Bahrain GP Qualifying Thread

[bondilad]

Proud of Ferrari. We've come a long way and we are definitely getting there. A double podium would be very nice and btw our car looks really beautiful under the lights

[SashAlex]

Wait, was it during his 2nd lap that he went with all 4 wheel out of the track? I didn't notice.

No, I got it. It was during his 1st lap and he should've been downgraded to 8th position.

[Kyss4k]

that first lap, and then he would be in P8 and no time to make a new lap

Wow, that's actually so true this is messed up

[f412]

so now we know how much merc can turn up the engine...they probably ran a detuned engine for the first part of q3....just to spice things up ..who knows... :-/

[Kyss4k]

Wait, was it during his 2nd lap that he went with all 4 wheel out of the track? I didn't notice.

The first one, but if it was not counted, he would be last after the first runs, without time to improve due to the timeout

[nani_s23]

True, but you would expect they would have gone full out on their first lap. So the question is, why did they improve in every sector and we didn't?

Vet & rai had poor s3 , if u look onboard it's clearly visible. Both didn't nail the laps properly, there was slight improvement not by huge.

[Fireblade]

True, but you would expect they would have gone full out on their first lap. So the question is, why did they improve in every sector and we didn't?

They turned their engine power up another notch.

[Kristof_F40]

that was 4 wheels out of the track, and if nullified, then he would start race from P8, but life is not fair

Wow, didn't even think about that.. Depends on what the rules say probably, but my guess is they are going to let it go and "clarify" it for the next race.

[darkchild]

Bigger gap then last year. Hopefully we have some problems with engine and have some easy gains, if not then

[nani_s23]

Ferrari set to use in-season engine tokens in Spanish GP:
Source: Motorsport.com

[tifosi1993]

What a great qualy session, especially Q2. 6 minutes to go and only Hulk on track.

Todt & Co. trying hard to get rid of F1 fans.

[SashAlex]

They turned their engine power up another notch.

I have the impression that everytime we'll get close, every time, they'll turn it more and more and we'll never catch them. Maan, it would be sweet for Ferrari to recover the huge disadvantage from the beginning of this V6 era and beat Mercedes eventually. But it's just unfair to everyone around F1, it's unfair they started this era with such a huge headstart, that they forced these V6 engines in a way knowing they have their game upper than the other teams.

Ferrari, RBR, Williams and McLaren had their dominant years. But their domination now is so sterile in a way.

[KimiBot]

What a great qualy session, especially Q2. 6 minutes to go and only Hulk on track.

Todt & Co. trying hard to get rid of F1 fans.

I was wondering why not Toro Rossos went out, it has to be because they do not have enough tyres, so that is a problem

[Fireblade]

I have the impression that everytime we'll get close, every time, they'll turn it more and more and we'll never catch them. Maan, it would be sweet for Ferrari to recover the huge disadvantage from the beginning of this V6 era and beat Mercedes eventually. But it's just unfair to everyone around F1, it's unfair they started this era with such a huge headstart, that they forced these V6 engines in a way knowing they have their game upper than the other teams.

Ferrari, RBR, Williams and McLaren had their dominant years. But their domination now is so sterile in a way.

No F1 team team has ever been as dominant as Mercedes have been from 2014 onwards.

[nani_s23]

Clarie Williams saying they sent two Williams out on q2, for the sake of good sport it seems. . This is the funniest statement

[tifosi1993]

I was wondering why not Toro Rossos went out, it has to be because they do not have enough tyres, so that is a problem

It is. This new format punishes midfield/back markers more than the top 2 team.

[bondilad]

So turning up the engine option is only for the works team or it is software related?

We don't see this from their customer teams.

[From Treviso]

What was the tyre allocations - I thought Ferrari only came with one set of SS tyres?

[Kristof_F40]

So turning up the engine option is only for the works team or it is software related?

We don't see this from their customer teams.

That is the complete joke of these engine regulations.. All Merc customers are nowhere near them.. And the advantage they have is not just chassis and Aero, even RBR didn't have such an advantage

[wisepie]

That is the complete joke of these engine regulations.. All Merc customers are nowhere near them.. And the advantage they have is not just chassis and Aero, even RBR didn't have such an advantage

So near yet so far away from the front row again, so damn frustrating when we get close and Merc just turn the wick up, it makes a mockery of the engine regs and it's just becoming a formality in quali, which again was an embarrassment. I'm still optimistic for a good showing tomorrow but I'm not going to get too carried away and worry seriously about reliability, and our tyre strategy better be better than last time!

[Kristof_F40]

So near yet so far away from the front row again, so damn frustrating when we get close and Merc just turn the wick up, it makes a mockery of the engine regs and it's just becoming a formality in quali, which again was an embarrassment. I'm still optimistic for a good showing tomorrow but I'm not going to get too carried away and worry seriously about reliability, and our tyre strategy better be better than last time!

If you look at the numbers in the end (which are the ones that matter) it perhaps is a bit dissapointing. But if you look at the whole qualy, I was happy with the team and drivers. Mercs improved 0,5s on their last run..

[nani_s23]

If you look at the numbers in the end (which are the ones that matter) it perhaps is a bit dissapointing. But if you look at the whole qualy, I was happy with the team and drivers. Mercs improved 0,5s on their last run..

It may b down to track temp too, as its getting low towards the end of qualy.

[fadyferrari]

Clarie Williams saying they sent two Williams out on q2, for the sake of good sport it seems. . This is the funniest statement

Murtin Brundle said it was probably to be on a better set at the start of the race,since those are the tyres they use at the start of the race
I so wished it would have been just to rub it in with Todt and Co

[fadyferrari]

Wow, didn't even think about that.. Depends on what the rules say probably, but my guess is they are going to let it go and "clarify" it for the next race.

I think its judged based on whether a driver has gained advantage by going off track or not.
Lewis would probably have ended up faster on his first run if hadnt gone off

[Kristof_F40]

I think its judged based on whether a driver has gained advantage by going off track or not.
Lewis would probably have ended up faster on his first run if hadnt gone off

Yeah, I think that's the case, unless it is specificly said that you can't go off, which wasn't the case here

[stefa]

What a great qualy session, especially Q2. 6 minutes to go and only Hulk on track.

Todt & Co. trying hard to get rid of F1 fans.

Best idea ever!!! Full ironic mode on!

[FerrariSteve]

Lewis had all four wheels CLEARLY off track, his time should have been removed and he'd be 8th. but ohh no.. can't do that to golden boy ..now if it was a Ferrari :/

I hope we get another lightning start tomorrow and rapper boy messes the start again.

[TonyRizza]

This is BS. Lewis had all four wheels CLEARLY off track, his time should have been removed and he'd be 8th. but ohh no.. can't do that to golden boy ..now if it was a Ferrari :/

I hope we get another lightning start tomorrow and rapper boy messes the start again.

He lost time, he didnt gain an advantage so his lap time stands and rightly so

[vetalo]

Lewis Hamilton's pole position could be under threat after he was placed under investigation following qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The FIA said the Mercedes driver had reversed in the pitlane at the end of qualifying, in what could be a breach of Article 28.3 of the sporting rules.

The article states that "at no time may a car be reversed in the pit lane under its own power."

Hamilton secured his 51st career pole at Sakhir after beating Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg by 0.077s.

[superwonderboy]

Formula 1 stakeholders will meet in Bahrain on Sunday to
discuss a final proposal regarding qualifying, with FIA
president Jean Todt confident a solution will be found.
Todt, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and representatives
from the 11 teams will meet with Pirelli motorsport director
Paul Hembery.
"Whatever we decide I am optimistic we will get unanimous
agreement tomorrow," said Todt, speaking at a media
briefing ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The ideal solution to the recently imposed and much-
maligned elimination format will be slight tweaks to Q1 and
Q2, namely additional time, and providing an extra set of
tyres for the drivers in Q3.
It is hoped such a proposal will provide an answer to the
lack of activity in Q3 in particular, when the new format
made its debut in Australia a fortnight ago.
Todt and FIA race director Charlie Whiting have confirmed
the idea was mooted after what unfolded in that session.
Pirelli, however, declared it did not have enough time to
prepare for Bahrain, but it would be able to have the tyres
available for the next grand prix in China.
"Australia happened, and clearly it was a disappointment
about Q3," assessed Todt.
"Why was it a disappointment? Because for the first time in
a long time, with three minutes to go, we had drivers
climbing out of the car.
"So the immediate reaction was to speak to Charlie over the
phone, and he suggested one of the problems with Q3 was
that the drivers were missing a set of tyres.
"So I asked Charlie to speak to Pirelli and see if it would be
possible to introduce for Q3 one more set of super-soft
tyres, which he did."
Whiting then took over: "They [Pirelli] said they couldn't do it
for here.
"They said it would be impossible to get another set of Q3
tyres."
Todt then added: "They have said to you it would be
possible for China, but with additional cost."
This proposal was not unanimously agreed as teams
wanted to go back to the old format, resulting in a decision
"to maintain the status quo", according to Todt, for this
weekend's event.
But a new meeting is now scheduled for Sunday.
"We will have learned more from qualifying [in Bahrain],"
Todt added.
"But in my opinion, Q1 and Q2 will be optimised. Q3, which
is the biggest problem, one opportunity is to have another
set of tyres. That will increase the show.
"Another possibility is that with the top eight, the eight
quickest from Q2 leaves first at the green flag, and while he
is doing his lap, the seventh quickest goes and does his lap.
"So you have one car alone on the track with an
unpredictable final result. There are a lot of solutions that
can be highlighted.
"But I felt it was necessary to give one more chance to this
form of qualifying before reverting back to 2015."