17/11/2006
NEWS STORY
Frustrations continued to increase as red flags flew again on Friday at Macau's Circuito da Guia, with heavy shunts in both sessions from SpykerMF1 test driver Adrian Sutil and a dramatic final-corner Qualifying 2 smash for GP2-hopeful Mike Conway.
Pushing beyond the limit, Sutil hit the barrier hard at San Francisco Hill in Free Practice 2, his left rear wheel having detached from the car. However, Qualifying 2 was to be no better, with Sutil's Dallara-Toyota-TOM'S car badly damaged in yet another powerful smash - this time at Police Corner. Starting from 14th for tomorrow's Qualification race, Sutil remained upbeat: "there was one corner with a little white powder on the track from the Carrera Cup. So, I thought it was ok to get on the power. I got on the power, and suddenly the car stepped out to the left and it was all over. I feel so good here, and I know I can get the right results. But maybe qualifying was not my time. I just have to push through the race tomorrow and see where I can end up for Sunday. I haven't given up."
Mike Conway's early weekend confidence took a fairly painful blow when he understeered into the wall at the final corner during the afternoon's qualifying session. Only 10 minutes into the session, Conway was on course for a competitive lap, however his mistake put paid to that and the red flags were duly flown. Conway confirmed that his race was now about damage limitation, "Yeah, it was looking like a good session, we were setting competitive times on old tyres. However, we went out on new tyres and I just understeered out in the final corner exit - and on that lap, I would have been good for P3. We've just got to get a good start tomorrow, push through the field, so that we can get a good result on Sunday." Conway starts from 11th in tomorrow's Qualification Race.
Japan's GP2-headed young charger Kohei Hirate proved that a happy ending was possible throughout the triple red flag Qualifying 2 session. Hirate ended the session on the front row, lying only a tenth adrift of pole position holder Kamui Kobayashi. Interestingly, Hirate ended the session with debris lodged in his front wing and completed a number of laps with the carbon fibre obstructing vital front downforce. Hirate spoke of the carbon fibre shard, "I picked it up in the corner at which Grosjean crashed. I came through the corner and picked up the piece of carbon. At that time, I didn't know what it was. After a few corners, I realised that it was a piece of carbon fibre in the front wing but it was then the end of the session, so it was ok. I'm happy with my performance, as everyone had red flags in the final laps, so it was quite difficult conditions. The car was quite good. I could have improved, but I'm not worried about the car setup, I'm happy with it. Tomorrow we have the qualifying race of 10 laps. So, we'll just try to finish and be first, its 15 laps so we have another possibility to be there."
2007 WilliamsF1 test driver Kazuki Nakajima found it hard to get a lap in between the three separate red flag incidents. Starting Saturday's Qualification Race from seventh, Nakajima will have to be aggressive in his strategy. Speaking on his Qualifying 2 session, Nakajima was straight-to-the-point. "It was very hard to get a clear lap. Once I set a very good second sector, but we had red flags before the last corner. I only had one clear lap, so that was that really."
Against all pre-weekend expectations, BMW-Sauber F1 test driver Sebastian Vettel ended his Friday qualifying session in what was an improved ninth. Although the 2006 Formula 1 debutant ended his morning Free Practice session in a promising seventh, he was more than a full second off the pace of timesheet topper Mike Conway. With BMW's Motorsport Director Dr Mario Theissen having arrived at the circuit late on Friday night, there is much pressure on Vettel to win the race on Sunday. Vettel was locked in debrief late into the night and unavailable for comment.
2006 Formula 3 Euroseries Champion Paul di Resta will start the Macau Grand Prix Qualification Race from fifth on the grid, after the red flags affected further progress up the timesheets. Only lying seven thousandths of a second from fourth-placed and Qualifying 1 pole position holder Marko Asmer, di Resta is hoping for a good start tomorrow to maximise potential for Sunday's all important Macau Grand Prix. Like his Euroseries compatriot, winning at Guia is everything and di Resta stayed in debrief late into the night.
With many of the sports big stars befallen by misfortune in Qualifying 1 and 2, Saturday's Qualification Race will prove to be spectacular as they each try to push their way through the field.
Stewart Bell - At Macau's Guia Circuit.
| Pos | Driver | Nat | Car | Time |
| 1 | KOBAYASHI | JAP | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:13.449 |
| 2 | HIRATE | JAP | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:13.566 |
| 3 | GROSJEAN | FRA | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:13.930 |
| 4 | ANTINUCCI | USA | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:14.105 |
| 5 | DI RESTA | GB | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:14.175 |
| 6 | STREIT | BRZ | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:14.217 |
| 7 | NAKAJIMA | JAP | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:14.231 |
| 8 | KIMBALL | USA | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:14.379 |
| 9 | VETTEL | D | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:14.390 |
| 10 | TSUKAKOSHI | JAP | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:14.553 |
| 11 | CONWAY | GB | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:14.578 |
| 12 | CARBONE | BRZ | Dallara Nissan | 2:14.853 |
| 13 | ENGEL | D | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:14.857 |
| 14 | ASMER | EST | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:15.108 |
| 15 | SUTIL | D | Dallara Toyota-TOM'S | 2:15.159 |
| 16 | JELLEY | GB | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:15.490 |
| 17 | BUEMI | SUI | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:15.614 |
| 18 | IKEDA | JAP | Dallara Toyota-TOM'S | 2:15.786 |
| 19 | JAKES | GB | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:16.010 |
| 20 | KENNARD | GB | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:16.644 |
| 21 | JARVIS | GB | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:16.945 |
| 22 | BUURMAN | NED | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:17.091 |
| 23 | CORTES | ESP | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:17.191 |
| 24 | RODRIGUEZ | ESP | Dallara Mercedes-HWA | 2:17.286 |
| 25 | MASSIRONI | ITA | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:18.494 |
| 26 | WINSLOW | GB | Dallara Toyota-TOM'S | 2:18.957 |
| 27 | AVILA | MAC | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:19.016 |
| 28 | HO | MAC | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:20.590 |
| 29 | CHEONG | MAC | Dallara Honda-Mugen NB | 2:25.917 |
| 30 | MERSZEI | MAC | Dallara Toyota-Tom's | 2:26.326 |
| 31 | OSHIMA | JAP | Dallara Toyota-TOM'S | No Time |
| 32 | LEI | MAC | Dallara Opel-Spiess | No Time |