‘09 German Grand Prix – Saturday Qualifying – Mark Webber on Pole Position

The vrooming sounds of F1 Cars are back…and so am I!

Red Bull’s Mark Webber will start the European Grand Prix from Pole Position as he will attempt to pick up his first Grand Prix win of his career. In an exhilarating Qualifying Session, the last few laps were all it mattered as Webber grabbed pole position and saw the other drivers couldn’t match it. The Brawns were right behind with Rubens Barrichello on P2 & championship leader Jenson Button on P3. The second Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel will start fourth followed by Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, (surprise surprise!) Adrian Sutil, Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen & Nelson Piquet.

Q1 was a disaster for the drivers who chose to go out late onto the track as a slight drizzle started the end of the session and that mean everyone was going slower! By that time, Red Bull had already set the fastest time, with Mark Webber topping the timesheets. The surprise was Lewis Hamilton, who was 4th fastest. The ones to drop out were Robert Kubica, Sebastian Buemi, Giancarlo Fisichella, Timo Glock & Sebastian Bourdais.

If Q1 ended with a drizzle, Q2 started with a slightly heavier one…and almost all the drivers came out on slicks but the track was so greasy, they all trooped back in and came out with grooved wets. Nick Heidfeld was the first to top the times but his time was steadily beaten as Mark Webber went fastest, with teammate Sebastian Vettel just behind. But the Brawns were not to be just watching, as Rubens Barrichello stayed on slicks and then upped Webber’s time by ~3 seconds! Adrian Sutil also managed a quick lap as he ended up third fastest and it was the first time a Force India car was in the top ten. Way to go Sutil!!! The ones to drop out were Nick Heidfeld, Fernando Alonso, Kazuki Nakajima, Jarno Trulli & Nico Rosberg.

Barrichello picked up from where he left off, as he set the fastest time for Q3 with the Red Bulls of Vettel and Webber just behind. The Ferraris seemed to be high on fuel as they could only manage 8th and 9th. Lewis Hamilton came out onto the track with just over a minute left in the session and straightaway banged a P1-worthy time. But he who laughs last, laughs longest…as the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber came up with the goods right at the end…with Webber plonking his Red Bull on P1, setting a time that Vettel -  and later on, the Brawns of Barrichello & Button – couldn’t match.

With every possibility of rain on Sunday, the race would be a thrilling affair and I’m all for Mark Webber to win his first-ever Grand Prix. After all, he’s the guy whom everybody loves in F1. And with Adrian Sutil starting from P7, it might be the day when we see Force India score their first points this season. Bring.It.On!