Mark Webber became the first driver in 2011 to break Sebastian Vettel’s stranglehold on pole position to take his first pole since Belgium last year. Webber beat his Red Bull teammate by two tenths of a second to secure a Red Bull lock out at the front of the field. The Barcelona circuit is undoubtedly a favourite for the Australian and many believed this was his best opportunity at overhauling the 2010 champion. Webber’s lap of one minute 20.981 seconds was just enough for his second pole in a row at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, and like last year will be keen to once again convert it into a race win. Vettel, off pole position for the first time in six races, had to settle for second.
More alarmingly for the rest of the pack was the ease in which Red Bull dominated today’s qualifying session. Lewis Hamilton was best of the rest in third, fractionally quicker than Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in fourth, while Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button will line up fifth, just four hundredths shy of Hamilton’s fastest time. All three were a second down on the pace of the Red Bull and Hamilton will be further disadvantaged for tomorrow’s race after flat-spotting his left front tyre on his fastest time.
Alonso was able to split the Mclarens and it will be the first time this season that he has started a Grand Prix not in fifth place. He was somewhat elated with his grid position at the end of Q3, although it is a sign of the times at Ferrari that their lead driver wrung the maximum out of his car and could only manage fourth place. It has been suspected for sometime that Alonso has been overdriving his Ferrari and today’s session yet again proved it. His teammate Felipe Massa could only manage eighth and was almost a second slower than the Spaniard. Massa has been off the pace all weekend and will need to pass Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg and Renault’s Vitaly Petrov immediately if he is to bag a good haul of points tomorrow.
Pastor Maldonando proved that Williams are at last heading in the right direction. The Venezuelan rookie, who has been under substantial criticism in 2011, drove solidly throughout qualifying to secure Williams’ place in Q3 for the first time this season. His fastest run in that final session put him ahead of Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes, although strategy rather than speed was the determining factor behind that result. Schumacher opted not to run in Q3, so to safe a set of tyres for tomorrow. It may turn out to be an intelligent move from the seven-times world champion.
Sebastien Buemi was unable to get his Toro Rosso into Q3 and will line up 11th, while his teammate Jaime Alguersuari could only set the 13th fastest time. Sandwiched in between the duo is Sauber's Sergio Perez, who lines up two places ahead of the sister Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi. However, the real star of qualifying was Heikki Kovalainen in the Lotus. Although undeniably the main beneficiary of Nick Heidfeld’s demise in Q1 along with the problems which befell Rubens Barrichello’s Williams, Kovalainen will start the race in 15th tomorrow, after sealing Lotus’ place in Q2 for only the second time.
It was a truly wonderful achievement and his teammate Jarno Trulli was also unlucky not to escape from Q1. He will start the race 18th. Kovalainen opted for the softer compound in Q2 to gain track position and he managed to out-qualified both Force India’s, with Paul di Resta once again ahead of the more experienced Adrian Sutil, who is struggling both on and off the track it would seem.
Another Red Bull lock out yes, but this time it is Webber who has the upper hand. With all of the drivers trying to minimize their stint on the slower, harder compound, strategy will be crucial tomorrow. With Schumacher totally out of sync on the prime tyre in 10th and Heidfeld’s Renault bringing up the rear, they will be two drivers to keep an eye on throughout the Grand Prix. Who knows, we may even see some overtaking in Spain for once.
Spanish GP grid positions
1 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1min 20.981secs
2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1:21.181
3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1:21.961
4 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 1:21.964
5 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:21.996
6 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault 1:22.471
7 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:22.599
8 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:22.888
9 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams 1:22.952
10 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes GP No Time
11 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:23.231
12 Sergio Perez (Mex) Sauber 1:23.367
13 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:23.694
14 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) Sauber 1:23.702
15 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Team Lotus 1:25.403
16 Paul di Resta (Gbr) Force India 1:26.126
17 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 1:26.571
18 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Team Lotus 1:26.521
19 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams 1:26.910
20 Timo Glock (Ger) Virgin Racing 1:27.315
21 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Hispania 1:27.809
22 Narain Karthikeyan (Ind) Hispania 1:27.908
23 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Bel) Virgin Racing 1:28.556
24 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) Renault No Time
Josh.
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