Onboard radios qualification | “You’re the best engineer ever!”

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Onboard radios qualification |

The weather gods provided another exciting qualifying session in Spain today. Wet patches on the track caused chaos in the first part of qualifying, while big names such as Fernando Alonso, Sergio Pérez, George Russell and Charles Leclerc all missed out on a good starting position. Since there were setbacks, other drivers were able to take advantage of the space that opened up at the front of the grid. The drivers therefore had enough to report on the on-board radio, so F1Maximum has listed the fragments.

The session started with a few drops, and the threat of more rain, so the drivers took to the track as quickly as possible. “It’s dripping in the pit lane, but very lightly,” Russell reports to his team, even before the light turns green. “I think rain is on the way,” the Briton passes on a little later when he sees the dark clouds. The rain never continued, but wet spots on the road surface caused great moments for the drivers, including Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Alexander Albon and Nyck de Vries even twice in turn eleven. “What am I doing wrong there?” asks the Frisian, who hadn’t discovered the wet spot after two spins.

Gasly as a driving chicane

Pierre Gasly, who would eventually be fourth fastest, already gave himself two penalties in Q1. He got in the way of Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen, who will start tomorrow’s race from the front row. Sainz was dangerously blocked before the last corner: “He should get a penalty for this, I had to go off the gas in a fast corner,” said the Spaniard. Not much later, Verstappen ran into the Frenchman in turn four, allowing him to abort his fast lap. Verstappen: ‘What the fuck? He doesn’t move aside.’ Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase responds by saying: ‘I don’t think he knew you were doing a fast lap, Max, come on into the pit lane.’ Alonso saw the incident happen and predicts: “Severe blockade by Gasly on Verstappen, that must be a grid penalty.” That’s what it ended up being: a three-place penalty for Gasly.

Lambiase reports again later: ‘Weighbridge, Max, remember the weighbridge!’ Verstappen does not forget the weighbridge and says: “I need another helmet, so have it ready.” Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has bigger problems and first reports that something is wrong with the back of his car. At the end of Q1, he fears that it is not enough: ‘We are out, I assume? Unbelievable.’ The Monegask must start tomorrow as nineteenth.

Norris happy with his engineer

In Q2 it is mainly Mercedes that is having a hard time. Russell no longer complains about the weather, but reports, “I’m having such a hard time. The car bounces a lot and I don’t trust the tyres.’ The Briton eventually also drops out in twelfth position, after colliding with his team-mate entering his final fast lap. “I had no idea anyone was behind me,” said Russell. Teammate Lewis Hamilton is less guilty, although he wanted to start his fast lap just behind Russell. George stopped suddenly. That was very dangerous, I think I damaged the car.’

Ultimately, Verstappen, Sainz and Norris excel in Q3 with the fastest times. Verstappen was still working on a faster lap, but that was no longer necessary: ​​’Cut it off, Max, cut it off!’ The Dutchman initially reacts with surprise and indignation, but then hears: ‘You now have the tires left for tomorrow. You have pole position! Your first in Barcelona!’ That news naturally satisfies Verstappen. ‘Not bad! That last lap would have been very fast too. We have remained quiet and calm.’

The last word is ultimately up to McLaren driver Lando Norris, who is told by his team that he can start third. “Huh, what?” so from the Briton’s surprise. ‘Still? Interesting,’ he adds later. “You are the best Race Engineer ever,” he compliments Will Joseph. ‘Eh, the best Performance Engineer ever,’ he corrects later.

Verstappen the clear favorite after his pole position! When you play responsibly, you keep it fun. What does gambling cost you? Stop on time, 18+.

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