After a shortened Saturday practice, where the AT&T Williams team saw their drivers finish first and second, the lead-up to qualifying for the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix had not being the best with the drivers getting very little track time. In the lead-up to qualifying the weather did improve but it was reported that the rain would return ten minutes prior to the start of the session. The rain was expected to be even worse than seen earlier. If conditions are even worse than those in the earlier practice qualifying is going to be a tricky time.

Heavy rain would fall in the lead-up to the start of qualifying but the session was expected to commence on time. With the start of the opening twenty minute period it was going to be a dramatic hour long session. Vettel was first out joined by several drivers including Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima. They were running on the full wet weather tyre. Button had also come out along with Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, and Kovalainen. With each driver only having three sets of the full wet the drivers would have to be careful with their use. Everyone was out on the track except for Webber and Barrichello.

Vettel was fastest with a 1m:39.694 as the lightening came down. Nico was fourth with a 1m:41.398 Fisichella who was second would spin in Turn one. The session would be stopped with Vettel still fastest from Fisichella, Alguersuari, Nico, Grosjean, Kazuki and Buemi the last driver to set a time. Hamilton would complain of lots of aquaplaning. Fisichella would walk back to the pits his qualifying over, while his car was craned off the track. Race control announced that Q1 would not continue until the conditions improve. Even as the conditions improved with it being brighter the issue of lots of standing water continued.

The session would restart with fifteen minutes and fifty three seconds remaining. Hamilton would be first man out followed by Nico and all of the field. Hamilton would start his lap followed by Nico. Hamilton was faster by four seconds in the first sector alone. Hamilton would set a time of 1m:27.473 with Barrichello now second and Nico, 1m:28.468. Webber was fourth followed by Kazuki, Alonso, and Button. Kubica and Sutil were now fifth and sixth while Nico would go fastest with a 1m:24.356.Barriochello was still second with Webber third. But Alonso and Button would move up to fourth and fifth.

Raikkonen was now fourth from Button, Webber, and Hamilton. It was all changing as Heidfeld moved into third from Alonso and Raikkonen. Webber was now second with a 1m:24.855 but Kazuki would go fastest with a 1m:24.154 from Raikkonen now in second. Kubica was now third seeing Nico drop to fourth. Sutil was fifth as Nico went faster with a 1m:22.8828. Kazuki was in second. 1m:23.161, from Raikkonen, Kubica, Barrichello, Sutil, Liuzzi, and Buemi in eighth. Vettel and Hamilton were in fifteenth and sixteenth. Button was up to fourth, 1m:24.297, as Raikkonen moved into second with a 1m:23.047. Kubica was now third seeing Kazuki drop to fourth. Button was fifth as newcomer Kobayashi move up to sixth. Barrichello would improve with a 1m:24.100 to be fifth.

Everyone was back out on the track. Hamilton had pitted taking on a new set of wets. Nico would pit while Vettel was down in sixteenth followed by Kovalainen and Hamilton. Raikkonen would also pit with just under three minutes remaining. Hamilton would spin at Turn five but he kept it out of the barriers and was able to continue. Kazuki would pit along with third placed Kubica. Both McLaren's would pit with Kovalainen returning to the track. Barrichello would pit along with seventh placed Kobayashi. Button would also come in as the period came to an end.

Those not making the cut were Vettel, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Heidfeld, and Fisichella. At the front the order was Nico from Raikkonen, Kubica, Kazuki, Barrichello, Button, Kobayashi, Grosjean, Sutil, Buemi, Trulli, Liuzzi, Webber, Alguersuari, and Alonso in fifteenth.

The second period would be delayed with race control looking to see if the conditions would improve but the heavy rain continued to fall. Patrick Head spoke of the teams performance by saying "Yes we seem to be strong in the wet." He added that the Williams' teams cars are running very close to what they would run in the dry, as there is concern as to how they will perform if it is a dry race. It would appear that the FW31 is running so well due to downforce levels. There was still lots of standing water around the track and the conditions were not improving.

The period would start with the Williams cars first out followed by a rush of drivers. Sutil was last to come out while Nico would start his first timed lap but their would be a huge accident from Liuzzi as he went backwards into the barrier taking off the rear end of his car. As a result of the accident the period was red flagged. Liuzzi would lose his car going into the braking zone for Turn one. He would hit the pit wall and fly across the track, minus his nose, and into the barrier. Liuzzi was able to get out of his car while elsewhere Kazuki had spun his car but was able to keep it going and return to the pits. There was now concern as to whether qualifying would continue.

No one had set a time prior to the red flag so the times from Q1 stood. Both Nico and Kazuki remained in their cars while the medical car circulated around the track checking the conditions. Heavy rain had returned to the circuit while several track inspections were carried out. After a long delay the weather would improve and the session would restart at 16:10 local time. There was twelve minutes twenty four left in the second period. Cars would return to the track with both Nico and Kazuki coming out early. Nico was leading the field and would start his flying lap. It would be a quick lap and he would set a time of 1m:21.815 to go fastest. Kazuki was second with Buemi third. Webber was now second, 1m:22.441, with Kobayashi fourth. Barrichello would take this spot while Kubica moved into third, 1m:22.515.

Nico was still fastest with Kazuki fourth. Raikkonen was on a quick lap while Webber would improve with a 1m:21.775. Raikkonen would finish with a 1m:21.378 to go fastest. Button was down in tenth while Sutil moved up to fourth, but Trulli would move ahead and into fourth. Nico would pit while Kazuki would improve to be sixth. Nico would take on intermediate tyres with six minutes remaining. Barrichello was now third from Webber and Trulli. Alonso had yet to set a time. Nico's time was a 1m:21.460 while Webber would go fastest with a 1m:21.185. Raikkonen would pit with Nico in third and Kazuki eighth. Raikkonen would also take on intermediate tyres with four minutes remaining.

Webber improved with a 1m:20.906 to remain fastest with Raikkonen second from Rosberg, Trulli, Barrichello, and Sutil. Button was down in thirteenth with two minutes left in the period. Kazuki would put in a better lap on the intermediates moving into second with a 1m:21.242. Nico was now fourth behind Raikkonen. Webber took off a few tenths with a 1m:20.803 but Nico would move ahead with a 1m:20.668. Webber was now second from Kazuki, Raikkonen, Trulli, and Barrichello in sixth. The period would come to an end with Sutil moving into second with a 1m:20.753. But Trulli and Buemi would move into second and third but Kazuki would set a time good enough fro second, 1m:20.427, to make it a Williams one-two.

Those not making the cut were Kobayashi, Alguersuari, Grosjean, Button, and Liuzzi. A disaster for Button starting in fourteenth just two places ahead of Vettel. The top ten was Nico from Kazuki, Trulli, Buemi, Sutil, Webber, Kubica, Raikkonen, Alonso, and Barrichello.

With the Williams cars looking strong for the final ten minute period the period would commence with the Williams cars coming out last. Intermediate tyres were the choice for the period with Sutil yet to come out with eight minutes remaining. The drivers would start their first timed laps running on their race fuel loads. Webber would set a time of 1m:22.621 but he was beaten by Buemi with a 1m:21.721. Raikkonen was third from Kazuki and Nico in fifth. Sixth was Trulli from Barrichello. Nico would go fastest in sector one while Kubica had move dup to second, 1m:21.764.

Barrichello was now fastest with a 1m:21.167 with Buemi second from Trulli, Raikkonen, Kubica, Webber, Alonso, Kazuki, Nico, and Sutil had yet to set a time. Kubica was fastest with a 1m:20.855 from Webber and Barrichello. Nico was on a quick lap as Trulli went fastest but was beaten by Nico with a time of 1m:20.492 with three minutes forty remaining. Nico would run wide at Turn one as Kubica pitted while Trulli was on a quick lap going fastest in sector one. Kazuki was down in eighth while Trulli move ahead of Nico and Barrichello moved to the top of the times with a 1m:20.210. Nico was now third, 1m:20.492, while Webber was also on a quick lap.

Webber was now fastest with a 1m:20.109 while Raikkonen moved up to fourth. Nico was now third with a 1m:20.326. Barrichello was again on another quick lap joined by Webber. Webber would improve with a 1m:19.668 but he was beaten by Barrichello with a 1m:19.576. Trulli was now third with Nico fourth as the period came to an end. Kazuki had dropped to ninth while Sutil was in fifth. This would become third as he set a time of 1m:19.912. Trulli was now fourth from Raikkonen, Buemi, Nico, Kubica, Kazuki, and Alonso. So Barrichello had pole for the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix.

For the Williams team it was one that got away with Nico not been able to maintain the pace that he had shown in Q1 and Q2. But it will come down to what fuel they are running come Sunday as to how their race will go. At least both Williams cars are in the top ten something we have not seen for some time.