Bahrain GP: Another difficult qualifying for Williams


Valtteri Bottas

By Andrew Hooper
April 20 2013

Qualifying for the 2013 Bahrain GP would see Williams F1 drivers Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado finish in a disappointing 15th and 17th. No real surprise in this result with Sunday's race going to be a difficult time for the Williams team. 

 
 Bahrain GP Qualifying
 
Bottas
 

For the Williams F1 team the final practice session for the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix would see Valtteri Bottas finish ahead of team-mate Pastor Maldonado with the pair fifteenth and seventeenth. Based on their performances in practice qualifying was not going to be an easy time. Both Webber and Gutierrez would receive grid penalties due to penalties handed out after China. The first twenty minute period would commence but no one was in a hurry to come out. After three minutes Gutierrez would be first out for Sauber joined by Hulkenberg. Both drivers were on the hard tyre as Vergne joined them, also on hards. Hulkenberg would start his timed lap as more drivers started to come out including Ricciardo, and Rosberg.

A 1m:35.027 from Gutierrez but Hulkenberg would set a 1m:34.409 while Chilton would come out on the medium tyre. Both Lotus cars would come out joined by Valtteri and Pastor for Williams. A 1m:34.314 from Vergne to be fastest as it was confirmed that both Williams cars had come out on the medium tyre. Ricciardo would move into third, 1m:34.867, as Massa came out. Rosberg would go fastest with a 1m:33.364 with Vergne now second. Grosjean would go second with a 1m:33.498. Sutil was now third as Hulkenberg pitted. Di Resta would move ahead of his team-mate to be third, 1m:33.880. Valtteri was now seventh with a 1m:34.429 and Pastor eighth, 1m:34.765. Massa would move into third seeing both Williams drop down one place. Both McLaren's would also come out on the medium tyre as Valtteri pitted currently in ninth. Pastor would join him currently in tenth.

 
Maldonado
 

Alonso would go fastest with a 1m:32.878 with only Vettel yet to come out. Weber was also out on the medium tyre while Raikkonen was in sixth. Vettel would also come out on the medium tyre as Valtteri and Pastor dropped to twelfth and thirteenth. Button and Perez would move into eighth and ninth after their first runs. Both Williams drivers were quickly back out as Webber only manage a 1m:33.966 to be seventh even though he was on the softer tyre. Both Williams drivers were back out again on the medium tyre as Vettel moved into second with a 1m:33.327. Hamilton was able to set a 1m:33.498 running on the hard tyre. Valtteri was fifteenth and Pastor sixteenth after having set an identical time to Valtteri with a 1m:34.425.

As the period came to an end Ricciardo would move into twelfth with a 1m:34.120. Valtteri and Pastor would finish in sixteenth and seventeenth seeing Pastor out after the first period. So far Williams have lost a car in the first period in every race so far this year. Joining Pastor in the cut off were Gutierrez, Pic, Bianchi, Van Der Gar, and Chilton. Fastest was Alonso from Vettel, Rosberg, Grosjean, Hamilton, Di Resta, Massa, Raikkonen, Webber, and Sutil in tenth.

 
Bottas
 

The second fifteen minute period would commence with Webber out behind Hulkenberg. Vettel was also out with both Red Bulls on the medium tyre. Both Torro Rosso's would come out joined by both Force India cars. Valtteri was also out for his first run in the period as Hulkenberg set a 1m:34.947 but Webber would go ahead with a 1m:33.907. A 1m:33.471 from Vettel to be fastest while Ricciardo moved into fourth. This would become fifth as Sutil moved into third, 1m:34.046, while for team-mate Di Resta he would go fastest with a 1m:33.335. Valtteri was out on used medium tyres as Raikkonen moved into fourth, 1m:33.997, but Massa would go third with a 1m:33.501.

Di Resta's time at the top was short as Alonso set a 1m:33.316 to be quickest and Di Resta now second. Valtteri was in twelfth with a time of 1m:35.145 while Button was in eighth with a lap time of 1m:34.239. Hamilton would take third with a time of 1m:33.346. Team-mate Rosberg was on an even quicker lap and he would finish with a 1m:32.867 to be quickest. This would see him 0.5 quicker than his team-mate Hamilton. Webber was now seventh and out on a new set of medium tyres as Valtteri pitted, currently in fourteenth. Grosjean would go seventh, 1m:33.762, as both McLaren's came out on new medium tyres for their next runs. Only the top four were in their pits with the rest all out on medium tyres.

Webber would use his new tyres to good effect setting a 1m:33.098 to be second. Ricciardo was on a quicker lap seeing him finish with a 1m:33.974 to be ninth as the period came to an end. There were several drivers yet to finish their lap as Vettel went fastest with a 1m:32.746 while Raikkonen went fourth. Valtteri would set a 1m:34.105 to be fifteenth. Those not making the cut were Grosjean, Perez, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Valtteri, and Vergne. The top ten was Vettel from Rosberg, Webber, Raikkonen, Alonso, Di Resta, Hamilton, Massa, Sutil, and Button tenth. So neither Williams would make it into the final period but it was encouraging to see Valtteri perform better than his experienced team-mate Pastor.

 

Maldonado
 

The final period would commence without either Williams present with five drivers coming out including Alonso, Rosberg, Hamilton, and Sutil. A 1m:33.388 from Di Resta but Rosberg would set a 1m:32.543 to move ahead. Sutil had come out on the hard tyre and returned to his pit without setting a time. Alonso was second with a 1m:32.667 with Hamilton now third as drivers started to return to their pits,. Webber would come out for his first run running on a used set of medium tyres. Massa was out on the hard tyre indicating a different strategy to team-mate Alonso.

All ten drivers were on the track with both Force India cars on mediums with Button last out. Webber's lap was untidy and he would finish only in fourth with a 1m:33.078. Rosberg was fastest in sector two with Di Resta fifth as Rosberg finish his lap with a 1m:32.330 with Vettel second with a 1m:32.548. Alonso would pit remaining in third from Hamilton, Webber, Massa, Di Resta, Sutil, Raikkonen, and Button. Button would pit without having set a time. But Hamilton would receive a five grid place penalty for a gearbox change while Webber would have to take a three place penalty so Sunday's grid will be somewhat different.

A surprising result with Rosberg on pole but seeing the Williams pair in fifteenth and seventeenth was no surprise at all. Sunday's race in going to be a difficult time for the Williams team.

 

Bottas
 

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Bahrain GP: Another difficult qualifying for Williams
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