| Saturday, Qualifying – Hamilton Snatches Pole From Kimi, Kovalainen & Alonso Jump Massa
Lewis Hamilton took a crucial pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, with his title rival Felipe Massa down in fifth place.
In dry and sunny conditions very different to last year’s qualifying downpour, Hamilton dug deep to beat a resurgent Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) to pole position, with Heikki Kovalainen and Fernando Alonso filling row two ahead of Massa.
Raikkonen had been fastest after the first Q3 runs, with Massa provisionally completing an all-Ferrari front row and Hamilton only third at that stage.
The reigning world champion then improved further on his flying lap, raising the benchmark to a 1:18.644.
But Hamilton responded in style and beat Raikkonen to pole by 0.2 seconds.
With the points leader’s McLaren teammate Kovalainen and Singapore winner Alonso (Renault) leaping to the second row on their own last laps, Massa was pushed back to fifth place – potentially disastrous for his title aspirations.
Robert Kubica took sixth on the grid, but the Pole’s teammate Nick Heidfeld had another extremely disappointing qualifying session, and will start from 16th – his worst grid position of the season. Neither BMW was especially competitive in Q1, with Kubica only 14th, but Heidfeld was a crucial 0.151 seconds slower and was eliminated…(read full report here)
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:18.071 1:17.462 1:18.404
2. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:18.160 1:17.733 1:18.644
3. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:18.220 1:17.360 1:18.821
4. Alonso Renault (B) 1:18.290 1:17.871 1:18.852
5. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:18.110 1:17.287 1:18.874
6. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:18.684 1:17.931 1:18.979
7. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:18.501 1:17.541 1:19.026
8. Glock Toyota (B) 1:17.945 1:17.670 1:19.118
9. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:18.559 1:17.714 1:19.638
10. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:18.593 1:18.102 1:20.167
11. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:18.303 1:18.187
12. Piquet Renault (B) 1:18.300 1:18.274
13. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:18.372 1:18.354
14. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:18.640 1:18.594
15. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:18.740 1:18.672
16. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:18.835
17. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:18.882
18. Button Honda (B) 1:19.100
19. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:19.163
20. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:19.910
To ITV: F*ck you, right back. It’s not exactly enjoyable having to wake up in the early hours for qualifying, but when Kimi does his best qualifying performance since France this year and I’m eager to hear what he has to say on missing out on pole, you don’t even stay on air to hear a single word from the world champion. I mean, Kimi’s apparently been the biggest disappointment of the year to you guys and when he does put up a fight, you can’t stand it. When Kimi took provisional pole, you guys hated it. As soon as Hamilton looked to be quicker, the tone in Martin Brundle’s and James Allen’s voice were laughable. You could sense relief, and dare I say it, fear.Ā They know Kimi’s dangerous, as he showed last year. But it’s still 7 in the morning here and they don’t have a minute or two to spare for Kimi? Absolute idiots they are, and I couldn’t be more than happy that BBC are taking over F1 coverage next year. Good riddance.
Just wanted to get that off my chest, sorry. Anyway, this was Kimi’s best qualifying since France (pole) which was seven races ago. Still, great job Kimi, I’m proud of you. You gave it your everything as you promised. I love you so much. And thanks to Autosport.com, we can now read Kimi’s comments below.
I was quite surprised to see that Massa, at this important stage of the season, didn’t do his job which is to charge at Hamilton and get himself in the best position possible. Kimi wasn’t quicker than Massa in the previous two qualifying sessions so that’s a bit of a wonder. Kimi was usually the first out in all sessions, always needing an extra attempt, which shows he wasn’t happy with the car since yesterday. I wonder if Kimi’s strategy is different than usual, which is being a lap or two heavier, just so he can be in the position to help Massa in the race. But this wouldn’t make any sense if Massa has qualified a further three places behind. We’ll have to wait and see. Remember the times in 2005 when Kimi was very comfortable with his McLaren, he’d blow away the whole field by miles. So you can only imagine how good he’d be in that Ferrari if he felt as comfortable. [Update 13.22] Kimi has said in the Ferrari team quotes that he is indeed on hs usual heavier fuel load and Baldisserri confirms this – that’s fantastic news! Kimi’s made a big improvement there then. Who says he doesn’t work hard or has given up? The set-up and handling of the car is better for Kimi with more fuel, it’s not like he spent half the season going heavy for fun.
From what Kimi has said, in the press conference quotes, he’s still frustrated and he’s being very vocal about it this time. He wants pole, he wants to win, and that’s his only aim tomorrow. You have all our support Kimi. But it does make you think, how much more frustrated does a world champion need to be with his car for his team to do something about it? I expect Ferrari to give Kimi 100% more support next year. This is ridiculous and I feel really bad for Kimi now. Okay, maybe we should be grateful that the team have tried to help, in some developments a few months ago that may have helped Kimi, but my point remains: it wasn’t enough and it’s been a case of too little, too late. Such a waste. Nice to see Kimi still smiling though! How cute.
His out-qualifying of Massa does speak more than it shows, though. Now is the time for Massa to be on top of his game and he needs to help himself before Kimi can do anything significant. Kimi also said this in a media conference on Thursday. So, the situation today was this: Kimi gets himself infront of Massa after making this clear. It shows that Kimi is a fighter, not a loser. He’s got himself infront of Massa so now it’s down to Massa to help himself. Whether he can do what Kimi did at Spa for example, which was starting from 4th on the grid and getting into the lead after lap two, is what everyone will be watching. Obviously, I don’t think Massa can pull that off. That’s where Kimi is ahead of him and always will be.
Of course I could have made a better judgement if ITV bothered to hear all of Kimi in the press conference but they’d rather just listen to Hamilton’s "the team" speech. Kovalainen did his best job in ages for qualifying today, but oh dear, I feel sorry for him. Look at Alonso then, he’s still fresh from Singapore and has enough energy to get the most out of the remaining three races of 2008. Like Kimi, he’s strong and doesn’t give up so easily. Let’s hope Hamilton has a tougher fight on his hands than this time last year – he might not have Alonso as his teammate anymore, being replaced by an unfortunate sucker in Kovalainen, but he’s still got Kimi on his back and it’ll be fun to watch. Starting from P2 is a great position to win the race, despite whether being lighter or heavier on fuel than those around him. Now, I’m off to sleep guys, catch up with you all soon. Keep Flying! ~
| Qualifying Quotes: Kimi – "Doing our best"
"It is nice to be back. I’m still not where I want to be. I’m not very happy about how things are going, and not 100 percent happy with the car. It’s quite frustrating.
"Usually qualifying has been the worst thing for us so we should be strong in the race. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow. We have done a lot of work, and it is good to be in a good place to start tomorrow."
"I don’t have much to lose. We want to try to win the world championship and it will not be easy against McLaren but we are doing our best I hopefully tomorrow we can fight for the win and if we can get it it would be nice. "I want to finish with nice results in the last three races of the season."
Ferrari Team Quotes
Kimi Raikkonen – 2nd: "I’m pleased to be back on the front row, even if I’m not totally happy as I always want to be the fastest. On top of that, I’m not completely satisfied with the handling of my car: all weekend we have worked very hard to find the best set-up but we did not get it a hundred percent right. All the same, we have improved our performance, especially with a heavy fuel load. This result means I’m in good shape for the race. Tomorrow, I will try to make the best of the situation. My aim is to finish this season in the best way possible and help the team to win both championships."
Felipe Massa – 5th: "A shame. Today I was the quickest man on track but at the wrong moment. In Q3, I never had the right amount of grip from both sets of tyres that I used. On my first run I was a bit cautious on my "out" lap and so suffered in the first sector, making a mistake at Turn 3. On the second run, I did the opposite and found myself without grip at the end of the lap. So, I’ve ended up fifth on the grid, which is definitely not an easy place to be. I will try and work my way up in the race to score big points for the championship. All the same, the set-up on the car is good and we should be competitive. The first corner? It’s similar to the one at the Hungaroring, so I hope I can manage to repeat the good start I got there."
Luca Baldisserri: "It was a somewhat contradictory session, both in terms of the final result and of the various performance levels through the field. In the first two sessions, Felipe had shown himself to be very quick and to have found the right balance on the car, while Kimi was struggling a bit. In Q3 the situation was pretty much reversed and specifically, Felipe found his sets of tyres producing inconsistent performance, offering less grip than previously. Hence his fifth place on a grid where the time differences are minimal. For his part, Kimi was more comfortable on the heavy fuel load and managed to do a great lap to get onto the front row. Tomorrow we will be up against very strong opposition and we will do our utmost to get both our cars ahead of them."
Q. (Juha PƤƤtalo ā Financial Times Deutschland) Kimi, when you say that the car feels better with a full load than without fuel, can you just describe the difference between those two situations? How much easier is it with the fuel load?
KR: The set-up or the handling is better with the fuel than without quite often for me, so that’s the difference.
Q. (Ingo Roersch ā Sport Bild) Lewis, Robert Kubica recently complained a little bit about your driving style. Sometimes he said you are going a little bit too rude. What do you say about your critics in this way?
LH: I do my talking on the track, so I haven’t really got much to say to it. I think everyone has their own opinion and I can respect that.
Q. (Ed Gorman ā The Times) Lewis, are you aware that there’s an investigation about an incident between you and Nelson Piquet which we understand is being investigated by the stewards?
LH: Are you serious? From qualifying? I don’t think I’ve been overtaken throughout qualifying, so… I don’t think so. At one stage he pulled out of the way of me during the qualifying session but I came in that lap.
| Latest Video: Full Qualifying Press Conference
http://www.viddler.com/simple/cf31ebeb/Ā http://www.viddler.com/simple/1d4d4519/
FUCK ISRAEL 
Agreed… i’ve stopped torrenting the iTV feed for races because all they do is suck Lewis all program long. From the hour long pre-race to the post race where they often just focus on him if he wins a race. And the times someone does outperform Lewis they never give credit to that person, it always has to be "oh there must be something wrong with the car" Very much like in Monza where Vettel just dominated that qualy/race all the focus was on how "great" Lewis was in the face of adversity. I really hope Lewis chokes, and dare I say… Kimi takes him out. Say rear ends him for payback from Canada??I know Kimi doesn’t have it in him to do such things, but I can always dream…
LikeLike
Sweet dreams Saima!!!
Ā
I would prefer Kimi to overtake Hamster on first cornor and then let Alonso kick his butt next, hahaha….
LikeLike
I suggest to myself: watch the race with the mute button on! But Kimi, I assume, will attempt to take Lewis on like he did in Spa, so hearing ITV squirm would be worth it hahahahaha.
LikeLike
you can put the press conference video? thank you a lot
LikeLike
Yes, the press conference is currently uploading š More videos and photos will be updated here later today, most likely in the afternoon.
LikeLike
thanks !
LikeLike
nice qualifying kimi almost got in the pole 1 but p2 is not bad iĀ knewĀ hamilton will busy 2morow defending his position coz the iceman is p2 position waiting to kick hamiltion butt out..jejejejeje..i think kimi will show us another good overtaking 2morow in the start…. i can wait for the vid.&photos 2 br uploaded..keepflying kimi..#1
LikeLike
I think Kimi was frustrated because his car spin in the morning practice session during the wet condition again….Ā So the Ferrari still has not solved thier tyre issue for the wet and cold condition….Ā š¦ It’s good that the forecast for tomorrow will be dry so Kimi will have good chance to fight for win.Ā But if any of the remaining racesĀ rain again then Ferrari will probably have difficulty achieving their goals.
Ā
Well, I’m sure Kimi will give all his best and have fun tomorrow!!Ā So….Keep flying Kimi!!!Ā Keep smiling and flying Evenstar!!!
LikeLike
it’s so great to see him smiling again after a qualif!
i believed just before the end that maybe he could be on pole but that damned Hamster is always there!
No matter, he did a really great job with a car he doesn’t like 100%, so we can be really proud!
i really wonder if Massa is heavier!
Always there our Kimi, keeps fighting with his smile,
sure he will fly tomorrow so i just hope he can keep his smile till sunday evening!!
LikeLike
I share your sentiments about ITV broadcast Saima, and to think I’ve alwaysĀ blamed it onĀ our local broadcaster, Channel 10. I am most annoyed when we are only shown the interview of the pole sitter after qualifying and now I know it is not Ch10, but ITV. And yes, I also noted the elation in James Allen’s voice when Lewis took pole over Kimi. You can detect the "unenthusiasm" in their voice of late when it’s anyone else other than Louie doing well!
I don’t know what to make of Kimi’s pace though… despite having qualified 2nd, he expressedĀ frustrationĀ in not being 100% happy with his car. Let’s hope it’ll come good come race day tomorrow.
Another interestingĀ yet disheartening point is that KimiĀ seems resigned to accummulating points for the team at this stage of the game, but as we’ve always said, Massa’s got to be up there first of all, if Kimi’s to relinquish anything for the good of the team.
In any case, let’s go for the WIN, KIMI !!!
LikeLike
Ooopps!! Don’t know what happened….how did my comment appear 3 x??! Sorry about that, folks!
P/S: Might as well take this opportunity to thank Saima for uploading the Japanese photosĀ so quickly despite the timeĀ difference!Ā Thank you heaps !
PPS: What’s the go with the green lined tyres ? I think it’sĀ pathetic attempt at highlighting the environmental responsibility of the sport. And like Nicki said, it’s Liqourice Allsorts alright, on wheels !
LikeLike
Kimi did a better job than I thought, now that I know he has a heavier fuel load as he usually does! That’s great news! He’s said it the quotes I’ve updated above, and Luca Baldisserri confirms it.@Trixie: No worries!
LikeLike
Hey everyone! How amazing to wake up to such wonderful news! I didnĀ“t watch the qualy because it was at like 6am here; but this is wonderful, Kimi on P2!!! Lewis must be sh** scared, he must be thinking "Oh no, heĀ“s right behind me, if he overtook me like he did in Spa, being 4th, whatĀ“s he gonna do now, when heĀ“s got nothing to loose?", hahaha, thatĀ“s right Hamster, be scared, because Kimster is going for your head! And what happened to Felipe? The pressure is already getting to him? We all know he sucks at races when he doesnĀ“t start from P1, so tomorrow Kimi will be able to fight for the win, IĀ“m sure! As he said, Felipe has to get himself in front, if he canĀ“t do that, sorry mate! And Kimi is heavier??? Even better……tomorrow will be fun! Fly Kimi, fly, weĀ“re right next to you if you need a little push! ItĀ“s so encouraging to see him out-qualify Felipe, when Massa should be doing his very best given the circumstances….and I doubt this is a case of team strategies, so that Felipe can pass him later on the race….Keep flying Kimi – Keep flying Evenstar!!!
LikeLike
Excellent news indeed.Ā Damn, I was so excited to see Kimi up there at the top in Q3 I almost fell off my chair.Ā Ā We watched it here live as well, with different commentators but same attitude…what is it with these people?Ā At least you got to see some of the post quali press conference, for some reason here they chopped it out totally, and I was so looking forward to hearing and seeing Kimi talk about it. Ā Ā Ā Thanks ever so much Evenstar for putting up the whole thing on video here, it’s made my day. I know Kimi keeps saying that he is not thinking of the championship any longer, but he is still talking of a win, he is very diplomatic in what he says, never says he won’t go for the win, and doesn’t say he will just be the team gofer either but does keep the team on side by saying he is working for them to win the championships.Ā Ā As for Felipe, fifth? Ah well, now he knows how Kimi has been feeling latelyĀ šĀ Looking forward to seeing Kimi fly tomorrow…we are all with you Kimi.
LikeLike
@Sol: Hahahaha! Yeah, for some reason Hamster looks quite scared of Kimi, even just standing near him. I LOL’ed when I read in the press conference that Hamster said he does his talking on track (answering a question about Kubica being critical of his driving), what a bullshitter! He chats so much crap before qualifying and the race that he’s already jinxed himself 3 times because of it. Massa must be feeling frustrated now too, aye? Hopefully next year, when Kimi starts afresh and well, the others can get frustrated starting behind Kimi on pole all the time. Anyway, enough of the bashing, I feel bad lol
I hope Alonso has a good race tomorrow as well. Lewis getting his butt
kicked by both Kimi and Alonso would be sweet LOL (sorry, guess I
couldn’t stop the Hamster bashing but ITV are to blame for winding me
up so much)Posted it on the forums but I’ll share this here too: I managed to get more than 50 pics from today, enjoy them all hereĀ š here’s some of my favourites (don’t hotlink to a lot of other forums please because it increase the album’s bandwidth…and then we can’t view them)
Cool scene shot:
Kimi and Massa:
You can see a sparkle on Kimi’s helmet visor at the bottom, nice touch
Awww…where’s that smile gone, damn media spotlight!
*sigh* Gorgeous, what else?
Videos
FP3 Kimi Spin: http://www.viddler.com/explore/KRS_Evenstar/videos/196/
QLF Ferrari Pitstop drama, almost! lol http://www.viddler.com/explore/KRS_Evenstar/videos/197/
Last Minutes of QLF: http://www.viddler.com/explore/KRS_Evenstar/videos/198/
LikeLike
kimi you are the best…go kimi go
LikeLike
That was worth getting up for this morning!!!!!!Ā Go Kimi fly!!!!!!!Ā Ā Ā
Saima I think ITV may be reading your site – they showed Kimi this
afternoon in the replay post quali press conference.
Ā
Here is hoping Kimi will win and I would not be to upset if Lewis had a
engine problem or a horrible pitlane moment lol
Ā
Keep flying and smiling KimiĀ and EVENSTAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ā
LikeLike
Thanks Saima for the photos and video…Ā I’m so happy :))))Ā Those photos with Kimi flying in the mist of Fuji-san are so beautiful andĀ stunning….
Ā
I shoot some photos of Mt. Fuji few years ago near the same area…. but without the flying red carĀ they were just…ordinary.Ā
Ā
KEEP FLYING KIMI!!!
LikeLike
HI Saima, great review…. I mean really really great…. , thank God I am not in UK, i can imagine what the hell ITV does with its f*cking commentary… all the lunatics out there deserve to be out of job next year… it’s great that BBC has won F1 rights from next year onwards…
coming back to Kimi, what a stellar performance… my man!… Hey Massa boiled under pressure today so did Lewis on his first run… Tomorrow should be exciting but i will avoid predicting anything…
Ā
LikeLike
Thanks for those Saima, I missed qualy (although I did know that Kimi got 2nd) and by the sounds of it I’m glad I did! I cannot stand the ITV coverage at the best of times, but that just sounded painful!Bring on the BBC!
LikeLike