Turkey Qualifying

By Catfish
August 26 2006

Normal service was resumed as the first session began - both in terms of the weather with a track temperature of 50_ and of Ferrari looking unbeatable on pace having completed the morning’s final practice session 7 tenths clear of the Renault pair.

Fernando was out on the circuit for the first session within minutes of the green light perhaps showing the pressure Renault are really under following the dubious but rather inevitable damper decision. He set a time of 1.29.087 briefly good enough for P1 but Michael Schumacher quickly gave a clear indication of how difficult things might be this weekend by setting a 1.27.385 with his first hot lap. Massa then produced a marginally quicker time and Fisi left it late for his first and only run but produced a fairly comfortable looking 1.28.125 for 5th place. Ferrari were easily the two quickest cars and both McLaren and Honda looked reasonably fast but Coulthard was the main casualty of Q1 joining the Super Aguri’s and Toro Rosso’s as Christian Albers just shaded him for P16.

The second session was once again a Ferrari benefit with Michael setting an ominous looking 1.25.850 on his first quick lap whilst Fernando’s best time of 1.26.917 was over a second slower. Fisi seemed to have a problem on his first run and didn’t register a time so had to make a last ditch second attempt and only just made the cut with a 127.322. This was good enough only for 8th place by the time the flag dropped and it was very close with those behind him. De La Rosa, who appeared to be held up by Mark Webber, Trulli, Barichello, Rosberg, Klien and Albers all dropped out.

The third session began with Schumacher nearly a second quicker during the first fuel burning lap let alone the business end of the session but it was Renault who produced the first serious time with Fisi going fastest in every sector for a 1.27.8. This was enough to top the timesheets briefly ahead of Fernando before Massa took over with a 1.27.3. More bad news followed as the team radio appeared to reveal some sort of problem with Fisi’s engine just as Schumacher set a 1.27.284. However both Renault drivers managed to improve their times during the final lap chaos which saw all the main contenders out on very late laps. It was Massa who emerged with a 1.26.907 to take his first career pole but Schumacher never quite looked like beating him after running wide at the first turn and so had to settle for second. Fernando’s final lap was good enough for third and place and Fisi also improved his time to complete an all-Renault second row. They are ahead of Heidfeld and Button who both gained a place as a result of Ralf Schumacher’s engine change.

All things considered, and as long as there is nothing seriously wrong with Fisi’s engine, this was about the best the team could have reasonably hoped for from this session. We now have to wait and see whether the Michelin tyres hold out for long enough to mount a serious challenge in the race and if we have a competitive enough strategy. Ferrari must still be the favourites but on paper at least the gap doesn’t look as unassailable as it first appeared.

P. No Driver Team - Engine Tyres Times Ave/Gaps Laps

1. 6 MASSA Ferrari B 1'26"907 221.119 Km/h 0
2. 5 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'27"284 220.164 Km/h 0
3. 1 ALONSO Renault M 1'27"321 220.071 Km/h 0
4. 2 FISICHELLA Renault M 1'27"564 219.460 Km/h 0
5. 7 R.SCHUMACHER Toyota B 1'27"569 219.448 Km/h 0
6. 16 HEIDFELD BMW Sauber M 1'27"785 218.908 Km/h 0
7. 12 BUTTON Honda M 1'27"790 218.895 Km/h 0
8. 3 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'27"866 218.706 Km/h 0
9. 17 KUBICA BMW Sauber M 1'28"167 217.959 Km/h 0
10. 9 WEBBER Williams Cosworth B 1'29"436 214.866 Km/h 0

11. 15 KLIEN RedBull Ferrari M 1'27"852 218.741 Km/h 0
12. 4 DE LA ROSA McLaren Mercedes M 1'27"897 218.629 Km/h 0
13. 8 TRULLI Toyota B 1'27"973 218.440 Km/h 0
14. 11 BARRICHELLO Honda M 1'28"257 217.737 Km/h 0
15. 10 ROSBERG Williams Cosworth B 1'28"386 217.419 Km/h 0
16. 19 ALBERS Midland Toyota B 1'28"639 216.798 Km/h 0

17. 14 COULTHARD RedBull Ferrari M 1'29"136 215.590 Km/h 0
18. 21 SPEED Toro Rosso Cosw. M 1'29"158 215.536 Km/h 0
19. 20 LIUZZI Toro Rosso Cosw. M 1'29"250 215.314 Km/h 0
20. 18 MONTEIRO Midland Toyota B 1'29"901 213.755 Km/h 0
21. 23 YAMAMOTO S. Aguri F1 Honda B 1'30"607 212.090 Km/h 0
22. 22 SATO S. Aguri F1 Honda B 1'30"850 211.522 Km/h 0