29/07/2006
NEWS STORY
 |
Two Toyota powered drivers will forfeit ten grid spots following engine problems in previous sessions, Christijan Albers, who engine blew in yesterday's opening session, and Jarno Trulli who managed just one lap this morning.
Following his crash in this morning's free practice session, Sakon Yamamoto will use the T-car, which is the (Arrows) SA05, since the team was unable to repair the SA06 in time.
With five minutes to go before the session gets underway, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 47 degrees. It remains warm and sunny.
Trulli takes to the track and the first phase is underway. The Italian is followed by Ralf, Webber, Rosberg and Yamamoto.
Webber is the first driver to post a time, the Australian crossing the line at 1:17.878. Moments later this is beaten by Ralf (17.037), while Rosberg goes second.
Webber improves to 17.064, as Trulli goes third, ahead of Rosberg.
Speed has had a big crash at Nordkurve, which immediately brings out the red flag. He begins to lose it as he comes out of the corner, the car spinning then slamming across the track into the concrete wall, ripping off the left-hand side of the car.
The American gets out of the car and heads back to the pits. Ironically, his teammate Liuzzi, and fellow Red Bull employee, Christian Klien, were both on quick laps at the time of his crash.
The lights go green and Raikkonen is one of the first men on track, as are, de la Rosa, Barrichello and Button.
Coulthard goes quickest in the first sector, as Barrichello goes quickest of all (16.670). However, Raikkonen is already on a hot lap, having gone quickest in the second sector. The Finn takes top spot (15.214), ahead of Klien and Coulthard, the Red Bulls proving that this morning's pace was no fluke.
With just under six minutes remaining, Michael leaves the pits, as do Massa and Villeneuve.
It's a McLaren 1-2 as de la Rosa goes second with a 1:15.655. Elsewhere, Villeneuve goes fifth.
Michael goes quickest in the first sector, but it's Massa who is quickest in the second. The Brazilian crosses the line at 14.412 to take spot, as Michael goes second with 14.904.
All eyes on Fernando Alonso, who goes quickest in the first sector, however, he's down on Massa in the second. At the line it's 1:15.518, which puts the World Champion fifth, over a second off Massa's pace.
Jenson Button is quickest in the first sector, the Englishman determined to stop the rot and begin the Honda revival. The Englishman crosses the line at 1:15.869 to go tenth, as the BMWs struggle to escape the danger zone.
As the first phase ends we lose Speed, Yamamoto, Monteiro, Sato, Albers and Liuzzi, a dreadful session for both Toro Rosso and Midland, who both, surely, expected more.
Massa was quickest, ahead of Michael, Raikkonen, Trulli, Alonso, del a Rosa, Webber, Barrichello, Ralf and Klien.
The second phase gets underway and Mark Webber is first out, followed by teammate Nico Rosberg, Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve.
The Australian crosses the line at 1:15.094, while Nico posts 15.380. Villeneuve takes third - of three - with a 15.663.
Heidfeld posts a disappointing 18.815, as Coulthard goes quickest in the second sector. Indeed, the Red Bull veteran goes quickest, crossing the line at 1:14.949.
Christian Klien puts Red Bull 1-3, as he posts a 15.141, however, Ralf Schumacher is on a hot lap. It is a good lap but not good enough, the German can only manage second, with a 15.049.
Giancarlo Fisichella begins a flying lap, as does World Champion, Fernando Alonso. The Italian goes quickest in the first sector, but moments later Button goes quicker. The Renault number two (?) goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 1:14.747, but Button pips him with a 14.378.
While Alonso can only manage 15.001, which is good enough for fifth, Barrichello goes second, giving Honda 1-2.
Raikkonen, Michael and Massa are all on track, and it is the Finn who goes quickest in the first sector. The McLaren driver goes second overall, crossing the line at 1:14.516. However, Michael is on his hot lap, and is already quickest in the first sector, while Massa goes quickest in the second. The Brazilian takes the top spot with a 14.094, but this is instantly beaten by his German teammate, who posts 13.778. The Ferraris are hot, hot, hot.
With just over two minutes remaining, both WilliamsF1s are in the danger zone, as are the BMWs, Trulli and Klien. All six are on track.
Pedro de la Rosa fails to improve, and remains ninth, still in danger on 15.021.
Alonso takes sixth, but is demoted by Ralf Schumacher, in what is a tipsy-topsy session.
Therefore, at the second phase we lose Heidfeld, Rosberg, Villeneuve, Trulli, Klien and Webber, disaster for WilliamsF1 and BMW.
Quickest was Michael, who finished ahead of Massa, Button, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Barrichello, Ralf, Alonso, Coulthard and de la Rosa.
The two Ferraris wait at the end of the pitlane for the start of phase three, Massa ahead of his team leader. Behind them the two Renaults, Barrichello, de la Rosa and Button.
As they begin the first 'flying' lap of the fuel burn phase, Michael is already ahead of his Ferrari teammate, just where he wants to be.
With ten minutes remaining, Pedro de la Rosa clashes with Ralf, which leaves the Spaniard facing the wrong way, and with a punctured right-rear, and the German with suspected damage to his suspension. Both drivers return to the pits, Ralf pushed back into his garage.
Kimi is the first to make a scheduled stop, with the Ferraris, and several others, stopping next time around. As they leave, Michael almost collides with Alonso, much to the Renault driver's ire… game on!
Kimi goes quickest in the first sector, as Pedro goes quickest in the second. "Did you see what Michael did?" asks Fernando over the team radio. "Yes, we saw" is the response.
Kimi goes quickest with a 14.070, which is pretty good considering he's on race fuel. Pedro is second on 16.085!
Michael takes second (14.205), ahead of Massa, Button and Fisichella. McLaren is clearly aiming to start from pole… and intends taking no prisoners.
De la Rosa pits then returns to the track, though there's smoke coming from the back of the McLaren. Meanwhile, Button stops for fresh rubber.
Under a minute, and all ten drivers are on track.
Raikkonen goes off into the dust, but is able to continue, nonetheless he won't be able to improve.
Michael goers quickest in the final sector but is unable to improve on second, while Alonso has to settle for seventh.
The order, at the end of the final phase, is: Raikkonen, Michael, Massa, Button, Fisichella, Barrichello, Alonso, Ralf, Rosa and Coulthard.
Speaking ahead of the German Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes Motorsport boss, Norbert Haug, warned that McLaren would have to be aggressive, that the team had to start from the first two rows of the grid. Well, although Pedro ran into problems - or Ralf as he's usually known - Kimi did the business and takes the tenth pole of his career.
That said, one has to wonder just how early into the race the Finn will be making his first pit stop, for it's unlikely that his qualifying time gives us a real idea as to how the McLaren compares with the Ferrari in terms of outright pace.
Credit where credit is due, and Jenson Button pulled out all the stops to get his Honda on to the second row, his best qualifying position since Imola (2nd). The fact that his teammate starts from sixth appears to indicate that Honda has made an improvement, however, we'll wait until tomorrow afternoon before we start talking of a revival.
Renault will be bitterly disappointed with fifth (Fisi) and seventh (Alonso), and one has to wonder how much of this is down to the on-going controversy regarding the mass damper system. Neither of the blue and yellow cars has looked too impressive this weekend, and with another race next week, not to mention the summer test ban, the French team appears to be under pressure.
Ralf's chances ended with that clash with Pedro, while DC appeared to go missing in qualifying, that said, we wouldn't be surprised to see the canny Scot add a couple more points to his (growing) tally this weekend.
To sum up, Kimi starts ahead of the two Ferraris, though in all honesty we expect to see the situation reversed come tomorrow afternoon, with Michael looking particularly 'up for it', and no doubt fired by the home support.
The sad fact is that once again the on-track activity has been somewhat overshadowed by events far away from the asphalt, and this latest episode has not only put a damper of the event, it has left us with a slightly bitter taste in our mouth.
To check out our Hockenheim qualifying gallery, click here