qualifying « Petrolhead Blog

Weighing up: Abu Dhabi qualifying

This week, “Domination: the act of being in control.”

With refuelling banned for 2010, this is the last time we get to do this for at least a year. A reminder, one final reminder, that qualifying is made up of 3 knockout sessions, with the fastest 10 drivers competing in Q3 with race fuel aboard while [...]

Not really weighing up: Brazilian GP

This week, “Never-ending stoooooory, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah.”

20 drivers, 3 sessions, 1 grid, 3 hours. Drivers, cars, weights from the FIA:

1. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes        650.5
2. Webber       Red Bull-Renault      656.0
3. Sutil        Force India-Mercedes 656.5
4. Trulli       Toyota                658.5
5. Raikkonen    Ferrari               651.5
6. Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    659.0
7. Rosberg      Williams-Toyota       657.0
8. Kubica       BMW-Sauber            656.0
9. Nakajima     Williams-Toyota       664.0
10. Alonso       Renault               652.0
11. Kobayashi    Toyota                [...]

Weighing up: Suzuka qualifying

This week, “What you think you saw, you did not see.”

You know by now that a field of 20 drivers is whittled down to 10 via a pair of knockout qualifying sessions, leaving 10 drivers filling up with race fuel and fighting for pole while the other 10 do the filling up but leave the [...]

When is a grid not a grid?

After qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, which will be weighed up in the usual manner later, penalties were issued to Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, Adrian Sutil, Sebastien Buemi and, amusingly, the saintly Fernando Alonso. Four of those men failed to slow down sufficiently for yellow flags, while Buemi dragged a rolling wreck [...]

Weighing up: Singapore qualifying

This week, delayed because it is apparently written in law that the writer of this piece must attend at least one wedding each race weekend, “If you want to get ahead, get a Hamilton.”

Qualifying starts with 20 drivers and, via a process of lap time based elimination, ends with 10 setting the top grid times [...]

Weighing up, briefly: Monza qualifying

This week, “Brevity will get you everywhere.”

After the Chinese meal, the drinks that followed, the tour of Hartlepool’s clubs and the eventual horrible singing, it was the second chorus of Delilah that decisively saw off my already-fragile voice. I should really go and rest that, so we’ll not be long this week.

You know how these things [...]

Weighing up: Spa qualifying

This week, “Yes, I’m sure it’s not upside down.”

There are twenty cars, each weighing 605kg without fuel, and there are three qualifying sessions. At the end of the first session, the slowest five men are knocked out. At the end of the second session, the same. The remaining ten drivers fill up with enough fuel to [...]

Weighing up: Valencia qualifying

This week, “He did it for you, for me, for all of us…”

Assumed knowledge is a dangerous thing, and it’s been a while, so we’ll recap: the top 10 cars ran the final part of qualifying with enough fuel to start the race tomorrow and were weighed at the end of the session. 11th down [...]

Weighing up: Nurburgring qualifying

This week, “Help wanted – apply within.”

You know how this works by now, you band of hardy regulars, you, but just in case: the top 10 cars ran the final part of qualifying with enough fuel to start the race tomorrow and were weighed at the end of the session. 11th down to 20th were knocked [...]

Weighing Up: Silverstone qualifying

This week subtitled, “At least the certain winner isn’t called Jenson…”

Never seen one of these before? Here’s how it works: each car weighs 605 kg without fuel. The top 10 drivers run the final part of qualifying with their race fuel aboard, and the FIA publish the car weights so we can compare relative performances [...]

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