Belgian GP: Further disappointment for Williams Martini


By Andrew Hooper
August 26 2018

Qualifying for the 2018 Belgian GP would see further disappointments for the Williams Martini team with both drivers failing to make it past the opening period of the session. Sergey Sirotkin would finish ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll with the pair 18th and 19th. Both drivers would complete two runs on the supersoft tyre but as has been the case so far this season they struggled to find any pace from the FW41. Come Sunday's race they will move up the grid a few places as a result of other drivers grid penalties.

 
 Williams Martini Belgian GP Qualifying
 
Sirotkin
 

Team Summary:
With the start of the eighteen minute period the majority of drivers would be suing the supersoft tyres except for Ferrari and Mercedes who were on the soft tyre. As times were set Hamilton would go fastest with a 1m:43.543 but Raikkonen would move ahead with a 1m:42.585. Vettel would not be second followed by Hamilton and Ericsson. The top three were all of the soft tyre with only thirteen times been set. Verstappen would move up to third ahead of Hamilton. Ocon was now fifth followed by Perez, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, Grosjean and Magnussen.

Bottas had yet to come out but given that he would start the race from the back due to grid penalties there would be questions as to whether he would come out. Hamilton would move into second ahead of Vettel. Ricciardo was now in tenth as Bottas did come out. The Williams drivers were in 18th and 19th after their first runs. Bottas would move into second behind Raikkonen using the supersoft tyres. The top five cars would all be back in their pits along with the Force India cars. Despite small improvements both Williams cars would be out after the first period finishing in 18th and 19th. Ericsson would move into tenth.

The second period would see the top ten end up with Vettel quickest from Raikkonen, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Perez, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Ocon and Magnussen in tenth. The final period of qualifying would see the rain finally arrive seeing drivers pit to change to intermediate tyres. After the first laps it would be Vettel quickest from Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo and Hamilton in fifth. But further runs would see Perez go second but this would become third as Hamilton went fastest with a 1m:58.179. Grosjean was now fourth followed by Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo and Magnussen ninth. Bottas was not running in the period. Ocon would go third while Vettel was now second seeing Hamilton take pole from Vettel, Ocon, Perez, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo, and Magnussen.

 
FW41
 

Lance Stroll:
Lance would start Q1 using new supersoft tyres. A 1m:45.593 from Lance would see him down the order currently 11th. He would pit after a three lap run having dropped to 17th. Lance would return again on a new set of supersoft tyres. A 1m:45.134 from Lance would see him drop behind his team-mate and out of qualifying.

Sergey Sirotkin:
Sergey was also out in Q1 using the supersoft tyre. Sergey would set a 1m:45.850 to be 12th right behind his team-mate. Sergey would also only do a three lap run currently 19th. Sergey would also come back out for his second run using new supersoft tyres. Sergey would set a 1m:44.998 to be 18th and also out of qualifying.

 
Stroll
 

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