After finishing Saturday practice the AT&T Williams F1 team was looking at a qualifying session for the 2011 Indian Grand Prix that was going to be a difficult one. The final practice saw Pastor Maldonado and Rubens Barrichello finish in seventeenth and eighteenth. Would they make it past the opening period of qualifying. It should be remembered that Petrov, Perez, and Hamilton were all to get grid penalties. Petrov a five grid penalty, and Perez and Hamilton three places.

With the start of the first twenty minute period we would have several drivers taking to the track, including both Lotus cars, both Force India cars, both Virgins, and both Renaults. Pastor would be the first out for Williams followed by Rubens. Eventually we would see Kovalainen set a 1m:32.814 to be fastest. Petrov would move ahead with a 1m:30.347. We only had the two Sauber's still in their pits. Senna was now fastest, 1m:29.952, from Sutil and Petrov. Alguersuari was now second, 1m:30.148, while Petrov again went fastest with a 1m:29.035. Pastor was now fifth with a time of 1m:31.138, but this would quickly become seventh as we had Alonso fastest with a 1m:27.836. All the drivers were on the hard tyres as Massa moved into second. Vettel was now third from Hamilton, Buemi, and Petrov.

Pastor had dropped to fourteenth while Di Resta moved up to seventh, 1m:28.940. This would become eighth as Webber moved into second, 1m:28.161. With eleven minutes left we still had yet to see either Sauber. Rubens would run wide at Turn seven producing lots of dust, much to Schumacher's annoyance. Webber would go faster with a 1m:27.410 but both Vettel and Hamilton would go faster. Vettel's time was a 1m:26.948 and Hamilton a 1m:27.007. Rubens was now in sixteenth with a 1m:30.024. Pastor was in fourteenth and he had pitted. Massa was now in third, 1m:27.012, seeing Webber drop to fourth. Alonso was fifth from Rosberg, Sutil, Button, Buemi, and Schumacher in tenth. Alonso would return to the top of the times with a1m:26.774. Rubens was aso back in his pit as Hamilton went fastest, 1m:26.563. But just as quickly Vettel would go fastest with a 1m:26.218. Booth Sauber's were now on the track with seven minutes remaining.

Alonso and Massa had pitted joined by Vettel and Hamilton. Seventeenth placed Button would complain that he had no rear grip. Kobayashi was up to fifteenth while Pastor was now sixteenth and Rubens eighteenth. Pastor was back out on the soft tyre and this would serve him well seeing him move up to eighth with a 1m:27.470. This would become ninth when Perez took eighth, 1m:27.440. Petrov was now fifth, 1m:26.921, as Buemi moved up to fourth, 1m:26.608. Senna was now fifth, 1m:26.766, seeing Pastor drop to thirteenth. Rubens was back out on the soft tyre and we would improve from nineteenth to fourteenth, 1m:27.479. Button was down in fifteenth and out on the soft tyre. On the soft tyre Petrov would go fastest with a 1m:26.189. Vettel was second from Webber, Alguersuari, Hamilton, Buemi, Senna, Alonso, and Pastor had improved to be tenth. Rubens was now fifteenth as the period came to an end.

Rosberg would improve to be third, 1m:26.364, but Sutil would move ahead with a 1m:26.271. Schumacher was in eleventh while Pastor had dropped to thirteenth and Rubens seventeenth. Button was able to use his soft tyres to move up to third, 1m:26.225. Those now making the cut were Kobayashi, Kovalainen, Trulli, Ricciardo, Karthikeyan, D'Ambrosio, and Glock who had stopped in his pit with a gearbox issue. The top ten was Petrov from Vettel, Button, Sutil, Rosberg, Webber, Alguersuari, Hamilton, Buemi, and Senna in tenth. It was great to see both Williams cars making it into the second period but it would be difficult for them to advance any further.

The second fifteen minute period would commence with the Renault cars out first, followed by Alguersuari. Buemi would also come out as we saw Pastor and Vettel take to the track. Petrov was on the soft tyre. More drivers would leave the pit lane, including Button, Schumacher, Rubens, Alonso, Massa, and Hamilton. The soft tyre was the tyre of choice with several drivers coming out on new soft tyres. Alguersuari was fastest with a 1m:26.688, from Senna and Petrov. We only had the two Force India cars and Perez still in their pits. Buemi would go fastest with a 1m:26.408 but Vettel would move to the top of the times with a 1m:24.657, while Schumacher moved into second. He would drop down as Webber and Hamilton moved into second and third. Alonso was now fourth, 1m:25.658, from Massa. But Rosberg would take fifth with a 1m:26.078.

For Williams Rubens was in eleventh and Pastor twelfth. Both had pitted as they both dropped down one place to be twelfth and thirteenth. Vettel and Webber had both pitted as we saw Button move into third, 1m:25.299. Massa was now fourth, 1m:25.522, from Rosberg and Hamilton. Alonso was now seventh from Schumacher, Buemi, and Alguersuari tenth. Both Hamilton would improve with Hamilton moving up second, 1m:25.019, from sixth. Alonso was now third, 1m:25.158. With six minutes remaining the track was quite empty as we now saw Perez and the two Force India cars come out. Both Rubens and Pastor were back out while the two nine were all in their pits. Ninth placed Buemi would come back out with all those running on the soft tyre. Sutil would move up to twelfth but this would become thirteenth as Di Resta went twelfth. Rubens and Pastor were now fourteenth and fifteenth. Alguersuari was now in eighth, 1m:26.319. Schumacher was now in ninth and Buemi tenth. As the period came to an end the top seven remained in their pits. Sutil was on a better lap while Senna moved up to thirteenth, 1m:26.651.

Both Rubens and Pastor were on their final lap as the period ended. Pastor would improve to be twelfth but he would drop down to fourteenth as other drivers went faster, 1m:26.527. Rubens was down in sixteenth he had pitted. Pastor had again beaten his more experienced team-mate. Those now making the cut were Petrov, Schumacher, Di Resta, Pastor, Senna, Rubens, and Perez. The top ten was Vettel from Hamilton, Alonso, Webber, Button, Massa, Rosberg, Sutil, Buemi, and Alguersuari.

The final ten minute period of qualifying would commence with only five cars coming out onto the track. Button, Rosberg, Sutil, Buemi, and Alguersuari would remain in their pits as Hamilton set a 1m:26.430 to be fastest but both Alonso and Massa would go faster with Alonso fastest with a time of 1m:24.586. Webber was in fourth as team-mate Vettel went fastest with a 1m:24.437. Hamilton would improve to be second with a time of 1m:24.474. Webber would also improve to be third with a 1m:24.508. Those five drivers would had not come out would take to the track for a single run. Both Ferrari's had pitted joined by Hamilton.

Vettel would also pit while Alonso came back out. Webber would also pit while Sutil and Buemi would also pit without setting a time. Rosberg was now sixth, 1m:26.027, with Alonso and Massa fourth and fifth. Button was now in seventh with a 1m:30.175. As the period came to an end we had the top seven drivers all on their final laps. Hamilton would pit as Vettel went faster with a 1m:24.178. On his final lap Massa would crash his Ferrari as Button moved up to fifth with a 1m:24.950. Massa's accident was caused by broken front suspension after hitting a raised kerb. He would take to the gravel ending his qualifying.

With the penalties Vettel would start from pole but Webber would be second as a result of Hamilton dropping to fifth from second with his three grid place penalty. Alonso was now third and Button fourth. Hamilton would start from fifth with Massa sixth from Rosberg, Sutil, Buemi, and Alguersuari in tenth. Replays of Button's final lap showed that he did pass the scene of Massa's crash, with yellow lights just being turned on as he arrived at the scene of the accident. Both Williams drivers will move up one place as a result of Petrov's five place grid penalty with Pastor and Rubens starting from thirteenth and fifteenth.