Bahrain Grand Prix: Luke Reviews Qualifying
By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
April 14 2007
Toyota had a fairly dissapointing Qualifying for Round 3 of the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship at the Sakhir Circuit in the Gulf of Bahrain.
Drivers Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher both got through to the second session in Qualifying but that's as far as Ralf went. Ther German complaining of an oversteery car thus putting Ralf in 14th position for tommorow's race with a best time of 1.33.294. Jarno made it through to the pole shoot-out and had been looking strong all weekend so maybe a heavy fuel load was respobible for the Italian Toyota ace Qualifying only 9th on a time of 1.34.154 in the final session.
Up front meanwhile pole position was taken by Brazilian Ferrari driver Felipe Massa to take pole position for the second time in a week. Massa has had a dissapointing start to the 2007 F1 Season and is far behind team mate Kimi Raikkonen in the World Championship. The Brazilian's best time a 1.32.652. Massa will be hoping to convert pole into a win this time.
Lewis Hamilton has been the sensation of 2007. The British Rookie has taken two podiums from his first two Formula 1 starts and the rollercoaster keeps going for the reigning GP2 Champion. Hamilton take his first Formula 1 front row, lining up second alongisde Felipe Massa. Massa's team mate Kimi Raikkonen will line up third ahead of World Champion Fernando Alonso in the second Mclaren. Alonso out qualified by Hamilton for the first time this season.
Hamilton has warned everyone about the threat from BMW-Sauber and Nick Heidfeld and Polish team Mate Robert Kubica look strong this weekend. The duo rounding out the top 6. Renault have struggled for pace this season but Giancarlo Fisichella lines up a good 7th for the reigning constructors champions just ahead of Mark Webber in the Red Bull-Renault. Jarno and Nico Rosberg in the Toyota powered Williams round out the top 10.
Rosberg's team mate, Austrian Alexander Wurz will start 11th just ahead of Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, the Finnish rookie once again failing to ake it into the top 10 shoot out but expect better from him in the race. Anthony Davidson was a superb 13th for Super Aguri-Honda, The team racing at the circuit where they made there debut one year go using 2002 Arrows chassis. What a difference a year makes! Davidson outqualifies Ralf but most importantly the Honda works drivers of Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello and Briton Jenson Button. Rumours circulate that Honda will bring a totally new car for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Takuma Sato just missed out on the second phase of Qualifying in the second Super Aguri and lines up 17th just ahead of the Scuderia Toro Rosso cars of Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi and American Team Mate Scott Speed. Sypker's Gemran rookie Adrian Sutil made the leap off the back row and will start 20th but was aided by a gearbox issue for Red Bull's David Coulthard who starts 21st. Spyker's Ducth number 2 driver Christijan Albers couldnt benefit and will start last.
Looking ahead to the race and Bahrain has always been a tough circuit for Toyota discounting Jarno's podium in 2005. It looks like the team will be in for a tough afternoon tommorow but could get one car into the points. It's Jarno and Ralf from 9th and 14th on the grid with Massa on pole for the 2007 Bahrain Grand Prix or as i title it ''The Desert Race.''
Bahrain Grand Prix 2007 Provisional Grid
1 Massa Ferrari 1:32.652
2 Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:32.935
3 Räikkönen Ferrari 1:33.131
4 Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.192
5 Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 1:33.404
6 Kubica BMW-Sauber 1:33.710
7 Fisichella Renault 1:34.056
8 Webber Red Bull Renault 1:34.106
9 Trulli Toyota 1:34.154
10 Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:34.399
11 Wurz Williams-Toyota 1:32.915
12 Kovalainen Renault 1:32.935
13 Davidson Super Aguri 1:33.082
14 Schumacher Toyota 1:33.294
15 Barrichello Honda 1:33.624
16 Button Honda 1:33.731
17 Sato Super Aguri 1:33.984
18 Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:34.024
19 Speed Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:34.333
20 Sutil Spyker F1 1:35.280
21 Coulthard Red Bull Renault1:35.341
22 Albers Spyker F1 1:35.533