Mixed qualifications for Williams
In the tone of its predecessor, the FW38 seems to be a car not very comfortable on urban or semi-urban tracks. The proof is in Melbourne with these generally average Qualifications for Felipe Massa (6th) and especially for Valtteri Bottas (11th and eliminated in Q2).
Valtteri Bottas struggled during the first Qualifying session of the 2016 season. The Finn was already complaining about a lack of grip during the Free Practice sessions. This trend continued during the timed session: left behind in Q1 (13th), he failed to make it past Q2, with a time of 1:25.961, which placed him only in 11th position.
Laconic, Bottas admitted having had a disappointing session. I fought the whole session to find grip. We need to look at what was wrong with my tires, whether it’s the pressure or the temperature. I was hoping to reach Q3. But tomorrow is a new day and it’s still possible for me to have a good race.
The only reason for satisfaction, however, is that Bottas will be able to choose his tire compound tomorrow at the start. Therefore, the driver of car number 77 should not be overlooked. He can draw motivation from his 2014 race, where he climbed from 15th on the grid to 5th by the checkered flag.
On the other side of the garage, Felipe Massa had a more satisfying Saturday. With an honorable second place at the end of Q1, the Brazilian veteran had more difficulty passing Q2 (eighth and last qualifier). Fighting for the Top 5, he finished his Q3 in sixth position just behind Max Verstappen.
C’était des bonnes qualifications. J’ai pu sortir la meilleure performance possible même si malheureusement, je loupe la cinquième place pour un très faible écart. J’ai réalisé une bonne suite de tours et la voiture réagissait bien. Ce n’était pas facile d’évoluer dans cette séance avec ce compte à rebours permanent. Heureusement, je n’ai pas eu de problème dans mes tours, en évitant le trafic ou toute difficulté.
However, the former Scuderia Ferrari driver expects a challenging Sunday behind the Mercedes and Ferraris: “It could be much closer than it was today.”
The Williams team will indeed have a tough challenge tomorrow in the race to at least confirm its status as the third force in the Championship. Felipe Massa will notably have to fend off the young wolves of the Scuderia Toro Rosso and possibly the local contender: Daniel Ricciardo.
