Turkish Grand Prix 2011: 1st Qualifying session – Formula One highlights (Part 3)
With Kamui Kobayashi already out of the running, it provided one of the three ‘bottom-feeders’ some incentive to push on and look to get their car into the second qualifying round – Virgin Racing, HRT F1 and Team Lotus; could either of the 6 drivers make
the leap or did they still require another upset to make the top 17 cut?
10 minutes had already elapsed, 10 more remained – perhaps this was the cue for Red Bull to send in their second driver into battle as Mark Webber started out on his warm-up lap. Moments later, the Australian was seen zoom past the start finish line and
brake late as he headed into Turn One at the end of the straight. The veteran crossed the line with P2 to his name while his teammate Sebastian Vettel was still top seed.
Soon after, Nico Rosberg started his flying lap and went 3rd fastest – The young German appeared to be one of the success stories of the preceding practice sessions and based on how consistently he had paced himself throughout, it was perhaps
not much of a surprise when he went 3rd fastest – Did you watch that Michael Schumacher?
Staying with the seven-time World Champion, his actions either spelt panic or merely some casualness as camera replays suggested that the former Ferrari driver had blocked Hamilton a few minutes earlier – The first bit of action for race control, perhaps?
However, Hamilton, evidently focused on his target to get into round 2 of qualifying, started out rather well as he swiftly went through the first set of corners despite suggestions that the MP4 – 26 was still struggling a little with its suspension. The
Briton crossed the line 3rd fastest – behind the two Red Bulls. Jenson Button followed suit and moments later, took the fourth fastest time.
We were nearly two thirds of the way into the first qualifying session. Red Bull and McLaren Mercedes seem to have monopolized the top 4 positions with the former proving to be a benchmark for the rest of the field. The Ferraris had kept a low profile so
far. Was it a tactical decision to go flat out in the closing stages or was the scarlet car a touch underpar as the other two turned up the heat?
To be continued in part 4...
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