The exhilarating qualifying session (Q2) of the inaugural Korean Grand prix (Part 3)
After Q2, 6 drivers were eliminated and now it was down to 17 drivers to prove what they are made of in order to secure a good grid position for the race ahead of the weekend. However, Q2 is also an elimination round and the real deal starts after this session.
But it is important as a driver cannot take part in Q3 if he does not qualify in Q2.
Tonio Liuzzi, Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock, Heikki Kovalainen, Lucas di Grassi, Sakon Yamamoto and Bruno Senna were the drivers that were eliminated. With just 17 drivers left, the Q2 session was underway and the drivers were getting ready for the next challenge.
They will have just 15 minutes to score their quickest lap in order to secure a berth in the top 10 shootout. Massa was the first driver to hit the track followed by Hulkenberg and Alguersuari who immediately came out on the track. Kubica decided to bank a
time on the harder compound while Massa was out on the soft tyres.
Vettel, Webber and Barrichello joined them as the action began earlier than expected in Q2. Alonso did not want to stay behind so he decided to head on track with hard tyres. Hulkenberg flashed across the line to begin his first timed lap of the session
on soft tyres while Alguersuari posted 53.7 seconds in the first sector. But Hulkenberg was able to beat that by around six-tenths of a second.
Massa seemed slow through the first sector as he began his first flying lap on soft tyres. Hulkenberg scored the first timed lap of the session in the 1m39.234s before Hulkenberg snatched the top spot away from him after managing a 1m38.058s lap by the 3
minute marker.
Kubica scored the fastest first sector of the session where the Renault has been vying with the McLaren for supremacy. Hamilton outbraked himself for the first corner and spoiled his first lap on hard tyres while Vettel topped the list as he clocked in at
a 1m37.224s. Alonso took the leading time with a quick 1m37.096s as Michael Schumacher used soft tyres for a run of laps and scored third place with a time of 1m37.396s behind Alonso and Vettel.
Massa looked quicker on his second run with soft tyres before scoring a 1m36.672s lap to take the lead. Vettel could not stand anyone’s name above him so he decided to score another lap and succeeded as he beat Massa’s time. Hamilton slotted in as the third
quickest driver. Mark Webber gave his team the perfect result as he scored second place to give his team a 1-2. Rosberg was also on softer tyres now and went to sixth place with a 1m36.895s while Button was only the ninth fastest driver after his first attempt
on hard tyres. It seemed that he might need to deploy the soft rubber to get out of danger.
Vettle topped the order with his teammate in second up until now followed by Alonso in third, Massa in fourth and Hamilton in fifth place. Neither of the Sauber drivers had come out on to the track yet and it seemed that they would go for a lone run.
The leading drivers decided to head back to the pits for a tyre change and Rosberg was the only driver on track before heading back in to the pits.
After the half way marker into the Q2 session, Heidfeld finally decided to head out on soft tyres to take advantage of the ever-improving track conditions followed by Alonso on soft tyres as well.
The Q2 session was coming towards its end and it seemed that things will get busier on the track as the drivers would try their best to qualify for the Q3 session. By the looks of it, the top teams were not facing any major problems.
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