP Qualifying
 

With the sun still shining at Monza the AT&T Williams team would prepare for qualifying for the 2010 Italian Grand Prix. The Williams team would be hoping to be in amongst it after the session comes to an end. In the final Saturday morning practice Nico and Rubens would finish in seventh and eleventh so it would reasonable to expect Nico to make it into Q3. Rubens will have to find some extra pace to see him join Nico. Hamilton was fastest in the final practice followed by Vettel, Alonso, Massa, Button, Rosberg, and Webber in seventh.

HulkenbergThe twenty minute opening period would commence with Glock out of the pit lane first. Next out was Liuzzi and Schumacher. Nico would leave the pit lane early joined by Rosberg. Rubens would also take to the track joined by both Lotus cars. Glock would be blocked by Petrov at the first chicane. More drivers were coming out as Glock set a 1m:31.692 while both McLaren's were out on the track. There would be a rush of times as Liuzzi and Schumacher moved ahead of Glock. Next Nico would go fastest with a 1m:25.490 from Schumacher and now Petrov. Rosberg was in fifth, 1m:30.151, but Rubens would move into this spot with a 1m:26.039. Alguersuari was now fastest with a 1m:25.211. Hamilton was down in seventh while Rubens had dropped to sixth. Most drivers were on the harder tyre for this opening runs in Q1. Button was now fastest with a 1m:23.693 from Rubens, 1m:24.259, and Alguersuari in third. Nico was now fifth but he would improve to be second with a 1m:23.743, after going fastest in the final sector.

Rubens would also improve to move into second with a 1m:23.731.Nico was third from Rosberg and Petrov. At the front Massa would go fastest with a 1m:23.501 but Alonso and Hamilton would go faster with Hamilton fastest with a 1m:22.830. Button would also improve with a 1m:23.085 to be second. Rosberg would move up to fifth seeing Rubens and Nico sixth and seventh. Massa was now in second with a time of 1m:22.895 while Hamilton would pit. Alonso was now third from Button, Rosberg, Rubens, Nico, Vettel, Webber, and Kobayashi in tenth. Both Williams drivers had pitted while Alonso was on a quicker lap going fastest with a 1m:22.803. As more drivers returned to their pits we still had both Ferrari's and Red Bull cars out on the track. Rubens would leave the pit lane as Kubica moved up to ninth, 1m:23.873.

BarrichelloMassa would go fastest with a lap time of 1m:22.421 to make it a Ferrari one-two. Vettel and Kubica would both improve with Vettel now fifth and Kubica sixth. Nico was back out with Rubens and Nico in ninth and tenth. Webber was now in sixth, 1m:23.431, while Sutil moved up to eleventh. For Liuzzi his session would end with an engine problem. The top six cars were all in their pits as we had just 0.012 separating the Williams pair. Rubens current time was a 1m:23.731 and Nico a 1m:23.743. Sutil would move up to seventh but Nico would also improve to take this spit with a 1m:23.516. Rubens was now in eleventh while Kubica would move up to fifth, 1m:23.234.

Nico had now dropped to ninth and would pit with just one minute remaining. Buemi was now twelfth just two tenths behind Rubens. The period would come to an end with those not making the cut were Trulli, Kovalainen, Liuzzi, Glock, Di Grassi, Senna and Yamamoto. At the front it was Massa from Alonso, Hamilton, Button, Kubica, Vettel, Webber, Sutil, Nico, Rosberg, Rubens , Buemi, Schumacher, Alguersuari, Petrov, Kobayashi, and De la Rosa in seventeenth.

 

HulkenbergThe stewards were looking at Petrov's block of Glock in Q1 while Glock will suffer a five place grid penalty for work been carried out on his gearbox. The start of the second period would see a rush of drivers coming out including both Williams cars. Both McLaren's and Ferrari's were also out on the track joined by Webber, and both the Renault's and Torro Rosso cars. Hamilton was out on the softer tyre while the others were on the harder tyre. We finally had both Mercedes cars out on the track. Alguersuari would set a 1m:24.459 but was quickly beaten by Sutil with a 1m:24.183.

Very quickly the times would change and it would be Hamilton fastest with a 1m:22.497 from Alonso, Button, Nico, and Webber. Kubica would jump up to fourth while Rubens was down in thirteenth with a 1m:25.447. Sutil was now fifth pushing Nico down to sixth. Massa was now in fourth, 1m:23.010, Nico had dropped to eighth while Rubens was now fourteenth. Kubica would improve to be third, 1m:22.880 while Nico would also find extra pace moving up to fifth, 1m:22.989. Alonso would go fastest with a 1m:22.297 from Hamilton, Massa, Kubica, Button, Nico, Webber, Rosberg, Vettel, and Rubens was now in tenth, 1m:23.450. Nico would pit joined by Alonso, Hamilton, and Massa. Vettel was on a quicker lap while Rubens had pitted with just over six minutes remaining. Vettel would move up to fourth, 1m:22.833, as he was the only runner on the track.

BarrichelloThe drivers would start to return to the track with the soft tyres coming out. Both Williams cars were out on the track. Only Hamilton and Kubica were still in their pits with three minutes left in the period. After using the softer tyre would Hamilton remain in his pit. As the final minutes counted down Nico and Rubens were in seventh and tenth. But Sutil would move ahead of Rubens going tenth while Nico had droppe3d to eighth. Rubens would take tenth off Sutil with a 1m:23.142 while Nico's time was a 1m:22.989. As the period came to an end Sutil could not improve and stayed eleventh but it would be Schumacher who would try to move into the top ten but would fail.

At the front Button would move up to second, 1m:22.354, but it would be Alonso who was still fastest. Third was Hamilton from Massa, Vettel, Webber, Kubica, Nico, Rosberg, and Rubens in tenth. Those not making the cut were Sutil, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Buemi, Petrov, Alguersuari, and De la Rosa. It was a great result to see both Williams cars in the top ten but it would be too much to ask to see them finish qualifying near the front.

 

The final ten minute period would see Massa leave the pit lane first followed by Webber, Alonso, and Kubica. Vettel would come out some time after the others but we still had Rosberg, Rubens, and Nico in their pits. The drivers would start their first flying laps with it looking more likely that both Williams drivers would only come out for one run. Massa would set a 1m:22.547 but was passed by Alonso with a 1m:21.962. Button was now second from Massa and Hamilton, Webber, Vettel, and Kubica. All the front runners were on the softer tyre.

BarrichelloAlonso would pit as Nico left his pit. Both McLaren's would pit Rubens would also come out for his single flying lap. Massa would set a 1m:22.345 but remained in third. Button's time was a 1m:22.259 while Rosberg was still in his pit. Alonso was back out as Nico set a 1m:23.165 to be eighth. Rubens was following but would see his lap spoilt early by running wide at the first chicane. Rubens time was a 1m:28.028 as Rosberg took to the track. Rubens next lap would see him set an 1m:23.577 to remain ninth. Nico would move up to seventh with a 1m:23.037. Rosberg was tenth while Alonso would pit while Rubens would set a 1m:23.328 but remained ninth. Button would also improve with a 1m:22.084 but remained in second.

Webber was now fourth, 1m:22.433, to be one place ahead of Hamilton. Vettel was sixth while Rosberg would move up to seventh seeing Nico drop to eighth. Kubica was in ninth and Rubens tenth. So we would have a Ferrari on pole while high downforce Button was second. For the Williams team their final positions was pretty much where we would have expected to finish given their practice pace. But to have both cars in the top ten was another great effort from all at the Williams team.

 

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Italian GP: Great effort from Williams in qualifying
Discussion started by Williams F1 , 11/09/2010 14:28
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