The qualifying session for the 2011 Australian Grand Prix would see the cars come out for the first twenty minute period. The slowest seven drivers will be knocked out in Q1 and Q2, with the remaining 10 drivers left for the final period Q3. For 2011 there is a new rule that will see drivers who fail to set a time within 107% of the fastest time in Q1, will not be allowed to take part in the race. This may see several cars not allowed to take part in the race. For the AT&T Williams team this would be Pastor Maldonado's first time running in the qualifying format.

The conditions were quite windy at the start of the first period. Petrov would be first out
followed by D'Ambrosio, Heidfeld, Di Resta, Kovalainen, Trulli, Liuzzi, and Glock. Rubens
Barrichello was out on the track along with Sutil and Karthikeyan. Petrov would set a 1m:29.463 ion his first lap. D'Ambrosio set a 1m:32.123. Some drivers were on the hard tyre while the likes of D'Ambrosio were out on the soft. Rubens did not have to change his gearbox so not grid penalty. Di Resta sets a 1m:29.779 to be second. Glock was now third while Trulli and Kovalainen fifth and sixth. Heidfeld would make a mistake at Turn six running wide but he was able to continue.

Heidfeld was now fastest with a 1m:28.613 with Kovalainen second. Rubens was fifth with a 1m:30.395 while Vettel would set a 1m:26.657 to be fastest while Hamilton was second. Petrov had dropped to third and Heidfeld fourth. On his next lap Rubens would move up to fourth, 1m:28.106, but this would become fifth as Webber went second fastest, 1m:26.707. Petrov would pit while Button moved up to fourth, 1m:26.896. Hamilton was now fourth from Petrov, Rubens, and Heidfeld. Massa would move into sixth while for Williams Pastor had set a time only good enough for fifteenth, 1m:30.211. Webber would improve to now be fastest, 1m:25.900, while Alonso moved up to third, 1m:26.818.

Now it was Hamilton's turn to set the quickest time, 1m:25.384, while Vettel moved up to second with a 1m:25.515. Pastor would find some time to now be eleventh, 1m:28.193, with Rubens now seventh, 1m:27.784. With eight minutes remaining Vettel was fastest from Hamilton, Button, Webber, Schumacher, Alonso, Massa, Petrov, Sutil, and Rubens in tenth. Both Williams drivers had pitted while there were still a few drivers who had yet to set a time, including Rosberg and both Sauber's.

Alguersuari was now sixth, 1m:26.620, while Kobayashi would set a 1m:25.803 to be third. Rosberg's first lap would see him fourth. The second Sauber of Perez was now fourth, 1m:25.812. Rubens and Pastor were now fifteenth and sixteenth. Rubens was also back out on the track with four and a half minutes remaining. Buemi and Alguersuari were ninth and tenth. More drivers were coming out on the softer tyre, including Alonso and Massa. Both HRT cars had set times but were slowest while Kobayashi set a 1m:25.717 but remained third. Pastor would set a 1m:26.644 to now be in twelfth. Rubens would also improve to be tenth, 1m:26.270, but he would drop to eleventh as Sutil took tenth.

Alonso would jump up to third with time of 1m:25.707. Nine of the top ten weer back in their pits. Massa was down in seventeenth. The period would come to an end as Petrov moved up to third, 1m:25.543. Massa would move up to eleventh, 1m:26.031. Rubens and Pastor would finish in fourteenth and fifteenth. Those not making the cut were Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock, D'Ambrosio, Liuzzi, and Karthikeyan.

The top ten was Vettel from Hamilton, Petrov, Alonso, Kobayashi, Perez, Rosberg, Button, Webber, and Schumacher in tenth. Looking at their times it would be very surprising to see either Williams car making it into the final period.

The second fifteen minute period would see Rubens out on the track early along with Buemi, Alguersuari, Hamilton, Alonso, Kobayashi, Pastor, and Vettel. There was a mix of drivers running on the hard and soft tyres. Vettel was on the softer tyre but Hamilton and Rubens the harder. But Rubens would lose control of his car at Turn three. He would cross the gravel and was not able to get himself out of it. That was his qualifying over and done with. Such a simple mistake from Rubens.

Buemi was fastest with a 1m:26.053 from Alguersuari. Both Red Bull cars were return to their pits without setting a time on the softer tyres. Di Resta was third from Hamilton but Hamilton would swap places with a 1m:28.268. Rubens car would be removed behind the barriers as Pastor set a time that would see him eighth, 1m:43.711 but he would pit. Rosberg and Schumacher were fifth and sixth. Hamilton was now fastest with a 1m:25.522 from Rosberg and Buemi. Button was now fastest with a 1m:24.957 while Vettel, again on the softer tyre, was on a quick lap to set a 1m:24.090 to go fastest from Button and Hamilton.

Five and a half minutes remaining Rubens would walk back into the pit area. Alonso and Massa were twelfth and thirteenth but they would both improve to see Alonso in fourth, 1m:25.242, while Massa would move up to sixth. Pastor was now twelfth with a 1m:26.768 to move up from fourteenth. Hamilton was now second, 1m:24.595, with Webber third from Button, Alonso, and Petrov. Schumacher was currently in eleventh as the period came to an end and on his last lap he could not improve. Kobayashi was in sixth.

So qualifying for the Australian GP was over for the Williams team with neither Williams driver making it past Q2. Those not making the cut were Schumacher, Alguersuari, Perez, Di Resta, Maldonado, Sutil, and Rubens. So Pastor and Rubens will start Sunday's race from fifteenth seventeenth. Rubens said that he put a foot wrong and it just spun him around. As for Sunday's race he said maybe it is a good thing that he has saved the tyres that they did. Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Massa, Rosberg, Petrov, Kobayashi and Buemi will fight for the top grid positions.

The final ten minute period would commence with Hamilton out first running on the softer tyres. Vettel was out on the softer tyre also as Hamilton go fastest with a 1m:24.501 from Button but Vettel would end any hopes of pole with a 1m:23.529 to go fastest while Webber was second. Hamilton was now third and Button fourth. Rosberg was now fifth with Buemi in sixth, 1m:27.066.

Both Red Bull cars had pitted along with Hamilton. Massa would spin at Turn one just after leaving the pit lane. Alonso was down in eighth, 1m:35.776, but his next effort would see him set a 1m:24.974 to only be fifth. Vettel's next lap was another stunning one setting a 1m:23.6. Hamilton would improve to go second with a 1m:24.307 pushing Webber to third. Button was fourth from Alonso, Petrov, and Rosberg. Massa was eighth from Kobayashi and Buemi.

Sunday's race is going to be a difficult time for both Williams drivers as they start from way down the grid. If they can come away with some points they should be very pleased. But after such a positive start on Friday it all went very wrong for the team on Saturday.