Qualification – Massa sets the stands on fire

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa lit the fire this afternoon in Brazil for the last qualifying session of the 2008 season. The Brazilian, at home, made the most of his F2008 and led, under ideal conditions, the Toyota of Trulli, and his teammate Räikkönen. Hamilton is 4th.

The Scuderia puts pressure on McLaren and wins the first round. Hamilton is only 4th but doesn’t seem eager to attack at full force. Even if he doesn’t need more tomorrow, the Briton might feel the pressure in an atmosphere never before seen on a Formula 1 circuit and more than favorable to Massa… The wave was deployed with each pass of the 2008 title contender.

The qualifications begin under skies favorable to F1. Sun, and an ambient temperature of 21°C. It’s Massa who is the fastest during Q1: The Brazilian was quick this morning in free practice 3, and takes an ideal position to put pressure on Hamilton. The Englishman finishes Q1 in third position, behind Räikkönen’s second Ferrari.

In this session, the eliminated ones are the Williams; Nakajima is 16th, ten thousandths ahead of Button’s Honda. The other Williams is 18th with Rosberg. The Force India couldn’t fight and never managed to catch the back of the pack. Fisichella is 19th ahead of Sutil.

The second part of the qualifications: Q2; traditionally showcases the fastest cars and establishes an almost real ranking of performances. The drivers have an empty fuel tank, and in these conditions, Hamilton manages to stand out. The Englishman takes his revenge on Massa during Q1 and confirms that the battle for the title will be fierce…

Behind the leaders, Piquet is the first to be eliminated. The Renault driver, at his home race, couldn’t reach Q3 by thirty thousandths of a second. However, he will be able to choose his fuel strategy. He is ahead of Marc Webber in the Red Bull, and Robert Kubica (BMW). The Pole struggled with his car all weekend, and just like in China two weeks ago, he couldn’t make it into Q3. His teammate, however, secures a spot in the top 10. Heidfeld will indeed start from the 8th position tomorrow.

The last two drivers eliminated in Q2 are Coulthard, with his car in the colors of Wings for Life, and Barrichello. The Honda driver, also competing at home, is sporting a special helmet… perhaps a sign that the Brazilian is racing his last Grand Prix in F1…

For the last ten minutes of qualifying, in Q3, the drivers have already chosen their fuel strategy for their first stint of the race. Massa has a significant stake… the driver title, but McLaren has one just as big, with the chance to win the constructor’s title. From the first laps, it seems that Hamilton is running with more fuel than his rival. Massa leaves his pit under the wave of excitement and sets a lap time of 1:12.400 to the cheers of the Brazilian fans. The stands are full, and Massa can only improve. He sets a second lap at 1:12.368: the definitive pole position time.

Behind, Hamilton cannot keep up, apparently with one more lap of fuel, and takes the 4th fastest time. His teammate, Kovalainen, is right behind him: The McLarens are not in the top 3, and it is Jarno Trulli who creates the surprise by taking the second position. There will therefore be a Toyota on the front row tomorrow. Glock, in the second TF108 car, will start 10th.

The third fastest time is set by Kimi Räikkönen, who adds a bit more pressure on the Woking team.

Fernando Alonso did not perform a feat today and will start in 6th place on the grid tomorrow. He is ahead of the young German Sebastian Vettel in the Toro Rosso, Nick Heidfeld (BMW), and Sébastien Bourdais in the other Toro Rosso.

The pressure felt seems immense for both contenders for the 2008 driver’s title. But if McLaren wants to win both titles, they will have to step up tomorrow in the race. Tune in at 6 PM French time to follow the Grand Prix live.

Results of the Qualifying – Brazilian GP – 01 November 2008