Italy: Toyota in the top ten again with 5th & 9th


By Nick Sparkes
September 3 2005

Panasonic Toyota Racing will line up 5th and 9th on the grid for tomorrows Italian Grand Prix. Championship leader Fernando Alonso drove a tactical lap to line up on the front row alongside pole man Juan Pablo Montoya. Kimi Räikkönen was demoted 10 places due to an engine change, he’ll start 11th.

In an exciting Qualifying season Ferrari gave their home crowd something to celebrate with Michael Schumacher sixth and seventh for Rubens Barrichello, although possibly light fuelled both drivers out drove their Ferrari's, to the joy of the Italian crowds. The Williams duo of Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia were back in the pack with two clean laps to take fourteenth and sixteenth on the grid, a disappointment after the strong form which had been shown by the team since Friday's Practice sessions. 

 

Ralf Schumacher struggled with his Toyota, with going out early adding to his woes. The German driving his first Qualifying lap at the famous Monza racetrack in over three years ended up a surprising ninth, with Giancarlo Fisichella who had a disastrous lap, ending up ahead of the German driver in eighth.

 

BAR Honda looked odds on for a front row grid slot after Takuma Sato and Jenson Button drove two monster laps, yet were demoted after Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso went faster, BAR take over the second row.

 

Jarno Trulli drove another of his stellar laps, driving his TF105 to the limits ending up just behind the BAR Honda’s in fifth.

 

The final showing was by Kimi Räikkönen, who with an engine penalty hanging over his head, had to push his McLaren to the full in order to start as high up as possible. With being the only man dipping into the 1.20 min’s, the flying Finn would end up eleventh after his ten-place drop.

 

Wherever you are tomorrow, make sure you’re in front of the television as the 2005 Formula One World Championship is set to take another turn.

 

Pos. Driver Team Time Gap Laps Kph
1 K. Raikkonen* West McLaren Mercedes
1:20.878
3
257.855
2 J. Montoya West McLaren Mercedes
1:21.054
0.176
3
257.295
3 F. Alonso Mild Seven Renault F1 Team
1:21.319
0.441
3
256.456
4 J. Button Lucky Strike BAR Honda
1:21.369
0.491
3
256.299
5 T. Sato Lucky Strike BAR Honda
1:21.477
0.599
3
255.959
6 J. Trulli Panasonic Toyota Racing
1:21.640
0.762
3
255.448
7 M. Schumacher Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
1:21.721
0.843
3
255.195
8 R. Barrichello Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
1:21.962
1.084
3
254.444
9 G. Fisichella Mild Seven Renault F1 Team
1:22.068
1.190
3
254.116
10 R. Schumacher Panasonic Toyota Racing
1:22.266
1.388
3
253.504
11 D. Coulthard Red Bull Racing
1:22.304
1.426
3
253.387
12 J. Villeneuve Sauber Petronas
1:22.356
1.478
3
253.227
13 C. Klien Red Bull Racing
1:22.532
1.654
3
252.687
14 M. Webber BMW WilliamsF1 Team
1:22.560
1.682
3
252.601
15 F. Massa Sauber Petronas
1:23.060
2.182
3
251.081
16 A. Pizzonia BMW WilliamsF1 Team
1:23.291
2.413
3
250.384
17 T. Monteiro Jordan Grand Prix
1:24.666
3.788
3
246.318
18 R. Doornbos Minardi F1 Team
1:24.904
4.026
3
245.628
19 N. Karthikeyan Jordan Grand Prix
1:25.859
4.981
3
242.895
20 C. Albers Minardi F1 Team
1:26.964
6.086
3
239.809

*forfeited 10 grid places due to engine change

Times courtesy of toyota-f1.com

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