Singapore GP: Difficult qualifying for Williams F1


By Andrew Hooper
September 21 2013

Qualifying for the 2013 Singapore GP would see Williams F1 drivers Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado finish in 16th and 18th. Sundays race is going to a difficult time where theteams chances are going to come down to how the race turns out in terms of accidents, Safety Cars, and the teams strategy as they are really lacking in pace.

 
 Singapore GP Qualifying
 
Bottas
 

The final practice session for the 2013 Singapore Grand Prix would see the Williams F1 team finish in thirteenth and fifteenth with Pastor Maldonado leading team-mate Valtteri Bottas. Now the team was facing qualifying with Pastor and Valtteri tied in terms of their qualifying results. On the tyre front the teams had the medium and supersoft tyre to use during the session. The first twenty minute period would commence with Pastor being the first driver out running on the medium tyre. Pastor was told that he would do three timed laps. Pastor would be followed by a rush of drivers including both Lotus, Force India, and Torro Rosso cars. We also had both Mercedes cars out for their first runs with Valtteri also coming out. Pastor was on his first timed lap setting a 1m:48.458 as Alonso also took to the track.

A 1m:49.266 from Di Resta with Raikkonen third with a 1m:52.036. Button would move into second with a 1m:48.972. We then would have the positions change rapidly with Hamilton fastest with a 1m:47.087 followed by Ricciardo and Valtteri, 1m:47.970. Vergne was now fourth as Raikkonen moved into third with a lap of 1m:47.885. But Rosberg would push and take the quickest time with a 1m:46.288. Pastor had dropped to tenth after making a mistake at Turn nine seeing his car nearly spin. Alonso was now second with a 1m:46.688 while Ricciardo was now fourth. The only drivers yet to come out were the Red Bull's and Perez. Both Sauber's were now on the supersoft tyre for their first runs. Button was now sixth followed by Raikkonen, Vergne, Valtteri, and Massa tenth.

 
Maldonado
 

Drivers would start tp pit after their first runs including both Williams cars. Hulkenberg was on a very quick lap setting a 1m:45.381 to be quickest. Team-mate Gutierrez was also able to use his option tyre to good effect setting a 1m:46.411 to be third. Both Red Bull cars were now out on the track with Massa on a quick lap. Massa would finish in seventh with a 1m:47.241. Drivers started to return including Perez, on the supersoft tyres, Hamilton, Rosberg, both Lotus cars, and Pastor out for Williams. Vettel would go second fastest with a 1m:45.755 running on the medium tyre. Webber would go fastest with a 1m:45.271 also on the medium tyre. Both Mercedes cars were on the supersoft tyre as Valtteri also took to the track. Both Williams were now on the option tyre with three minutes remaining.

Hamilton was on a very quick lap as Rosberg went fastest with a 1m:45.208. But Perez and Button would trade quickest times. But Hamilton would finish his lap with a 1m:44.196 to be quickest. Button was now second followed by Alonso, Perez, Rosberg, Webber, Vettel, and Hulkenberg. Ricciardo was now eighth while for Williams Valtteri was in fourteenth, 1m:45.982, but team-mate Pastor was seventeenth as the period came to a close. With the end of the period the drivers would start to pit as Gutierrez moved up to tenth. Valtteri was now sixteenth and Pastor eighteenth. Valtteri would finish in sixteenth. At the front it was Hamilton fastest from Button, Alonso, Perez, Rosberg, Webber, Vettel, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, and Gutierrez in tenth. Those not making the cut were Di Resta, Pastor, Pic, Van der Gar, Bianchi, and Chilton.

 
Bottas
 

At least one Williams had made it into the second period but that would be the best the Williams team could hope for as the drivers came out for the second fifteen minute period. Raikkonen would be first out followed by several drivers all on the supersoft tyre. Valtteri would come out while still in their pits were Vettel, Webber, Button, Perez, and Grosjean. A 1m:44.794 from Raikkonen seeing him fastest with Massa second. Rosberg would go fastest with a 1m:43.892 with Hamilton now second and Alonso third. Hulkenberg was now in fourth, 1m:44.717, as Massa was told that everyone was going quicker on used supersoft tyres. Raikkonen was now fifth followed by Massa, Sutil, Vergne, Ricciardo, and Gutierrez in tenth. Valtteri was now eleventh with a 1m:46.119.

The top ten were all back in their pits as we now had both Red Bull cars out on the track followed by Grosjean. With five minutes remaining we yet had either McLaren come out. Valtteri would pit leaving just the Red Bull cars and Grosjean out on the track, all running on new supersoft tyres. After sector two Vettel was half a second quicker seeing him set a 1m:42.905 to be quickest. Webber would finish second, 1m:43.727, with Grosjean down in fifth. Everyone was back out except for the Mercedes cars with two minutes remaining. We also had the McLaren's out neither having set a time as the period drew to a close. Both Red Bulls would pit as the period came to a close. Massa would finish in sixth, 1m:44.376, followed by Ricciardo, Alonso, Vergne, and Hulkenberg tenth. Valtteri would finish his final lap setting a 1m:45.388 to be thirteenth. But he would be pushed down the times as others went fastest.

Gutierrez was able to pull a quick lap out seeing him seventh from Massa, Ricciardo, and Button tenth. Those not making the cut were Hulkenberg, Vergne, Raikkonen, Perez, Sutil, and Valtteri sixteenth. The top ten would be Vettel from Webber, Rosberg, Hamilton, Grosjean, Alonso, Gutierrez, Massa, Ricciardo, and Button tenth. For the Williams team they would see their drivers start Sundays race from sixteenth and eighteenth. For Pastor to go from second in 2012 to eighteenth in 2013 must be such a massive disappointment.

 

Bottas
 

With the start of the final ten minute there would be a rush of drivers coming out lead by Vettel and Webber. Grosjean, Rosberg, and Hamilton were also out on the track with Button next out. Vettel would finish his first flying lap with a 1m:42.841 with Webber second with a time of 1m:43.460. Rosberg was able to split the Red Bull cars with a time of 1m:43.431. Hamilton was now fourth and Grosjean fifth. Button had gone out on medium tyres seeing him return to the pits. Vettel would also pit but would he feel that he would need to go back out again. Massa would come out for his single run followed by Alonso, Gutierrez, and Ricciardo.

Vettel had decided not to go back out again while team-mate Webber was back out for his second run. Webber would go fastest in sector one as other drivers also improved. Rosberg would go fastest in the second sector as Massa moved into sixth. Webber would match the second sector time of Rosberg. Rosberg would finish with a 1m:42.932 to be just behind Vettel. Webber's lap would see him lose time in the final sector seeing him third, 1m:43.152. Grosjean was able to move ahead of Webber with a 1m:43.058. Hamilton was in fifth followed by Massa, Alonso, Button, Ricciardo, and Gutierrez in tenth having not set a time allowing him to choose which tyre he will start the race on.

The prospects for the Williams team for Sundays race are such that it again is going to be a difficult race where their chances of securing points is really going to come down to how the race turns out in terms of accidents, Safety Cars, and the teams strategy as they are really lacking in pace.

 

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Singapore GP: Difficult qualifying for Williams F1
Discussion started by Williams F1 , 21/09/2013 15:22
Williams F1
21/09/2013 15:22
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