Qualification: Vettel secures pole position, ahead of Button!

Under the heat of Istanbul, Sebastian Vettel secured pole position for the Turkish Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver outpaced the two Brawn GP drivers, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. A return to form for Toyota, while Ferrari, Alonso, and Kubica made it to Q3 unlike the McLarens. Bourdais is at the very back.

It’s very hot this weekend in Turkey. The sky is blue and the track is red with 46°C on the tarmac. Giancarlo Fisichella is the first man to take off. He will be joined by his teammate. A few minutes later, it will be Massa who opens the discussion by being the first, with his Ferrari, to break the 1min 28sec mark. The track improves as more rubber is laid down.

Tires are very difficult to understand here and seem to react to driving styles. Massa sets his best times on hard tires, while many do so on soft tires.

The first part of the qualifying was marked by several driving mistakes, notably from Nelson Piquet but also from Hamilton, Glock, and Fisichella.

Five minutes before the end of this first session, Nelson Piquet heads back out to sign some fast laps. The Brazilian, teammate of Alonso, is not qualified for Q2 at the moment, while the Spaniard is in the top 10. Piquet makes mistakes; a spin at turn 5. Then, on his final chance, on soft tires, the Renault driver misses the entrance to turn 3 and ends up in the gravel trap. He is 17th.

Even more concerning, Lewis Hamilton is unable to find performance in his McLaren. The Englishman, reigning world champion, changes and swaps tires to find grip but fails. He is 15th with only a few seconds left in the session but is knocked out by Adrian Sutil. The German, in the Force India, is surprisingly fast and qualifies for the second part.

The Toro Rossos have been struggling since the beginning of the weekend and unfortunately no improvement was seen this afternoon. Sébastien Buemi outperforms Bourdais in this session, whereas it was the opposite since FP1, and qualifies 18th. The Frenchman was unable to improve his time on his last stint, despite choosing the hard tires, which seem to suit his driving style better. Bourdais finishes dead last, for the second time this season. He is outpaced by Fisichella’s Force India.

The second part of the qualifying will also see surprises. The BMWs have qualified, proving a return to form possibly thanks to the new double diffuser, but performances remain mixed. The F1.09 still seems capable of entering Q3, but there are many contenders.

The Turkish track is still tricky. Nakajima and Webber will get caught out in Q2 by going wide at turn 8. After about ten minutes, it seems that Red Bull, Brawn GP, and Ferrari are the favorites. However, Trulli seems to be able to join the party, as do the Williams.

In his last stint, Alonso in the Renault is 11th and not qualified. He will complete his last lap on soft tires and finally manages to secure the 9th fastest time, just enough for Q3. He eliminates Heidfeld’s BMW while his teammate, Kubica, qualifies. The German will start 11th. Nakajima in the Williams has been performing well since the start of the weekend but will also not manage to enter Q3. He stops in 12th place. Glock is in the same situation and, despite Trulli making it to Q3, finishes in 13th place. He is ahead of Kovalainen who will be in 14th place, the first McLaren on the starting grid…

Adrian Sutil, showing progress, will start tomorrow from the 15th position, having been unable to compete with the other drivers by two-tenths of a second.

For the final part of the qualifications, Vettel is the favorite. The German on the Red Bull Renault set the fastest time in each Q1 and Q2 session, although Trulli and Button could be serious contenders for pole position.

In this Q3, it’s Räikkönen who leaves the pit first, followed by Trulli and Massa. He is on hard tires and will drive in 1min 29sec. The lap times are slower than in Q2, which is normal as the fuel load is heavier and final for the start of the race.

After the first wave of qualifying laps, it’s Vettel and the Brawn GP team who come out on top. Räikkönen also seems able to fight for the pole position, while Massa is further behind. When everyone returns to the track for the last two minutes, it’s Trulli who takes the lead. The Italian is quickly overtaken by Vettel and the Red Bull. Räikkönen improves as well, while Brawn GP seems to perform very well in the first sector.

There is one minute left, and Webber now holds the provisional pole position. Barrichello displaces him on hard tires. Button does better and seems to have convinced everyone. Everyone has finished their last lap, except for Vettel. The German doesn’t set sector records but still improves his times. He is the very last on the track with a chance to beat Button, and does it! Sebastian Vettel thus secures his second pole position this season and the first in dry racing conditions.

Button is therefore second while Barrichello in the other Brawn GP will start on the second row. Red Bull surrounds the Brawn GP with Webber in fourth position. Behind, Trulli sets a very good 5th time, ahead of the two Ferraris and their KERS. Räikkönen in 6th could be a podium contender if he manages to get a good start tomorrow with the KERS system. Massa is 7th, ahead of Alonso in the Renault R29. Williams and Rosberg are 9th, ahead of Kubica’s BMW.

Results of the Qualifying – Turkish GP – Saturday, June 6, 2009: