Singapore GP: Little improvement for Williams Martini in FP3
By Andrew Hooper
September 17 2016
The final practice session for the 2016 Singapore GP would see Williams Martini drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa finish in 10th and 14th. Another disappointing result for the Williams team with neither driver close to the quickest times. The only change was that in this session Valtteri would lead team-mate Felipe in the times. Their pace would raise questions as to whether both drivers would make it into the final period of qualifying.
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Williams
Martini Singapore GP Saturday Practice |
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Team Summary:
After a difficult Friday practice the Williams Martini team would be hoping
that Saturday practice for the 2016 Singapore GP would see things turn
around. With the start of the session there would be a mix of tyres being
used as drivers took to the track. Both Ferrari's were on ultrasoft while
both Mercedes were on the supersoft. The first time was from Wehrlein with a
slow 2m:04.121. A large number of drivers would pit after their installation
laps. The session would be red flagged as a result debris coming off
Wehrlein's car after he had spun and put his car into the barrier backwards
destroying the rear wing. AS he drove back to the pits parts of the rear
wing would fly off around the circuit. Prior to this Verstappen on the soft
tyre had gone quickest with a 1m:47.038, with Felipe second.
The session would restart with a rush of drivers coming out with Raikkonen
going quickest with a 1m:46.813 on the ultrasoft tyre. Valtteri was third
followed by Felipe. Sainz was now third and Perez fifth. Valtteri and Felipe
were now fourth and sixth. On the supersoft tyre Rosberg would go quickest
with a 1m:45.544. On the same tyre Hamilton would move into second with a
1m:45.806. With just over thirty minutes of the session remaining Valtteri
and Felipe were eighth and tenth. Vettel and Raikkonen were third and
fourth, followed by Sainz. Hamilton would spin at Turn seven but would
continue. Both Williams drivers continued their runs on the ultrasoft tyre
but both would pit briefly returning to the track. With twenty five minutes
remaining both had completed nine laps on the ultrasoft tyre.
Sainz and Kvyat would improve to be fourth and fifth with Raikkonen sixth
and Hulkenberg seventh. Both Williams drivers would pit this time going into
their garages. With twenty minutes remaining Valtteri and Felipe were
eleventh and thirteenth. Both Mercedes cars were out on the ultrasoft tyre
with Ricciardo joining them also on the softest tyre. Both Mercedes cars
would start their flying laps with Rosberg setting a 1m:44.352 but Hamilton
after having set quickest sector times would go off after locking his left
front. Ricciardo would go second, 1m:44.903, with Hamilton now third. More
drivers were coming out for their qualifying runs. Verstappen would go
second with a 1m:44.411 with Raikkonen now third. Hulkenberg was now sixth
behind Vettel. After their runs Valtteri and Felipe were ninth and
fourteenth. The top ten would be Rosberg, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Ricciardo,
Vettel, Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Hamilton, Sainz, and Valtteri. This session had
failed to show any improvement from the Williams drivers with the only
change been Valtteri now leading Felipe.
Valtteri Bottas:
Valtteri would take to the track for the first time and would set a
1m:47.454 to be third on the ultrasoft tyre. He would drop to fourth and
would pit after a three lap run. He would pit briefly returning still
running on the ultrasoft tyre. Valtteri would drop to eighth with thirty
five minutes remaining. This would become ninth with Valtteri now behind
Kvyat. This would become thirteenth as he returned to the track with under
ten minutes remaining. Valtteri would set a 1m:45.947 to be ninth. Valtteri
would pit and would drop to tenth. Valtteri was 1.5 seconds of the time of
Rosberg.
Felipe Massa:
Felipe would be first out for Williams running on the ultrasoft. Felipe
would complete a timed lap setting a 1m:48.579 to be second. Felipe would
return to the track remaining on the ultrasoft tyre, currently twelfth.
Felipe would find time and would set a 1m:48.133 to be tenth. Replays would
show Felipe making contact with the wall with his right rear taking either a
chunk of tyre or wheel off. Felipe would drop to thirteenth to be behind
Perez and Hulkenberg. Currently thirteenth Felipe would return on a new set
of ultrasoft tyres for what should be his qualifying simulation. Felipe
would set a personal bests in all the sectors finishing with a 1m:46.529 to
be sixth. But he would drop to eleventh. He would again drop to fourteenth
as the session drew to a close. Felipe was 2.1 seconds of the quickest time,
a massive margin. |
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Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.352s 15
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1m44.411s 15
3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m44.860s 15
4 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1m44.903s 12
5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1m45.104s 13
6 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1m45.316s 13
7 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1m45.503s 19
8 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m45.806s 9
9 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1m45.879s 17
10 Valtteri Bottas Williams Martini 1m45.947s 16
11 Sergio Perez Force India 1m46.112s 15
12 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1m46.164s 13
13 Esteban Gutierrez Haas 1m46.316s 16
14 Felipe Massa Williams Martini 1m46.529s 17
15 Kevin Magnussen Renault 1m47.116s 11
16 Jenson Button McLaren 1m47.277s 16
17 Felipe Nasr Sauber 1m47.293s 18
18 Romain Grosjean Haas 1m47.411s 20
19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1m47.956s 20
20 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1m48.689s 13
21 Pascal Wehrlein Manor Racing 1m49.201s 10
22 Esteban Ocon Manor Racing 1m49.565s 14 |
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