By Huw Alban
July 29 2006

Today, Midland F1 really needed a good show if only to put the new Super Aguri car in the shade, but a red flag 5 minutes into the first session spoiled the proceedings and compromised the session for the team.

Tiago Monteiro was the first Midland F1 driver to take to the track for the first 15 minute qualifying session, with 12 minutes and 20 seconds of the session remaining. Christijan Albers followed him out a minute or so later.

Whilst on his first quick lap, the session was thrown a red flag with 10 minutes and 4 seconds remaining. Scott Speed had lost control of his Torro Rosso just past the pit lane exit road and stuffed the car into the wall. Both Midland F1 drivers would have been on new tyres, with Monteiro disadvantaged the most as he would have been on a quick lap.

It was 3 minutes and 33 seconds before Christijan Albers came out again, and 3 minutes and 23 seconds later came Tiago Monteiro. It looks like Midland F1 are going to go for one quick lap each - although with the new qualifying rules now in force I wonder whether they might be able to squeeze two hot laps in.

Albers goes 18th on his lap, ahead of Takuma Sato, but Monteiro could only manage 20th - and that's way they stayed up until the end of the session. Although not their fault, the red flag for Scott Speed did not help the teams cause today, and 'danger man' Sato is right in between them on the grid.

Full timesheet from the qualifying sessions for the German Grand Prix:

1 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes
2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari
3 Felipe Massa Ferrari
4 Jenson Button Honda
5 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault
6 Rubens Barrichello Honda
7 Fernando Alonso Renault
8 Ralf Schumacher Toyota
9 Pedro de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes
10 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari
11 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth
12 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari
13 Jarno Trulli Toyota
14 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW
15 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth
16 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW
17 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth
18 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota
19 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda
20 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota
21 Sakon Yamamoto Super Aguri-Honda
22 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth

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