Grand Prix: If Massa had quickest lap in Hungary why didn't he get pole? Is it an average best or something

Question

Also as Hamilton did less laps, does that mean he has more fuel and better tyres?

Answer 1

Because in the final session, they are qualifying with the fuel they use in the race.  Maybe Lewis is fueled lighter than Massa..

Answer 2

He could of set the fastest qualifying 1 and 2 but for 3 he didn't get as good a time as lewis hamilton..

and in answer to your other question...not necessarily. they may have 1 extra set but it doesn't make that much of a difference

Hope this helps!

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Answer 3

Modern qualifying is in 3 parts.

Qualifying 1

All 20 cars have 15 minutes to set as fast a lap as they can with as little fuel as they want, the slowest 5 (up to 16th) are knocked out

Qualifying2

15 remaining cars head out for 15mins again to set their fastest possible lap, this is when Massa was fastest, any fuel load again allowed. Again the 5 slowest (11- 15) are booted out

Qualifying 3

The previous times are forgotten as now they must set the fastest lap possible with the ammount of fuel they are planning to start the GP with ( 19 laps ish worth or a little less in Toyotas case), and in that 10 minute session, Hamilton was faster than Massa ( as was Kovalinen).

Hamilton does have a better tyre selection as he didn't waste a 2nd set in qualify 2 like Massa did. There is only need to set 1 time in each session, if you can be fast enough, this saves tyres, cant save fuel (only in an enviormental sense anyway) as on qualify 3 what you start the session with, is what you race with a the cars get topped back up before the race.

Answer 4

even if he had the quickest lap overall, it wouldnt matter because it would have to be in q3 when the top 8 drivers are fighting for pole as in q1 and q2 the drivers are trying to stay in the running and avoid elimination, which sucks because in that case if someone makes a fantastic run in q1 or q2 it doesnt count toward the final grid position it only counts to carry the driver to the next phase of qualifying.

Answer 5

The first 2 sessions of qualifying are just elimination stages. The times reset after each stage, and it's only the last stage with fuel on board that decides pole position.

"if he is the quickest does he need to go out again?"

No, he doesn't, and it depends on personal choice. If he genuinely thinks that he won't be able to improve his time then he can choose not to go out again. It's a risk though, because he only saves around a lap and a half to two laps of fuel, and if several cars beat his time he will have blown his chances and will look foolish.

You can put as much fuel as you want in the car. The less fuel you race the more likely you are to go faster, but it means that you have to pit earlier in the race, which is generally a disadvantage. The teams all calculate the ideal amount of fuel to take into the race, but can adjust their strategy based on what they think others will do.

For example, putting less fuel in gets you further up the grid, less likely to be in an accident as the start (as you're near the front with less cars around you) and means that you're unlikely to get stuck behind a slower car in the early stages. Toyota may think that these advantages are worth more then the disadvantages created by pitting early (more likely to come out in traffic, have lots more fuel for a few laps before others pit etc.).

Answer 6

It is only the fastest lap in the 3rd qualifying session that counts for pole position.

Massa did not get the fastest lap in this session but in one of the previous qualifying sessions where the times do not count for anything more than to secure a place in the next round.

Every team has different strategies depending on how they wish to run the race, it is difficult to speculate on Hamiltons situation but I think maybe his tyres are better.