Rookies thrown in the deep end as they begin life in F1
16 March, 2013
Giedo van der Garde
Rookie drivers were almost literally thrown into the deep end on the second day of the Australian Grand Prix weekend – where five are making their Formula 1 race debuts – during a incident packed Saturday afternoon qualifying session cut short by torrential rains.
Four of the five rookies were banished during the first round of qualifying that saw drivers skidding and spinning around a water-logged Albert Park circuit scattered with debris from a number of crashes.
Only Williams’s Valtteri Bottas of Finland scraped into the top 16 drivers who will finish the second and third rounds of qualifying early on Sunday and scramble to make adjustments before the race starts at 17:00 pm local time (06:00 am GMT).
The Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez is recovered after qualifying
Drivers were confined to their cockpits for a nervous 30-minute wait before the delayed first session as rain bucketed down and staff frantically tried to sweep the track clear of puddles.
“When you are sat in the car for half an hour and the pit lane looks like a river, it is slightly unnerving,” Marussia’s British driver Max Chilton, who will start 20th out of 21 on the grid, told television reporters.
“But when I was out there, the car was a real joy to drive.”
Chilton will start one place behind team mate and fellow debutant Jules Bianchi of France, who nearly span out of the race on his first lap.
Valtteri Bottas was best of the rookies in Q1
Esteban Gutierrez, promoted from reserve driver at Sauber, had the worst of it, smashing into a barrier at turn 12 after losing control and having his car winched off the track.
“It’s not an ideal situation, I feel very sorry for the team but I still have a race tomorrow that I need to focus on, keep my emotions very stable,” said the Mexican, who will start 18th on the grid.
“Unfortunately it was a mistake which I need to avoid in the future.”
Caterham’s Diego Van der Garde will see a second day of action in his F1 debut from last place on the grid, but his more experienced team mate Charles Pic skidded out of contention, having failed to meet the qualifying benchmark by one-hundredth of a second.
Related posts:
- Williams: Spent the day comparing packages
- Melbourne Practice 1: Vettel sets early pace as Ferrari duo lead the chase
- Bottas: I’m sleeping well, like a baby and really confident for the race
- 2013 grid youngest in Formula 1 history
- Practice 1: Rain spoils play as rookies crash
