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Massa on pole, Hamilton penalised

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#1 ·
Massa on pole, Hamilton penalised
Eurosport - Sat, 22 Mar 23:41:00 2008
Felipe Massa took pole position at the Malaysian Grand Prix for the second year running and will form an all-Ferrari front-row with Kimi Raikkonen while McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were punished five places on the grid for hindering other drivers' out laps.

More StoriesRe-live the action and qualifying times
What the drivers said
Championship leader Hamilton will start in ninth and Kovalainen eighth after earlier occupying the second row at the Sepang circuit.

After completing their final hot lap they slowed down, leading to complaints from BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Renault's Fernando Alonso that they blocked the race line and cost them time.

Brazilian Massa, fifth in Malaysia last year, recorded a time of 1:35.748, nearly half-a-second ahead of Raikkonen (1:36.230) as the threatened rain in over 80 percent humidity held off until moments after the session.

Massa did not look comfortable in Q2, re-emerging - along with Hamilton - late on to set a precautionary final lap as he dropped down the timing list and used another set of valuable tyres.

However, he improved immeasurably in the Q3 shoot-out, completing a stunning turn around for the Scuderia after their Melbourne horror show.

Kovalainen and Hamilton followed close behind the Ferraris on the final straight as the seconds ticked away, but the Briton could not match the Finn's 1:36.613 with his 1:36.709.

Hamilton did not look at his best throughout the qualifying hour, consistently lapping outside the top times in each section and was forced into that desperate - and ultimately unnecessary - last lap on Q2.

He even locked up at one point early on when he could not find the grip he required to set a time to challenge the Italian outfit - and post-qualifying was summoned then sanctioned by race stewards with his team-mate.

Toyota's Jarno Trulli (1:36.711) produced a shock by snatching fifth place late in the session from BMW's Robert Kubica (1:36.727), whose hot lap was even faster than that of the pole-sitter in the first sector before losing time on the final part of the track.

German Heidfeld was good enough for a comfortable seventh initially after putting down a time of 1:36.753, but claimed he lost time behind Hamilton's coasting McLaren and is now fifth on the grid.

Mark Webber's (1:37.009) Red Bull was ahead of a struggling Alonso in the Renault and ultimately took sixth, with the Spaniard seventh.

Timo Glock completed an impressive day for Toyota by reaching the third qualifying phase but had to settle for 10th position.

Britons Jenson Button (Honda) and David Coulthard (Red Bull) just missed out on Q3, and will start at 11th and 12th on Sunday.

Scot Coulthard in particular will be pleased after safety concerns almost ruled him out of the race altogether due to a crash in practice.

German Sebastian Vettel in the Toro Rosso failed to get going, as did Williams' Nico Rosberg. They secured only 15th and 16th positions respectively.

Vettel's team-mate Sebastien Bourdais was the only driver to go off into the gravel and ended 19th, while in the final 22nd spot was young Briton Anthony Davidson in the Super Aguri.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport
 
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#2 ·
(this was before Kovalainen and Hamilton were penalized)

Qualifyings live standingsP. Driver Team Time
1 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:35.748
2 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 0:01.022
3 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren 0:01.405
4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 0:01.501
5 Jarno Trulli Toyota 0:01.503
6 Robert Kubica BMW 0:01.519
7 Nick Heidfeld BMW 0:01.545
8 Mark Webber Red Bull 0:01.801
9 Fernando Alonso Renault 0:03.242
10 Timo Glock Toyota 0:04.448
11 Jenson Button Honda 0:00.000
12 David Coulthard Red Bull 0:00.200
13 Nelsinho Piquet Jr Renault 0:00.354
14 Rubens Barrichello Honda 0:00.414
15 Sebastien Vettel Toro Rosso 0:00.440
16 Nico Rosberg Williams 0:00.462
17 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India 0:01.032
18 Kazuki Nakajima Williams 0:01.180
19 Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso 0:01.469
20 Takuma Sato Super Aguri 0:01.879
21 Adrian Sutil Force India 0:01.893
22 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri 0:02.273
Live Commentary- And as the teams look over their cars in the garages, the rain that threatened begins to fall. Thanks for joining us for qualifying - see you tomorrow for the race itself. Bye!
- The Q3 times, deciding the top 10 places on the grid for tomorrow: 1. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1:35.748; 2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1:36.230; 3. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren 1:36.613; 4. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1:36.709; 5. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 1:36.711; 6. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 1:36.727; 7. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 1:36.753; 8. Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1:37.009; 9. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:38.450; 10. Timo Glock (Germany) Toyota 1:39.656.
0' Trulli rockets into fifth ahead of Kubica, who lost time at the end of his hot lap!! Alonso down in ninth.
1' He is displaced by Hamilton, who takes fourth spot and will not be happy with it. Barring a miracle it is an all-Ferrari front row, with McLaren occupying the second row.
1' Kubica rolls towards the line... 0.865 behind the pole sitter.
1' Kovalainen third in 1:36.613...
1' Massa on pole by over half-a-second at the moment!!! 1:35.748!
1' Here they come then... Raikkonen in 1:36.230...
2' Raikkonen fastest on the first sector, Massa quicker so far though... but Kubica goes even quicker!!!
3' Here we go, the cars setting themselves up for a last run at it. The McLarens and Ferraris roar around the first chicane.
4' Hamilton still fifth, not happy with his car...
5' No change at the top, Alonso ninth.
8' Robert Kubica's BMW fourth with 1:37.188.
8' Hamilton goes round in 1:37.510, poor for him. Raikkonen followsÂ… 1:36.507Â… Massa in 1:36.434!!
10' The fuel that you use here has to continue into the race.
10' Hamilton faster than team-mate Kovalainen, who he trails, in the first sector.
10' Q3 starts, 10 minutes for these drivers to shoot their way to pole.
17' Timo Glock in the top 10, Button 11th and out, Hamilton improves to third (1:34.627). Coulthard's last lap is only good enough for 12th on the grid.
17' Q2 ends, only these laps will count - Vettel 12th, Button okay for now...
18' Mark Webber of Red Bull ninth while Button is now in that final spot, hanging on.
19' Hamilton and Massa both re-emerge for another lap. A set of tyres go to waste... that could cost them in the race...
20' Hamilton just ahead of Alonso in seventh... not safe yet, only the top 10 go into Q3... will he go back out? No sign of it yet...
22' Robert Kubica fourth in his Beemer as we move into the final minutes.
24' Heidfeld second with 1:34.648 in his BMW!
25' Button and Coulthard eighth and ninth.
27' Spaniard Alonso well off the pace at present, 13th and a second-and-a-half behind Raikkonen.
29' Trulli (Toyota) now third, go on son! Hamilton had a pressure problem in the fuel section of the car which lost him vital hunderedths on the final sector.
29' But Raikkonen records 1:34.188 - now that IS fast!! And Massa... third position with 1:34.967. The Scuderia doing the business. Hamilton in fourth.
30' McLaren duo Hamilton and Kovalainen close behind one another, but the Ferraris are going a touch quicker further back... Kovalainen nips ahead of Hamilton with 1:34.739, quick.
32' The rain still threatening, but not yet arrived. Q2 starts with humidity at 80 percent - glad it's not me out there on the track - plus track temperature of 39 degrees and air temp of 28.
40' Nakajima earned three points in Australia, but that does not look likely again here - I hope you didn't pick him in your Fantasy F1 team!! I've got Hamilton, Trulli and Button, plus Ferrari. Pretty shrewd so far.
40' Takuma Sato (Super Aguri), Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella (both Force India), Bourdais and Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) are the drivers to occupy positions at the back of the grid. An eight-minute break only for the teams to work on the cars before Q2.
40' Sebastien Bourdais looked pretty good on his lap until he went off into a gravel trap. No cigar for him as Davidson ends at the very back of the grid.
40' The 20 minutes are up - only ongoing laps are counted now. Vettel clambers out, but will he stay out? 14th at present...
41' Hamilton is second, just so you know. Another Brit rookie Anthony Davidson of Super Aguri is in the bottom six, but then he expected that beforehand.
42' Coulthard now at the crucial point... he crosses the line in 1:36.058 - 12th for him, easing into the second part of qualifying.
43' Alonso has no problems, going round in 1:35.983. Ninth for him - but the times will be wiped off anyway for Q2.
44' Alonso enters his final hot lap of the mini-session - while Nico Rosberg of Williams hovers precariously one place away from the bottom six. Coulthard is out on the track.
46' A very quick 1:35.205 from Jarno Trulli of Toyota, going great guns the lad. That puts him top.
48' Drivers set to miss out on Q2 and occupy the back six spaces on the grid: Sebastien Vettel of Toro Rosso plus Coulthard - in the pits! - and Alonso!
49' Just nine minutes left as rain threatens.
51' Fernando Alonso of Renault down in 11th, with Red Bull's Scot David Coulthard 12th.
50' Nick Heidfeld in the BMW fifth fastest (1:35.729).
51' Kovalainen goes fastest in 1:35.227.
53' Hamilton's lap falls away as team-mate Heikki Kovalainen begins his first hot lap. Brit Hamilton locked up a bit earlier - a couple of teething problems.
54' Lewis Hamilton of McLaren is quicker than him at the split. Massa now fastest with a time of 1:35.347.
55' World champion Raikkonen improves to 1:35.645.
56' Almost all of the cars are on the track trying to get a quick lap in. Felipe Massa in 1:36.058, behind Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.
57' Bourdais, over from the States for 2008 of course, records 1:38.410. That is not very fast.
59' Fernando Alonso's radio gives us the insight that they expect rain during Q1. It could be as soon as in seven minutes' time... better get out and record a lap boys! Q1 lasts for 20.
60' Q1 is underway. Adrian Sutil of Force India and Sebastien Bourdais of Toro Rosso are out first.
- Welcome to our coverage of qualifying for the Malaysian GP at the Sepang circuit.
 
#3 ·
This will be an interesting race and it starts in 50 mins. My friend from volvo and another friend from jaguar and yet another friend working with Bently are already in the bar and waiting for me, the beer is ice cold. Ferrari holding the front of the grid? wow, I still put my hopes on Mclaren. It does look like Mclaren made a team mistake in trials though.
 
#5 ·
Raikonnen's and Massa's speed was a t times 1 second + faster than the rest of the field, until Massa screwed up, it looked like a Ferrari 1-2. I felt very happy for Kubica's second place finnish, he had driven his heart out in Melbourne, but was DOA a few laps before the end. Kovalainen in third drove a good race, and Trully in fourth should make Toyota glad. Even without the McLaren drivers penalty, they didn't seem to have the speed to challenge Ferrari.
Good race
 
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