The Williams F1 team would complete their opening practice session for the 2013 Australian GP with Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas 14th and 15th. The team used the session to conduct aero testing in particular their sidpods.
Australian GP Friday 1st
Practice
The Williams F1
team would prepare for the opening Friday practice session for the 2013
Australian Grand Prix. The team would be using Friday to assess different
sidepod configurations. Valtteri Bottas would go out stopping in the pitlane
to have flow viz sprayed over the rear of his car. The first driver to go
out was Ricciardo followed by Grosjean. Pirelli had brought the medium and
supersoft tyre for this event. Both Williams cars would complete their
installation laps coming back in for system checks.
With thirty minutes of the session completed both Williams drivers were
still in their pits looking at an empty track. The track temp was now 30
degrees Celsius and rising. Alonso would be the first back out but would pit
after one lap. Valtteri would return to his car but would follow proceedings
on his monitor. Pastor Maldonado would also prepare to go back out as
Ricciardo set a 1m:36.089 to record the first time. He would improve with a
1m:31.946 as the track started to get busier. A 1m:30.969 from Ricciardo
with Vergne second. For Williams Valtteri would be first back out joined by
Pastor. Valtteri would move up to third, 1m:31.104, but he would drop to
fourth as Raikkonen went fastest, 1m:29.029. Pastor was sixth with a
1m:31.489.
Valtteri would improve with a 1m:30.098 as Pastor moved up to second with a
1m:30.058. Raikkonen was able to find further pace setting a 1m:28.095. We
now had the Williams drivers second and third with thirty five minutes
remaining. A 1m:27.877 from Raikkonen with the track now very busy. A
1m:29.928 from Valtteri to move ahead of Pastor. Valtteri would pit
currently sixth. Pastor would improve with a 1m:29.443 to be fifth while
Valtteri had dropped to tenth. Both drivers were doing aero and tyre work in
this session. Alonso would go straight to the top of the times with a
1m:27.547. Pastor had also pitted with the Williams drivers now fourteenth
and fifteenth. At the front the order was Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen,
Massa, Rosberg, Sutil, Vettel, Button, and Hulkenberg tenth.
Vettel would go fastest with a 1m:27.320. Valtteri would return to the track
while at the front Massa had gone fastest but Vettel would move back ahead
with a 1m:27.211 while Alonso moved into third. Pastor was again back on the
track joining Valtteri. Valtteri would set a 1m:30.869 which saw him fail to
improve remaining fifteenth. Pastor would also fail to improve but according to
Sky's Martin Brundle he was of the opinion that Williams was running high
downforce. Valtteri would again pit as the track was again very busy with
under ten minutes remaining. Replays had shown Pastor running wide at Turn
five taking to the grass and spraying dirt everywhere. Valtteri was back out with five minutes remaining.
Across the board lap times were slower with the tyres past their prime.
The session would come to an end with Pastor and Valtteri remaining in
fourteenth and fifteenth. The team was somewhat down the order but they had
already stated that this session would be one where they would be assessing
various aerodynamic configurations. At the top Vettel was still fastest with
a 1m:27.211 from Massa, Alonso, Hamilton, Webber, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Sutil,
Button, and Grosjean tenth.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m27.211s 16
2. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m27.289s 17
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m27.547s 16
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m27.552s 18
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m27.668s 18
6. Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1m27.877s 17
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m28.013s 17
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m28.426s 19
9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m28.440s 19
10. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m28.520s 15
11. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m28.597s 19
12. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m28.786s 19
13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m28.910s 18
14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m29.443s 20
15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m29.928s 19
16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m30.203s 17
17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m30.729s 17
18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m30.969s 19
19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m31.263s 24
20. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m32.176s 23
21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m32.274s 21
22. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m32.388s 18
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