Chinese Grand Prix 2013: Qualifying

Yet another relatively early Saturday morning for qualifying – it begins at 7 am here. The Shanghai circuit isn’t one of the best for creating decent races – I can’t remember a single one and it’s been going since 2004. Last year’s race was notable for being Nico Rosberg‘s first win. The other winners are Lewis Hamilton, the only driver to win in twice, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello.

Qualifying 1: The 20 minute session gets off to a slow start: 8 minutes in and no cars have been out on track yet. Jules Bianchi is the first to go and set a time (1m39.025s). This is to preserve tyres, which as always this year are delicate. Most teams now are likely to only go for one timed lap in this session – a risky strategy which may lead to a jumbled up bottom 6 if people get in the way of each other. Nico Rosberg eventually deposes Bianchi with a time of 1m35.959s 13 minutes into the session. All of the drivers from larger teams are now out on track with 5 and a half minutes to go in this session. Hamilton goes fastest now to become the third leader of the times (1m35.793s). Many drivers are setting times now, all are slower than Hamilton’s and most seem to be slotting into third, each one pushing the previous third placed man down! A minute and a half left in this very quiet session and some of the drivers in the bottom section are setting times, Valtteri Bottas will be the last man across the line for Williams. Like the drivers at the top of the grid, most times appear to be setting times good enough for 15th. Esteban Gutierrez is the biggest name to be eliminated today.

17. Valtteri Bottas, Williams-Renault, 1m37.769s
18. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber-Ferrari, 1m37.990s
19. Jules Bianchi, Marussia-Cosworth, 1m38.780s
20. Max Chilton, Marussia-Cosworth, 1m39.537s
21. Charles Pic, Caterham-Renault, 1m39.614s
22. Giedo van der Garde, Caterham-Renault, 1m39.660s.

Qualifying 2: There is some debate as to whether Adrian Sutil was blocked by Raikkonen in Qualifying 1. The stewards will decide. Raikkonen is the only man to have a penalty this year…. As in the last session, there is a brief lull after the green light has been given, but Sebastian Vettel appears to be the one to break the silence – he is followed by Adrian Sutil and Jean-Eric Vergne, Vettel’s first time isn’t spectacular, setting a fairly low bar of1m36.260s. Over half the session has gone now and only 4 times have been posted. Alonso takes the top time away from Vettel with 8 minutes left: 1m36.186s. Mark Webber has parked up his car with 6m 40~s seconds left – it appears from the radio that he has run out of fuel. Raikkonen posts the quickest time of 1m35.659s, which is quickly followed by Rosberg’s 1m35.537s and Hamilton’s 1m35.078s with 4 minutes of the session left. The majority of drivers will still probably go out again. As drivers post their final times, Webber slides down the order and is certain to be out of the next qualifying session. The top ten will include: 2 Mercedes’ (Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg), 2 Ferraris (Fernando Alonso and Felipa Massa), 1 Red Bull (Sebastian Vettel), 2 Lotus’ (Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean), 1 McLaren (Jenson Button), 1 Toro Rosso (Daniel Ricciardo) and 1 Sauber (Nico Hulkenberg). The drivers that are eliminated are:

11. Paul di Resta, Force India-Mercedes, 1m36.287s
12. Sergio Perez, McLaen-Mercedes, 1m36.314s
13. Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes, 1m36.405s
14. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, 1m36.679s
15. Pastor Maldonado, Williams-Renault, 1m37.139s
16. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 1m37.199s.

Qualifying 3: A much shorter wait for action this session as Vettel takes to the track with less than 15 seconds of the session gone. Vettel comes in without setting a time to give him an advantage as he would be ahead of any driver that doesn’t go out at all. Just over five minutes left and still no times have been set. All 10 cars are coming out with 3 minutes left – most cars on soft tyres, Vettel Button and Massa out on medium tyres, The chequered flag is out, but no one has set a time yet. Raikkonen sets the bar at 1m34.761s, which is swiftly beaten by Hamilton to take his first pole position for Mercedes’ first pole position with a 1m34.484s. Button purposely sets a slow time in order to start ahead of Vettel who didn’t post a time at all along with Nico Hulkenberg – those two can choose which tyres to start the race on tomorrow. Because Vettel completed more laps, he starts in 9th ahead of Hulkenberg.

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m34.484s
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus-Reanult, 1m34.761s
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1m34.788s
4. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m34.861s
5. Felipa Massa, Ferrari, 1m34.933s
6. Romain Grosjean, Lotus-Renault, 1m35.364s
7. Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 1m35.998s
8. Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes, 2m05.673s
9. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, no time
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber-Ferrari, no time

The tyres still dominate the series then, and with Hamilton on pole and both Red Bulls well down the field, the first stint of tomorrow’s race could be very interesting indeed.