Bahrain GP: Mixed qualifying for Williams Racing

Team Summary:
Qualifying opening period would see both Williams drivers out first running on the medium tyre. Both AlphaTauri and McLaren cars were also running on the soft tyre. Gasly would set a 1m:33.016 to be briefly quickest. Both Williams had pitted to change to the soft tyre. More drivers were coming out all on the soft tyre as we saw Verstappen setting a m1;31.909 to be fastest with Perez second. Gasly third followed by Norris and Tsinoda. Only the Mercedes had taken to the track as Ocon went third. Magnussen was now in second and Schumacher fourth as Bottas went second seeing Magnussen third followed by Alonso and Perez. The oder had changed rapidly with Leclerc quickest with a 1m:31.471 followed by Sainz, Verstappen, Bottas, Hamilton, Magnussen, Gasly, Alonso, Perez and Russell tenth.

The field had pitted and slowly the cars would return for additional runs including both Mercedes and one of the Williams. More cars would come out including the second Williams. With the second runs completed The order was Leclerc, Sainz, Verstappen, Bottas, Magnussen, Ocon, Gasly, Norris, Russell, and Hamilton tenth. One of the Williams would finish in 15th making it into Q2. The second was unfortunately slowest.

The remaining Williams was first out in Q2 followed by the remaining fourteen cars but the Williams would pit as Verstappen went fastest with a 1m:30.757 followed by Leclerc, Perez, Magnussen, Hamilton and Russell sixth. The track would empty leaving a single Williams running and he would move into 13th after his flying lap. Sainz was now in second followed by Leclerc, Perez, Hamilton, Russell, Magnussen, Alonso, Gasly, and Bottas tenth. So this would see the end of qualifying for Williams finishing in 14th and 20th. The final period would see Leclerc who would secure pole with a lap time of 1m:30.558 followed by Verstappen, Sainz, Perez, Hamilton, Bottas, Magnussen, Alonso, Russell and Gasly tenth. A very mixed result for the team but I can only say a very good job by Alex to be 14th and a concern for Nicholas to be so far off his team-mates pace.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would follow his team-mate out in the opening period also using the medium tyre. He would pit after a two lap run. He would return for a soft tyre run. A 1m:33.634 would see Nicholas only 18th and slowest. This would become 20th as he sat in the pits. Nicholas would also return for another soft tyre run. But he was now able to improve finishing last out of the twenty cars.

Alex Albon:
Alex would be first out in qualifying running on the medium tyre. But after a short run Alex would pit. He would return on the soft tyre for his first serious run. Alex would set a 1m:33.076 to be tenth but would drop to 12th. After a three lap run he would pit. In the pits he would drop to 14th. He would return for a second timed run again on the soft tyre. He would set a 1m:32.726 to be 13th dropping to 14th. This would become 15th as Ocon moved into 14th as the period came to an end. With the second period commencing Alex would return again on the soft tyre but a used set. He would pit without setting a time. He would return on a new set of soft tyres and would set a 1m:32.664 to be 13th. Alex said: "Thanks everyone feels really good to start off like this." He would drop to 15th as others went quicker. But one driver would have his time deleted seeing Alex remaining 13th but would finally drop to 14th as the period ended.