With their drivers completing practice in fourteenth and sixteenth qualifying for the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix was going to be challenging for the AT&T Williams team. Could Pastor Maldonado continue to lead team-mate Rubens Barrichello in qualifying? The conditions were again hot and humid with the track temperature at 41 Celsius. It was not expected to rain during the session.

The opening twenty minute period would commence with the pit lane opening. First out was Liuzzi in his HRT. Di Resta was out next followed by D'Ambrosio and the first of the Williams' that of Rubens and Pastor. More drivers started to come out including Glock, Karthikeyan, and both McLaren's. Sutil had also left the pit lane along with Webber. The first time was a 1m:43.128 from Liuzzi. Both Torro Ross cars were out on the track as Di Resta went fastest with a 1m:40.334 with fifteen minutes left. D'Ambrosio was now second as Rubens set a 1m:40.157 to go fastest running on the harder tyre. Pastor would set a 1m:39.176 to move ahead of Rubens but Hamilton would go fastest with a 1m:37.466. Webber was now second, 1m:38.334 but Button would take this spot with a 1m:37.798.

Buemi was now third from Webber. Vettel would move into second with a time of 1m:37.468. On the softer tyre Alguersuari would move up to third with a 1m:37.735. Button was now fourth from Webber, Buemi, and Schumacher. But the period would be stopped as a result of one of the Torro Rosso cars losing the bodywork covering the left sidepod and it was left lying on the track. It had to be removed resulting in the red flag. With twelve minutes left it was Hamilton fastest from Vettel, Alguersuari, Button, Webber, Buemi, Schumacher, Pastor, Sutil, and Rubens in tenth.

There were still nine drivers who had yet to set a time including both Ferrari's, Renault's, and Lotus cars. With Hamilton's current time the 107% time was a 1m:44.288. The period would restart with both Lotus cars coming out running close together. Rosberg was also out on the track. Massa and Perez were also out with nine minutes remaining. Alonso would also come out as Trulli moved up to eighth with a 1m:39.056. Kovalainen was now seventeenth, 1m:38.645. Rosberg was now in eighth while Trulli had dropped to tenth. Rosberg was on the harder tyre while the Lotus cars were on the softer tyre. Massa was fastest in sector one. Trulli would pit joined by Kovalainen. Massa would finish his lap fastest with a 1m:36.744 while Kobayashi moved into second but Alonso would move ahead seeing a Ferrari one-two. Both Ferrari's were on the softer tyre.

Just over five minutes remaining and Hamilton was back out while Perez was now in seventh. Pastor and Rubens were back out currently in fifteenth and seventeenth. The tarck was now very busy as Heidfeld moved up to fourth, 1m:37.224, on the soft tyre. Petrov would move ahead of his team-mate with a time of 1m:37.210. Both Ferrari's had pitted while Rubens had moved up to fourteenth, 1m:38.236. Sutil was up to eighth while Rubens and Pastor were fifteenth and sixteenth. Hamilton was now second, 1m:36.861, with Button fifth. Both Mercedes cars were on the softer tyre seeing Schumacher move up to fourth, 1m:36.904, as Rosberg moved up to ninth, 1m:37.316.

Vettel was tenth and Webber fifteenth. Rubens and Pastor were in seventeenth and eighteenth as the period came to an end. Both Williams cars were on better laps but Rubens time would still see him in seventeenth. Pastor would complete his lap finishing in eighteenth. The seven cars not making the cut were Pastor, Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock, D'Ambrosio, Liuzzi, and Karthikeyan. At the front it was Massa from Hamilton, Alonso, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Button, Petrov, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Vettel, Alguersuari, Sutil, Buemi, Perez, Webber, Di Resta and Rubens in seventeenth. After a promising first Friday practice it has been a real struggle for both Williams drivers since then.

The second fifteen minute period would commence with Buemi on the softer tyre first out. he was joined by Alguersuari and Hamilton. Webber was out on the softer tyre with Vettel joining him. Both Sauber's were out on the track. Both Ferrari's had come out along with Button. A 1m:37.975 from Buemi followed by Alguersuari with a 1m:38.243. Hamilton would set a 1m:37.339 to go fastest but Webber would move ahead with a 1m:36.080. Perez was third from Kobayashi. Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:35.934. Rubens was out on the track as both Torro Rosso's pitted.

Button was now fastest with a 1m:35.569, running on the softer tyres. Massa and Alonso were fourth and fifth as Webber pitted. Schumacher was up to sixth, 1m:37.086. Rosberg was now seventh, 1m:37.170, while Rubens was down in thirteenth with a time of 1m:38.796. Both Renault's were now out with neither having set a time. They were just going for just one run in this period. The top ten were all back in their pits with both Torro Ross cars out on the track. Alonso was back out on the softer tyre while for Williams Rubens had pitted. Hamilton was back out, currently in eighth. Heidfeld's one lap would see him in fourth, 1m:36.811. Massa had also come out while Rubens was now fourteenth.

Petrov would take fourth from his team-mate seeing the Renault's fourth and fifth. Button and both Red Bulls were still in their pits with two minutes remaining. Alonso was on an improved lap moving up to fourth, 1m:36.320. Hamilton was on a very quick lap seeing him jump up to second, 1m:35.852. Rubens was down in sixteenth as Massa moved into sixth. Rubens had dropped to seventeenth as Rosberg was on a quick lap while Kobayashi was up to eighth. Rosberg would move up to sixth, 1m:36.388. Rubens was on his final lap seeing him improve only to fifteenth, 1m:37.496. Schumacher had dropped to eleventh and he would be joined by Buemi, Alguersuari, Di Resta, Rubens, and Perez in not making the cut.

The top ten was Button from Hamilton, Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Rosberg, Massa, Petrov, Kobayashi, and Heidfeld. So the Williams team will see their drivers starting Sunday's race from fifteenth and seventeenth. A disappointing result but based on the practice form it was about where we could expect to see the Williams cars finish. Pastor would say in an after qualifying interview when asked about his performance "It was not so great did not expect to be out in Q1 ... My lap was not so clean ... the only positive thing is that we have more tyres for tomorrow."

With both Williams cars out of the final period the ten minute period would commence with Hamilton first out, running on a soft set of tyres. Button was also out followed by Webber and Vettel. Everyone was on the softer tyre as Hamilton started his flying lap. Six drivers had yet to come out as Hamilton set a 1m:35.000 while Button sets a 1m:35.371. A 1m:35.268 from Webber to go second while Vettel would set a 1m:35.122 to move into second with Webber now third. Button was now fourth as Hamilton pitted.

The other drivers were all only going to do one flying lap as Button also pitted. Both Red Bull's would come in leaving the track empty. Alonso and Heidfeld would come out for the first time. They were joined by Massa and Kobayashi. Hamilton and Webber would come back out with Vettel the last of the ten drivers to take to the track. With one minute remaining the drivers were going to only get one lap before the end of the period. Alonso would begin his flying lap while Webber would go fastest in sector one but he was beaten by Hamilton and the Vettel.

Alonso would finish in fifth, 1m:35.802 with Heidfeld sixth and Massa seventh. Hamilton would improve with a 1m:34.974 while Webber remained third. Vettel would go fastest with a 1m:34.870 taking his seventeenth pole position. Hamilton was second from Webber, Button, Alonso, Heidfeld, Massa, Petrov, Rosberg, and Kobayashi in tenth.

As for the AT&T Williams teams prospects for the race on Sunday it is going to be very difficult starting right at the back of the field to have any real prospect of securing a points scoring result. But with the weather always lurking in the background there may be a chance of securing a result if the conditions change. But if it is a dry race it will be a struggle.