With both AT&T Williams drivers making it into the top ten in the final practice session, Nico Rosberg third and Kazuki Nakajima seventh, qualifying for the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix saw the Williams team with the prospect of seeing both their drivers making into Q3. Conditions were again hot and sunny as Nico was strapped into his car. Nico must use this race to convert his pace into a result. Q1 would get underway with Fisichella first out for the twenty minute period. Sutil was next joining his team-mate. Kovalainen was out early joined by Piquet. Sutil was on the softer tyre as Bourdais left the pit lane. After his practice problems Glock would take to the track. Nico would leave the pits for his first run.

Ten cars on the track with seventeen minutes left as Fisichella set a time of 1m:35.931. Sutil was second with a 1m:38.779. Kovalainen was now fastest with a 1m:35.542, running on the harder tyre. Bourdais was now fastest from Piquet and Kovalainen. Trulli and Glock were now second and third. On his first lap Nico would set a 1m:34.561 with Vettel fourth. Bourdais's time was a 1m:34.514. Nico was on the harder tyre as Trulli moved to the top of the times with a 1m:34.117. Nico would improve with a 1m:34.352 to be second but Vettel would move ahead with a 1m:34.159. Button was now third, 1m:34.194, dropping Nico to fourth.

Raikkonen was now fastest with a 1m:33.648. Alonso was now sixth, 1m:34.433. Kazuki was out on the circuit and yet to set a time with ten minutes remaining. Raikkonen was on the super soft tyre. Massa would move ahead of his Ferrari team-mate with a 1m:33.512 to go fastest. Vettel was third followed by Trulli, Button, Nico, Alonso, Bourdais, Webber, and Kovalainen in tenth. Hamilton was on the softer tyre for his first run. He would go fastest with a 1m:33.290. Nico had pitted and was now in ninth. Kazuki was now fourth, 1m:33.798. Buemi was fifth and Sutil sixth. Both BMW's had yet to set a time. Nico was back out while the top three were all back in their pits. Kubica's first lap would see him in sixth as Piquet moved ahead of Kazuki to take fourth, 1m:33.608. Nico was currently in fourteenth.

Heidfeld was now fifth. The top times would all be set on the softer tyre. Nico was on a quick lap going fastest in sector two. He would complete his lap with a 1m:33.672 to move into fifth. Kazuki had pitted now in seventh. Three and a half minutes remaining and Glock was slowest. Kovalainen was now second with lap of 1m:33.479. Glock on the softer tyre would jump from last to first with a 1m:33.165. But team-mate Trulli would move ahead with a 1m:32.779. Nico was now eighth and Kazuki tenth. With a minute and a half left Kubica would suffer a small fire in the pit lane as Nico pitted again. Vettel was now second, 1m:32.912, seeing Nico now ninth and Kazuki twelfth. Barrichello was now third, 1m:33.116, but Button would take this spot with a 1m:32.976.Vettel would improve to be fastest with a 1m:32.680. Nico was now twelfth and Kazuki thirteenth. It was all changing as Nico dropped to fifteenth while Kazuki moved up to eighth, 1m:33.221.

With the end of the period it would be Sutil, Buemi, Fisichella, Webber, and Bourdais who would not make the cut. Nico was so close to also dropping out of the next period. At the front it was Vettel from Trulli, Hamilton, Button, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Glock, Kazuki, Massa, and Heidfeld in tenth. It was nearly a disaster for Nico so hopefully he will improve his times in Q2.

Q2 was underway with Kovalainen out first followed by Barrichello. There was a rush of drivers coming out with many using the super soft tyre. Kovalainen would set the first time a 1m:33.273. Raikkonen was on a flyer along with Barrichello. Both Nico and Kazuki were out on the track as Barrichello went fastest with a 1m:33.250. Button was faster with a 1m:33.107. The times were quickly been set with Raikkonen fastest, 1m:32.827, from Trulli and Glock. Massa was seventh, 1m:33.586. Hamilton was now seventh as Vettel moved to the top of the times with a 1m:32.474.

Nico was now sixth, 1m:33.166, while Kazuki had yet to set a time. Alonso was now third, 1m:32.860. Nico was now seventh. Kazuki's first lap would see him in tenth, 1m:33.348. of the top ten only Alonso and Kazuki were out on the track. Neither BMW had set a time with six minutes left in the period. Kazuki would pit as Kubica only could manage thirteenth. Heidfeld was only fourteenth. Both BMW's were looking at no making it through into Q3. Ninth placed Kovalainen was out with four minutes remaining. Expect a rush of drivers as the final minutes count down. Button and Barrichello were back out. They were joined by both Toyota's. Kovalainen would improve to eighth.

Only two cars were now in the pits as the make their final runs. This became one with Vettel remaining in his pit. The scramble was underway with everyone out to set their best time of the period. Massa was now fifth as Barrichello moved into third, 1m:32.842. Button was now fourth with Hamilton sixth. Trulli was now second only to be passed by Glock. Nico wad down in tenth and Kazuki twelfth. Nico's lap would see him in tenth while Kazuki was not able to improve and was twelfth. Those not making the cut were Kovalainen, Kazuki, Kubica, Heidfeld, and Piquet. The top ten were Vettel from Glock, Trulli, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Button, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, and Nico in tenth.

With Nico finishing Q2 in tenth Q3 did not look that promising. Based on this the Williams team may simply fuel Nico's car to allow him to have a better race strategy. With the start of the period Nico would come out early. Some drivers were out on the softer tyre while the likes of Hamilton had come out on the medium tyre. All the drivers were on the track as Glock the first time with a 1m:34.366. Nico was second with a 1m:35.996. Trulli was fastest with a 1m:34.297. Raikkonen was now fourth and Button third. Nico was now fifth. This became sixth as Hamilton moved into fourth.

Vettel's first run would see him fourth, 1m:34.810. Barrichello was fifth, 1m:34.970. Nico would run wide at Turn thirteen which would cost him time. Nico was down to tenth with Alonso sixth. Hamilton was seventh and Massa and Raikkonen eighth and ninth. The drivers would start to pit including Nico who would take on another set of super soft tyres. With two minutes remaining the drivers were back out for their last run. Button was fastest in sector one. But he was beaten by Hamilton in the same sector. Button was fastest in sector two as Button would cross the line to go fastest with a 1m:34.044. Hamilton was now second but Glock would move ahead of Button with a 1m:33.712. Trulli was in fourth as Vettel moved into second. Trulli was on a quick lap moving to the top of the times with a 1m:33.431. Barrichello was now sixth and Nico now ninth.

So we have a Toyota one-two fro the grid for the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix. Nico will start from ninth and Kazuki twelfth. The prospects for Sundays race will come down to strategy with Nico most likely running with more fuel. Kazuki would also be in a similar position with both drivers showing goog race pace over the weekend.