Webber splashes through to take pole in Sepang

Mark Webber achieved his second career pole position for Red Bull Racing with a strong drive on intermediate tyres in the tricky wet conditions at the Sepang International Circuit.

The Australian’s margin over his nearest competitor was impressive – over one second clear – compared to Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes. Sebastian Vettel will start the Malaysian Grand Prix in third in the other Red Bull.

As for the McLarens and Ferraris, the top two outfits were caught out by the changeable weather on the wrong sets of Bridgestone and will line up near the rear end of the grid.

Rain played a major part in the qualifying session and after several spins from many cars plus a red flag, the grid for Sunday’s race looks like its going to be another entertaining Grand Prix.

The late decision to remain in the pits in Q1 to see if the conditions improve proved costly for Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, as each driver was struggling on the track.

For the reigning world champion, the McLaren went into spin at Turn 6 and Button was forced to withdraw the rest of the session with his car stuck in the gravel. Jenson will start in P17. His team-mate fared no better with Hamilton spinning on the last corner on his first qualifying run. Lewis was unable to extract a faster lap time due to the increasing rain and will start the Malaysian Grand Prix in P20.

The same problem of being caught out by the rain also affected the Scuderia with Alonso and Massa struggling for grip and decent lap times. In the case of the current championship leader, the Spaniard performed a perfect 1080-degree spin exiting Turn 8 while Massa had a slide through the gravel. The time difference may only be 0.2-0.4 seconds to advance into Q2 but due to the tricky wet conditions, it was extremely unlikely for the Ferraris to find the available time and go through. The pair will start the race in P19 and P21 respectively.

So the prospect of the strongest/fastest cars at the rear of the grid should form an exciting race on Sunday, but what about the rest? Well, the Force India of Adrian Sutil exceeded in the changeable conditions and did a great job to qualify in fourth position. Sutil even had provisional pole in Q3 but then the track conditions improved and Webber was able to take advantage to grab the top spot thanks to his gamble on intermediates. Still, it was an impressive performance by Sutil in the Force India.

The Williams of Nico Hulkenberg lines up fifth, his best qualifying performance for a Formula One rookie. As for Robert Kubica, who had set the pace in Q1, the Renault driver will start the race in sixth position.

On row four is Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher – Williams and Mercedes GP respectively – with Kamui Kobayashi taking Sauber’s first top ten start of the season ahead of Tonio Liuzzi in the other Force India.

The Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersauri form up row seven with Renault’s Vitaly Petrov just missing out on a Q3 spot and will start P11, ahead of Pedro de la Rosa, who was a second off his Sauber team-mate Kobayashi’s Q2 pace.

With the top drivers making mistakes in the rain-interrupted qualifying session, it allowed the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen and Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock to reach Q2 for the first time in their teams’ history. The pair will form row eight. For Heikki, he out-qualified his team-mate Jarno Trulli by a small margin of 0.009 seconds to take P17.

As for the Hispania team, Karun Chandhok out-qualified his team-mate Bruno Senna for the first time as the Brazilian spun off early in Q1. Both beat Lucas di Grassi – who only joined Q1 for the saturated closing minutes as post-practice work on his Virgin over-ran.

Thanks to the wet qualifying session, we have a mixed up grid with the McLarens and Ferraris at the back while at the sharp end is the Red Bulls. More rain is forecast in Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix, so expected to see plenty of action and overtaking.

Qualifying times from Sepang:

1.  Webber         Red Bull-Renault       1:49.327
2.  Rosberg        Mercedes               1:50.673
3.  Vettel         Red Bull-Renault       1:50.789
4.  Sutil          Force India-Mercedes   1:50.914
5.  Hulkenberg     Williams-Cosworth      1:51.001
6.  Kubica         Renault                1:51.051
7.  Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth      1:51.511
8.  Schumacher     Mercedes               1:51.717
9.  Kobayashi      Sauber-Ferrari         1:51.767
10.  Liuzzi         Force India-Mercedes  1:52.254
11.  Petrov         Renault               1:48.760
12.  de la Rosa     Sauber-Ferrari        1:48.771
13.  Buemi          Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1:49.207
14.  Alguersuari    Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1:49.464
15.  Kovalainen     Lotus-Cosworth        1:52.270
16.  Glock          Virgin-Cosworth       1:52.520
17.  Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1:52.211
18.  Trulli         Lotus-Cosworth        1:52.884
19.  Alonso         Ferrari               1:53.044
20.  Hamilton       McLaren-Mercedes      1:53.050
21.  Massa          Ferrari               1:53.283
22.  Chandhok       HRT-Cosworth          1:56.299
23.  Senna          HRT-Cosworth          1:57.269
24.  di Grassi      Virgin-Cosworth       1:59.977

6 thoughts to “Webber splashes through to take pole in Sepang”

  1. The top three drivers’ views on a dramatic qualifying session at Sepang. Stories taken from Autosport.com.

    Mark Webber thanked his engineer Ciaron Pilbeam for helping him make the crucial tyre decision that led to his Malaysian Grand Prix pole.

    The Australian was the only driver in Q3 to run on intermediate tyres, and as the track improved faster than expected following a heavy shower, Webber grabbed pole by 1.3 seconds.

    “Collectively we all did [the decision], Ciaron and I, looking at the window,” said Webber.

    “It was starting to spit at the end there but in sections it was definitely the tyre to be on, and in other places it was a risk to throw it off.

    “I didn’t know if I was only guy on inters, so didn’t know I was the blacksheep of the top ten. In the end we made the decision together and it was about putting it together – a tough one now for everyone.”

    He said the whole qualifying session had been a huge test, and that none of the big names eliminated early should feel too ashamed.

    “It was a very tricky qualifying session for everyone, no question about it,” said Webber.

    “When you look at amount of standing water in places in Q1 and Q2, trying to get a clear lap was hard. It was a pretty challenging lap for everyone, my quickest lap in Q2 was a three point turn around Pedro [de la Rosa]…

    “I wouldn’t throw egg at anyone, it is so easy to get it wrong and easy to end up massively on the back foot and you can’t respond, as you saw with Lewis [Hamilton] and both Ferraris.

    “In Q2 you needed a canoe because it changed so quickly, you are doing 40-50 km/h. It was very, very tricky – this place when it rains we know is impressive.”

    After his messy Australian GP, Webber vowed to make the most of pole position tomorrow.

    “We know Sundays we haven’t executed the cleanest races this year,” he admitted. “The guys have worked like hell in Milton Keynes and Viry, we are doing our utmost to execute those Sunday afternoons.

    “Tomorrow is a long race, this place can throw up a lot of stuff in the two hour duration. We are not getting ahead of ourselves but we did what we had to do today.”

    Nico Rosberg predicted an interrupted Malaysian Grand Prix if the weather forecasts for tomorrow prove correct, as he said conditions in Q3 were impossible today.

    Qualifying at Sepang was wet throughout, with a particularly heavy downpour forcing a 20 minute stoppage in the final segment.

    “It is really difficult, even today in Q3 it was just much too much water,” said Rosberg, “so we have to wait and see tomorrow. I expect a really difficult race in general with red flags.

    “I am quite confident I can make it through to the end and get a good result – if it’s dry, okay, and if it’s wet we should be good.”

    Although Rosberg qualified on the front row, he was 1.3 seconds down on Mark Webber, the only man to use intermediates rather than wet tyres in Q3. However Rosberg was completely satisfied with his tyre choice.

    “I felt good and felt I had a good lap in, then the tyres started to degrade,” he said.

    “I saw Mark in front on inters and was pretty sure I was right on tyres, but thankfully it wasn’t the wrong decision to be on full wets either.”

    Sebastian Vettel said the Malaysian Grand Prix officials were absolutely right to halt Q3 to allow the weather to improve.

    The final part of qualifying was stopped before anyone had completed a final lap, as a heavy rain shower had just hit the circuit. After allowing the worst of the weather to pass, the session resumed 20 minutes later for a final seven minutes of running.

    Vettel ended up third on the grid, and was satisfied that the correct decision had been made.

    “It was tricky at the start of Q3,” he said. “There was a lot of water and it was a good thing to get red flag out. There was too much water. The cars are low so we end up swimming rather than driving.”

    Mark Webber then used intermediate tyres on the second Red Bull to take pole on the rapidly-improving track, while Vettel and the other top ten contenders stayed on full wets.

    “I said straight after qualifying ‘good job poker face’ [to Webber],” Vettel joked. “In the end we made the right call. In Q3 the water disappeared quicker than the majority of people thought.”

    The German said he was still very satisfied with third on the grid, despite having been on pole for the past two races.

    “I am happy. I think we did a step forward overnight and looking back it was a pretty chaotic qualifying today,” Vettel said.

    “We saw in Q1 some of the favourites going out – the most important thing was to get into the next one carefully. The pace was there and in the end third is a very good result, there was not much gap to the next best car on wets, I think about one tenth and plenty of margin, all round a good day.”

  2. McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were left lamenting their mistake after being knocked out in Q1 for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

    The duo waited to go out and set a time, hoping that conditions would improve after heavy rain had hit the track.

    However, conditions only worsened and by the time they set a timed lap, the circuit was too wet to reach Q2.

    Hamilton admitted McLaren’s had been the wrong call.

    “I think we started a bit too late, but we went out at a similar times to all the other top teams, but it was just unlucky,” he said.

    “It’s one of those things. We had been fastest all weekend and then it’s just so my luck, but what can you do? You just have to shrug it off and tomorrow I’ll race my heart out again.”

    He added: “It was one of those days. It’s been a good weekend so far, but we didn’t expect it to rain anymore and it got wetter and wetter and couldn’t get the time, so. Hard work tomorrow, for sure but I’ll do my best.”

    Hamilton will start from 20th position, three places behind Button, whose session ended when he lost control of his car and got stuck in the gravel.

    “We read it wrong, basically,” Button said. “We thought nothing else was coming so we waited and it was obviously the wrong thing to do.

    “My first lap on inters felt okay. It was quite wet but it felt okay. I just aquaplaned off, really. I couldn’t do anything about it. I was stuck in the gravel. I hope I haven’t damaged anything because I was stuck in the gravel with the engine running for quite a long time hoping to get pulled out, but that wasn’t the case.

    “Very disappointing, and a very strange session with both McLarens out and both Ferraris out.”

    The world champion at lest found some consolation in the fact that both Hamilton and the Ferrari drivers had qualified behind him.

    “On the way back you feel pretty awful having gone off the circuit, but I’m in front of my championship rivals. I suppose that’s the best way of looking at it. But I’m behind all other rivals which is a tough one. We made the wrong call and paid for it. Hopefully we’ll make up for it tomorrow.”

    Source: Autosport.com

  3. Despite starting the Malaysian Grand Prix in fourth spot, Mercedes GP driver Nico Rosberg expects the race will be heavily disrupted, just like the qualifying session. Read the Autosport.com for the full story below:

    Nico Rosberg predicted an interrupted Malaysian Grand Prix if the weather forecasts for tomorrow prove correct, as he said conditions in Q3 were impossible today.

    Qualifying at Sepang was wet throughout, with a particularly heavy downpour forcing a 20 minute stoppage in the final segment.

    “It is really difficult, even today in Q3 it was just much too much water,” said Rosberg, “so we have to wait and see tomorrow. I expect a really difficult race in general with red flags.

    “I am quite confident I can make it through to the end and get a good result – if it’s dry, okay, and if it’s wet we should be good.”

    Although Rosberg qualified on the front row, he was 1.3 seconds down on Mark Webber, the only man to use intermediates rather than wet tyres in Q3. However Rosberg was completely satisfied with his tyre choice.

    “I felt good and felt I had a good lap in, then the tyres started to degrade,” he said.

    “I saw Mark in front on inters and was pretty sure I was right on tyres, but thankfully it wasn’t the wrong decision to be on full wets either.”

  4. As for Nico Hulkenberg in the Williams, this was his best performance in qualifying for a rookie. Read the Autosport.com story for his enthusiastic response after taking fifth position.

    Nico Hulkenberg hailed his qualifying performance as a breakthrough after reaching Q3 ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

    The Williams rookie will start the race from fifth position after having reached the final qualifying segment for the first time.

    Hulkenberg also qualified two places ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello.

    “Yeah, good success,” Hulkenberg told the BBC. “I mean finally a bit like a breakthrough. I’m obviously very happy even though I think it’s very tight – the guys in front, I could have had them.

    “Not an ideal lap but it’s very difficult in these conditions anyway, but I’m quite happy where I am and happy for the team as well.”

    The German admitted it will be a big day for him tomorrow, but he claimed he is ready to attack to get a good result.

    “It is, but I’ll just get out there and get my job done, at least try to maintain my position and in the best case gain places. I’ll not be shy.”

  5. Even though the championship leader is down in P19 following a mistake on the wrong tyres during the wet Q1 session, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso expects a rather different outcome will play in Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix. See Autosport.com below for the full story:

    Fernando Alonso says his position at the bottom of the grid for the Malaysian Grand Prix is not too important as he expects a rather chaotic race tomorrow.

    The Ferrari driver was knocked out in Q1 on Saturday after his team decided to wait for the track to dry up before setting a lap time.

    The decision proved to be a mistake which cost the Italian team dear, as more rain hit the circuit and neither Alonso not team-mate Felipe Massa could set a time good enough to go into Q2.

    Alonso will start the race from 19th, with Massa in 21st.

    The Spaniard, however, believes his position is not too significant, as he reckons more rain on Sunday will make the race a lottery.

    “We had a forecast of no rain for Q1 so we waited a few minutes to go out, thinking that the track would dry up and then it started to rain more and nobody could improve their times and we were out,” he told Spanish television.

    “Fortunately the race is tomorrow, not today, and tomorrow a lot of things will happen, so the starting position is just an anecdote.”

    Alonso admitted he is expecting heavy rain again tomorrow.

    “Yeah, and especially here, with this race schedule at the the time when it always rains, tomorrow will be a race with a lot of changes, so all we need to do is give it all and try to recover a lot of positions,” he said.

    He said, however, that he would prefer a dry race, despite rain likely to boost his chances of recovering to a good position.

    “I never want rain because it’s not what everybody wants to see. When it rains, weird things happen and the fun turns into a lottery.”

  6. What an incredible qualifying session!

    yet again rain played it’s part for the malaysian qualies, and yet again we get a starting line up that’s been completely turned on its head. Red Bull aside of course.

    What a brave decision by Mark to chance it on inters. Looking at the spray, it seemed too wet for the soft-core wet tyres, but Webber found the drier tram lines made by the other cars and nailed it!

    Awesome stuff indeed.

    However, this makes tomorrows race hugely anticipated. With good drivers at the top and world champions at the back, chance of more rain, who cannot be excited?! It will be very interesting to see the the big boys at the back trying to make their way to the front…ish. Mclarens huge top speed, Ferrari’s brilliant car top front to back, man this could be magic! Add to the real possibility of rain at some point and it really could be anybodies race.

    Though just goes to show that you should never chance to rain here. If it’s not flooding the track at the start of the qualifying, then it means it will be later! How could you risk waiting??!! Get out there, get a time in to get you into the second session, then see what happens. Why is it so many bad choices are being made by Mclaren? Since Lewis joined they have been some monumentally bad moves being made, and now Ferrari dropped a clanger. What’s going on in these teams?

    Anyways, who cares, as it’s made for a great race and considering the depths F1 has plunged to, it needs every bit of excitement it can get.

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