Toyota excluded from Qualifying session

Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli have been excluded from this afternoon’s qualifying session for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after qualifying sixth and eighth respectively. The duo will therefore join Lewis Hamilton at the back of the grid for Sunday’s 58-lap event.

Post-qualifying inspection revealed that the TF109 wings flexed excessively and therefore contravene Article 3.15 of the FIA technical regulations which specified that wings must not have any ‘degree of freedom’.

Toyota statement
"Toyota Motorsport has been informed that the rear wing of the TF109 has been found to demonstrate "extreme flexibility" by the Australian Grand Prix stewards.

"The design has passed our own internal test procedures which are designed to reproduce twice the proscribed official load tests. In light of this decision it is clear we must review these procedures to ensure there is no repeat of this situation and we will also review our production processes to ensure there is no variation between parts.

"We naturally accept and respect the decision of the race stewards. We intend to modify the components overnight and we are confident these modifications will not result in any performance drop."

Further details to follow...

Article 3.15 of the technical regulations
'With the exception of the cover described in Article 6.5.2 (when used in the pit lane), the driver adjustable bodywork described in Article 3.
18 and the ducts described in Article 11.4, any specific part of the car influencing its aerodynamic performance: - must comply with the rules relating to bodywork; must be rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car (rigidly secured means not having any degree of freedom).'

Hamilton take grid penalty for gearbox change

French news agency AFP has confirmed that defending champion and Australian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton is to take a five position grid penalty into Sunday’s first race of the season.

Hamilton made it into the second round of qualifying this afternoon in Melbourne but a problem with fourth gear prevented the British racer taking any further part in proceedings.

Hamilton, 15th fastest on the day, will therefore drop to the rear of the field following a gearbox change on the MP4-24, and subsequent grid position penalty.

The team therefore has Heikki Kovalainen starting in 14th position while Sebastien Buemi, Nelson Piquet, Giancarlo Fisichella, Adrian Sutil and Sebastien Bourdais are all promoted up one position at Hamilton’s expense.

Australian GP - Press Conference - Button, Barrichello and Vettel

A dramatic first qualifying session of the season saw Jenson Button secure pole position for the Australian Grand Prix with Brawn Mercedes team-mate Rubens Barrichello lining up alongside on the front row of the grid. Another impressive performance saw Sebastian Vettel qualify third for this first race with the Red Bull Renault team. Here's what the fastest three had to say...

Q: Jenson, on pole for the first time since Melbourne in 2006. Everyone was tipping you to be on pole or the front row, I guess it was easy.
Jenson BUTTON: I wish. The last five or six months for both of us have been so tough because of going from not having a drive or any future in racing to putting it on pole here is just amazing, it really is and I have got to give all credit to the team and Ross (Brawn) and Nick (Fry) for making this happen. This is where we deserve to be after the tough times we have had.

Q: What were your thoughts when you came into qualifying as obviously you had been quick but other cars had been close?
JB: This morning the pace seemed to be pretty good on both tyres and I was reasonably happy. We didn’t know what other people’s pace was and you don’t until you get to qualifying. They seemed to be a little bit closer than I thought actually in Q1 and Q2, they were one or two tenths behind but I was struggling on low fuel for some reason.
I just could not get the car working right, but when we put fuel in it, it felt a bit more normal and in a way that is a good thing as it should help us out in the race.

Q: And as a race driver with the year you have had, you come here with a car this competitive. Talk about that transformation and the lap you drove.
JB: It has been a long time since we had a car that has been competitive. It is 2006 since I put it on pole here. It has been very tough and there are a lot of people who stand by you which is fantastic, but there are obviously a few people that don’t and they forget and they don’t believe. The important thing is that the people within team believe and that is all we care about. We have proven it with this car and I think both of us have done a good job this weekend so far considering the amount of mileage we have had in the car so far. You can say it is a very good car but you still need to get the laps in and make it your own. This is a great moment, but obviously not the most important moment of the weekend but it is a good start.

Q: Rubens, fastest lap of qualifying in Q2. Talk us through Q3 and that battle with your team-mate?
Rubens BARRICHELLO: First of all, I just want to emphasis what Jenson said that it has been a critical three or four months back home waiting for news. I am really happy to be here and I need to congratulate Ross and Nick for doing an outstanding job and everyone who has touched this car needs a credit because it is a really good car, so well done to the boys back in England as well. My car was fantastic on low fuel, it was really, really good and as you could see I put that fastest lap but then in Q3 for some reason I developed some understeer on the car and we tried to move the wings a little bit more to add a little bit more front wing but that car kept going to understeer, so I was very limited but it was difficult although I think the first row for both is a credit and we must be happy.

Q: Sebastian, a difficult day yesterday but a great recovery for you?
Sebastian VETTEL: Difficult two days up until qualifying. Yesterday I only had the pleasure of one lap in first practice and then in the second one I did a mistake and then unfortunately we could not run through our programme and also this morning we had a failure which cost us some track time so anything but ideal but nevertheless I think we put everything together. We were looking very deeply in the data and trying to prepare qualifying. I think we succeeded, so thanks to everyone as it has been a tough winter. We had some more time than you guys on the track but still you see it is not easy, so I am surprised how close actually the feeling in the car is with all the regulation changes coming here and having last year in mind, so it is pretty impressive what all the people have done. It looks very, very tight not just in the front but also throughout the whole of the midfield and at some points we were fearing not to make it to Q2. Now we are in third, second row, so I am looking forward to tomorrow. This is for sure a good starting point but points we will only get tomorrow, so we have to work hard.

Q: Jenson, shadows and light are going to be an issue tomorrow. Describe that from a driver’s point of view and being the first team to be on pole since 1970.
JB: It is difficult here with the shade and the low sun because it is not a normal circuit, it is in a park, so you have got a lot of trees here and the sun shining through the trees makes it very difficult as Sebastian will tell you from yesterday. Turn three was very difficult.

Q: You can put on some lights as you are fast enough.
JB: It is tough, but it is obviously easier form the front than it is from the back. Regards to what it is for the team to be here on the front row. It is fantastic and it is very difficult to know the words to use really. The team as a unit have been fantastic, they have really stuck together over the tough winter, better than I have, but they have proven that they have stuck together. They have produced a car that is good at the moment but I am sure we can make it a lot better. As we have both said, we will keep going on about, it is well deserved and all credit to the team. There will be a lot of happy faces but not just in the team, I think. A lot of people have travelled this journey with us, so it is good to be here.

Q: Jenson, did you ever imagine this could be possible and think after testing we are actually quite good?
JB: I mean testing was good and only having three days in the car and feeling that comfortable with it is quite unusual. But you don’t want to get too excited, people always tell you maybe you shouldn’t be thinking about going out for the pole or for the win, but why shouldn’t you, it doesn’t change anything. I think it is good to go into the weekend positive. You don’t need to let anyone else know what you are thinking. I came into this weekend positive and I am sure Rubens was the same because we have got a good car and we have got a team that can help us put it on the front row. It has been a good weekend so far. Other teams have been more competitive than I thought they were, so it has been a little bit harder than I expected but you need the competition and it is great to be here on pole position. The last time was three years ago.

Q: This must be a favourite circuit for you?
JB: It isn’t really. Qualifying has gone reasonably well for me before, I have just got to hope that it is better than back in 2006. I am expecting it will be. But it is great to be back here and going past the garage just after we weighed and seeing all the guys’ faces and the smiles on their faces. I didn’t think it still existed because you know it has been two years since we have been in a position where we have come out of the race and thought ‘wow that was fantastic.’ All credit to them and I need to thank them for all the hard work over the difficult months and roll on the season. I am so excited about this year. It is amazing what you can achieve when you have the package and a team you can believe in.

Q: What is going to be the big issue tomorrow - the tyres or the brakes even?
JB: I have been struggling a little bit with both. The brakes are a little bit of an issue here as it is quite bumpy. I have had a few issues with the pedal going long, but it will be fine, I can cope with it. The tyres are obviously pretty tough, especially in the cooler conditions and it is difficult to get the prime - I call them prime, the harder tyre working - and it is difficult to stop the softer tyre from graining. It is going to be very tough tomorrow and I think tyre management is going to be a big part of the race and that is something we have worked on with this car overnight to manage the tyres a bit better.

Q: Rubens, you just must be so delighted especially as we might call you the veteran of the field?
RB: Well, I feel younger than most of them. I think I have shown there is nothing that is veteran on myself. I speed up, I am always very excited and grateful to have a good car. It has been tough the last few seasons and so it is good to be back in a great car.

Q: And confidence for the race?
RB: Very. I was very confident I could get pole position. On the first two qualifiers it was very, very nice but for some reason I got this odd understeer that slowed me down in Q3. Beside that if anybody a month ago asked me ‘would you give $1,000 to be second in Melbourne’ I would have given a little bit more. I have got to be happy for sure.

Q: And again your feelings about the difference in tyres?
RB: Same. We experienced the same feelings during the Friday practice and during this morning, so it is going to be a good first few laps tomorrow plus it is going to be hard to judge when to push hard on the softer tyres as the grain is going to come and everyone is experiencing that and that is a little bit because the track is still not gripping up as much and 5 o’clock is not helping that much either as the temperature of the track is dropping, so everyone is sliding around that much, so there is a problem for everyone in that matter.

Q: The track temperature at 5.45 pm according to the monitors was 30 degrees. What is the ideal temperature for those softer tyres?
RB: Hotter. We needed some hotter temperatures. The tyres seemed to perform better in the 2 o’clock practice this afternoon, better than the evening one. Plus I think it is difficult. The visibility is incredibly difficult at 5 o’clock. It is such a change from the early testing from when you hit the track at 5 o’clock. The first lap feels odd because the shades, the tress and the sun is right in your face, so I think it is going to be a difficult race on that side to.

Q: Sebastian, was that a factor yesterday when you went off?
SV: No, it was my mistake. Yes, it was tricky as Rubens explained. For instance you go down the main straight and the sun is very low and you cannot see the white line when you exit the pits, so you just keep right and hope you are far enough right and the same when you go through turn three with the trees. It is quite tricky as you have a lot of shadows there. You try to get as close to the outside and to get a good run into turn three. Obviously I was a little bit too optimistic and went on the grass spun and unfortunately the engine switched off, so I could not continue yesterday. Overall I am a bit surprised by now that we managed to do so well in qualifying. We have been struggling yesterday, so we had anything but a good day. In the P1 session the failure and in the second practice I went off and also this morning we were trying to get some mileage as obviously here it is important to set up the car but also for a driver you need to get the rhythm and you need to feel the track and therefore we didn’t know what to expect. I was looking at more laps than the computer and looking at laps there than on the circuit. Obviously it seemed to help, so I think we can be very happy. It has been a tough winter but I think we have put a good car on the track and it seems to work.

Q: Were you surprised how close the times were, particularly in Q2?
SV: Yes, I was, but we expected it. Coming from the winter, we all came here and two days ago I sat here and we all said ‘we don’t know who is going to be in front.’ Probably Brawn will be there but other than that, it’s difficult to predict anything. It’s obviously good that we are the power after Brawn right now but we have to keep our feet on the ground, it’s a long, long season and there’s still a long way to go here. Of course, starting in P3 on the second row is good for us but we get the points tomorrow, so the most important day is tomorrow.

Q: Is reliability a worry?
SV: Shouldn’t be. I think we came here and (thought) we had sorted everything out and then we were surprised by two or three minor things and we were a bit unlucky. In the first session we had to stop the car as a precaution and unfortunately I stopped some 200 metres too late otherwise they could have brought the car back but that’s the problem when you have a lake in between the two sides of the circuit but I think we should be fine.

Australian GP Qualifying Photos

Brawn GP Mercedes - Australian GP - Qualifying

The Brawn GP team locked out the front row of the grid today in qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on the day in which the team announced its new partnership with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

Jenson Button put the BGP 001 car on pole at the end of a closely-fought qualifying hour. Team-mate Rubens Barrichello will start alongside Jenson on the front row of the grid for tomorrow's 58-lap race.

The BGP 001 cars ran at the front of the field throughout qualifying with the team's two drivers vying for position at the top of the timesheets.

Barrichello took the honours in Q1 and Q2, posting the fastest lap of qualifying in the second session. In the pole position shoot-out, both drivers completed two runs with Button taking his fourth career pole in the dying seconds of the session.

Jenson Button
"To put the car on pole at our debut race is a fantastic achievement and I have to give so much credit to Ross, Nick and everyone at the factory in Brackley. The last four months have been incredibly tough for the team and to go from a situation where you don't even know if you are going to be racing to achieving pole at the first race of the season is just incredible. Tomorrow is obviously the most important day of the weekend and there is a lot of work to be achieved to come away with a successful result however we have to remember where we have been and really enjoy this moment."

Rubens Barrichello
"It has been a great day and I want to congratulate the team for an outstanding job.
I was hoping that I could put the car on pole and it was looking good in the first two sessions but in Q3 I developed some understeer in the car which comprised my final runs. However the first row for both cars is a real credit to the team and gives us a great chance in the race tomorrow. We have a really good car which everyone deserves credit for and I am just so happy to be racing at the front again."

Ross Brawn
"Watching our two cars top the timesheets throughout qualifying capped an excellent day for the team which began with the announcement of our new partnership with Virgin this afternoon. The track conditions were more favourable than we experienced yesterday and we found that the tyres worked in a more conventional way. In addition, the changes that we had made following yesterday's practice sessions proved positive and both drivers had a well-balanced car which allowed them to concentrate on maximising the lap times."

"Whilst this is a great achievement and gives both drivers an excellent opportunity in the race tomorrow, the job is only half done and our full focus is now on getting the best result possible in the race. I would like to pay credit to Jenson, Rubens and the whole team, both here and at our factory, for their achievement today and to Mercedes-Benz for their invaluable support over the past few months."

Ferrari - Australian GP - Qualifying

Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen will line-up for the Australian Grand Prix in seventh and ninth positions respectively. While the Italian team aknowledge they did not have the pace of the dominant Brawn GP cars, they had expected to qualify higher up the field.

Kimi Raikkonen's day was undoubtedly compromised by a hydraulic failure that forced him to miss most of the final practice session, but in the final round of qualifying this afternoon both Raikkonen and Massa suffered a dramatic drop off in pace with race fuel on board.

Stefano Domenicali
"We cannot be happy with this result. We knew that, apart from one team that today seems to be out of reach of the rest, in terms of pure performance, there were various teams that could aspire to being near the front of the grid. Today, we had confirmation of what was said in the winter, that the performance difference between a large group of cars is minimal and the slightest drop off and you will finish down the order."

"That's what happened today, particularly in Q3, where we did not live up to our potential. We have to work out why that happened and at the same time, prepare as well as possible for a race that is bound to be very difficult and uncertain."

Felipe Massa
"We reckoned it would be possible but very difficult to get into the top five and this turned out to be the case: we ended up seventh, which is definitely not very satisfying but it represents the best we could do this afternoon. Now we must concentrate on tomorrow's race, which will be extremely tough. The first round of the season here in Australia is always a step into the unknown, especially as the track is slippery and accidents are a strong possibility. We will try to get to the finish and to pick up as many points as possible."

Kimi Raikkonen
"This morning, a hydraulic problem meant I pretty much missed out on the third free practice session: a shame, but better that this should happen on Saturday than Sunday. The car was r from ideal for qualifying but I think we are in pretty good shape for the race. A points finish is possible even if we could have been further up the grid. From what we have seen today, clearly we lack a bit of performance compared to the quickest guys, but the race will be very long and we will see what we can manage to do."

Luca Baldisserri
"We need to work out why, in Q3, we didn't manage to go as well as in Q2, while allowing for the amount of fuel we had on board. Tomorrow the race will definitely be very difficult. We will have to make the most of any opportunities, beginning with the start. Actually, on the grid, we are the highest placed cars running KERS, an element that might allow us to make up some places. Then we have to bear in mind that, on this track, the Safety Car usually plays a part and so anything could happen. Reliability will be key."

"This morning, we had a hydraulic problem on Kimi's car which saw him stop out on track at the start of FP3 and clearly that was not the best way to prepare for qualifying. We must pay close attention to every detail and try and get the cars to the finish line, with the aim of picking up points."

Renault - Australian GP - Qualifying

Fernando Alonso had been hoping to challenge for a podium position at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but a small error in the second round of qualifying saw him fail to make the final pole position shoot out and the double world champion will therefore line-up in 12th position.

Renault team-mate Nelson Piquet has struggled all through practice and qualifying was no exception. The Brazilian, now in his second season of Formula One, lines up 17th but will be mildly encouraged to be just half a second shy of Alonso’s best in the same session.

Fernando Alonso
“We arrived here to fight for the podium, but this might not be the case tomorrow. We were very close to Q3 times, only two or three tenths of a second off, but I made a mistake as I tried to make up some time in the final corner. I’m disappointed as I thought I could be fifth or sixth on the grid. However, last year I started in 12th and got up to fourth in the race so I’m still confident that tomorrow, if we have an eventful race, I can get a good result.”

Nelson Piquet
"I knew it was going to be a bit tough today, after a difficult weekend for us. At the start of qualifying the car seemed okay, but then I started to struggle. This track is not one I enjoy particularly.
I was pushing a little too hard and made a mistake in the last sector."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
Track conditions: “They were quite good today with reasonably high temperatures despite the fact that qualifying took place late in the day. That did not give us any problems.”

Performance summary:” We are obviously disappointed, but the performance of all the cars is very close and our position in qualifying doesn’t necessarily reflect where we will finish in the race.”

Strategy and fuel load: “Our positions on the grid will certainly require us to use quite a conventional strategy as will be shown tomorrow by the fuel loads that we choose.”

Outlook for the race: “I think that we’re not too far from the teams that we should be fighting and we hope that our KERS system will bring us a genuine advantage during race conditions tomorrow.”

Williams Toyota - Australian GP - Qualifying

The first indications of the 2009 form guide emerged today after the first competitive session of the new season at Albert Park in Melbourne.

The two Brawn GP cars locked out the front row and Nico Rosberg kept the Williams Toyota team firmly in the picture securing the fifth slot on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Having shown positive form through the three practice sessions and into qualifying, an error on his final flying lap in Q2 meant that Kazuki Nakajima was unable to join Nico in the pole position shoot-out and he will line up in 13th place for tomorrow’s evening start.

Nico Rosberg
"I think it is a good thing to be a bit disappointed with fifth place! Our qualifying session itself was consistent with everything else I have experienced so far and the car has been nice to drive all weekend. From the work we have done today, we are in a good position to start the race, perhaps better than we would have imagined when we arrived here. We are among the fastest cars but it will be interesting to see what fuel load everybody is running."

"The start tomorrow of course will be important, but thankfully we will don’t have too many cars running KERS close by us and possibly challenging us off the line.
The big factor tomorrow will be tyres, but I think we have a good strategy and positive reliability, so we have all the tools to do a good job in the race."

Kazuki Nakajima
"The car was good enough to make it into Q3 today, but I made a small mistake and it cost me quite a few places. There is however plenty to consider tomorrow and I think I still have a good opportunity, so it will be important to concentrate and get absolutely everything right. As it the first race I think there will be plenty going on, which will make it exciting, but challenging."

Sam Michael, Technical Director
"We have had a solid start to our preparations for tomorrow’s race. Both cars have performed reliably and we have managed to find a reasonable pace. Nico used this to best advantage today, but an error in Q2 meant that Kazuki was not able to progress into the top ten."

Red Bull Renault - Australian GP - Qualifying

After struggling in practice ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel made it count when it really mattered as he qualified his RB5 on the second row of the grid with the third fastest time in the qualifying shoot-out.

In contrast Mark Webber, who showed impressive speed until the final round of qualifying, was tenth fastest and a little disappointed not to be higher up the grid.

Sebastian Vettel
"It’s been a difficult two days leading up to qualifying. I only had the pleasure of completing one lap in the first practice, then I made a mistake in the second, which meant we couldn’t run through our programme. Then we had a failure this morning, which cost us some track time, so it’s been anything but ideal!"

"Nevertheless, I think we pulled everything together; we’ve been looking deeply at the data and trying to prepare well for qualifying. I think we succeeded, so thanks to everyone. We had a tough winter and I’ve been surprised how close the feeling in the car is to last year. With all the regulation changes it’s impressive what all the people have done – it’s very tight at the front of the grid and all through the midfield."

"At times we have even wondered if we would make it to Q2, so now we are third on the second row of the grid, I’m looking forward to tomorrow. This is for sure a good starting point.”

Mark Webber
“I’m not rapped with my last lap. My previous flying laps had gone well, so I would have liked a better result, but that’s where we are so we’ll try to make something from the race. The bumps were quite bad in Turn nine on the final run. The team’s done a good job and we’ve worked well through our programme over the winter. It’s a shame I didn’t get the best time in qualifying, but we’ll see how we go from there tomorrow.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal
“It was a great team effort today and we have two cars in the top ten. After losing some track time this morning, Sebastian has done a great job. Third is a fantastic place to start the first Grand Prix and he’s the nearest car to the super-quick Brawns. I think we can enjoy a good race tomorrow. After all that Mark has been through in the last few months, recovering from a broken leg, I think he put in an excellent performance today. A small mistake on his final lap in such a tight grid cost him several positions, but I’m sure he will have a strong race tomorrow.”

Fabrice Lom, Renault
“After the last test, we didn’t know where we were in terms of pace, so it’s great to see that we are very near the front. Third is very good and Mark made some fantastic laps and showed good pace, so I’m positive for tomorrow. I’m happy and the engine is working fine. I have sadness for Pierre-Emeric and want to remember him. I think about him, especially in this moment of qualifying, when he was so focused and enthusiastic. So, we think about him and let’s see for tomorrow.”

BMW Sauber - Australian GP - Qualifying

BMW Sauber drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, will be starting fourth and 11th on the grid respectively for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. While Kubica was able to fight in all three qualifying sessions, Heidfeld just failed to get through to the top ten, admitting a number of mistakes.

Robert Kubica
"I’m quite happy with fourth on the grid. Looking at the first practice sessions of the weekend, this was more than we expected. We made progress with the car, and I was able to put in some really good laps. In particular, my lap in Q2 was very good. Unfortunately on my second run in Q3 Nico Rosberg went wide in front of me in corner 14 and put some dust on the track. As a consequence my tyres lost massive grip in the final corners of that lap. Most probably I could have finished third, but still I’m satisfied with my performance."

Nick Heidfeld
"We have been improving the car in every session and in qualifying it was okay. Also my final lap in Q2 was okay until the last sector where I just didn’t get it right, and especially in the last corner I had too much oversteer. Eleventh is certainly not what I was aiming for after the winter tests were quite promising, but at least it is an advantage compared to tenth because I am now free to choose my fuel load. I am hoping for a good race and some points. Using the KERS might be a small advantage just after the start, although here the straight before the first corner isn’t really long."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"Robert had a fantastic qualifying and was up with the front-runners with both low and heavy fuel loads on his car. His fourth on the grid is more than we could have expected after the free practice sessions. Unfortunately Nick missed Q3 by a small margin. However, this gives us more opportunities for the race strategy, because from eleventh on the grid you are free to choose the amount of fuel for the race. Both cars ran without any technical problems. On top of this, our new pit crew did a great job."

Willy Rampf, Head of Engineering
"Finally the first qualifying of 2009 is behind us and we have got an idea where everybody stands. In Q2, when everybody runs with a very low fuel level, Robert was among the fastest. This is very pleasing after the free practice results weren’t that promising. Nick on the other hand didn’t really get it right in Q2, and just missed the top ten qualifying. For tomorrow we expect similar track conditions and are looking forward to a very exciting race."

McLaren Mercedes - Australian GP - Qualifying

Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix was always going to be a struggle for the McLaren Mercedes team as they get to grips with the so far difficult MP4-24 package.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen made it into the second round of qualifying but this as far as the Woking-based team could get.

Lewis Hamilton did not take part in the second round of qualifying due to a gearbox problem, while Kovalainen went on to record the 14th fastest time.

Potential penalties aside, McLaren start the 58-lap Grand Prix from the seventh and eighth rows.

Heikki Kovalainen
“The car’s overall balance was good. We just don’t have enough grip at the moment to make the best use of it. The team has worked so hard, and we have made progress over the past few weeks so it gives us all a lot of hope that we will get back to the front before too long.”

Lewis Hamilton
“Something broke on the rear of my car on my second flying lap in Q1. I just lost all drive in the gearbox and couldn’t continue. The team will look at the problem tonight and I’m determined to drive an attacking race – we’ll have some fun from 15th tomorrow. My congratulations to Jenson and everyone at Brawn GP – they have done a fantastic job all weekend and have a lot to look forward to tomorrow.”

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal
“A gearbox problem for Lewis in Q1 – probably a broken dog ring but we'll have to investigate it to know for sure – prevented him from setting as quick a time as he might otherwise have been able to, but at least he got through to Q2 even if he was unable to take part in it."

"Heikki's first quick lap in Q2 was solid - but his next fast lap was quicker in sectors one and two but unfortunately not quicker in sector three. He therefore missed out on getting through to Q3 – by less than half a second."

“Both drivers did a good job, though, in circumstances that were difficult for us all. The reality is that we’ve made progress in the past couple of weeks, but clearly not enough. There’s more to come, though, and everyone at Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart is working as hard as they can to turn things around in the shortest time possible.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes VP
“Heikki did a solid job and made best use of the pace offered by the car. It’s a shame that Lewis suffered a gearbox problem, which should not happen when he was on his best lap so far – there was not such a problem during more than 7000 km of testing."

"Our speed was obviously not great, however Kimi and Nick – who were also both running KERS – were respectively 0.35s and 0.25s ahead of us, and Fernando is not more than 0.15s away. But of course, we have to continue to improve dramatically. Congratulations to Brawn GP for a superb debut. We are especially happy that our Mercedes-Benz engine powers the whole front row.”

Force India Mercedes - Australian GP - Qualifying

The Force India team will start the Australian Grand Prix with Giancarlo Fisichella 18th and Adrian Sutil 19th as the field proved even closer than last year, with 1.5 seconds covering tenth to 20th.

Following strong performances throughout the weekend, Fisichella and Sutil were just two tenths from putting the VJM02 into the second round of qualifying.

Giancarlo Fisichella
"We knew that it would be difficult today, but considering what we have done so far this year, with the limited pre-season testing, being just two tenths slower than the 2008 world champion is a good result."

"Being so close shows it's already a very challenging season. I had a good lap and I am happy as I have been struggling a bit with the brakes and locking all weekend and I'm not driving as I want. But all this considered, there is really good potential in this car so we are looking forward to working it through. For tomorrow, first of all we need to get to the end of the race - that's the main goal and then we'll see."

Adrian Sutil
"For sure we were hoping after yesterday's performance to be able to make it into Q2 but in the end it was not possible. Things looked better in practice but perhaps the others were not showing all their potential."

"We know we have plenty to work on, our main problem is that we need a lot more downforce. My main goal now will be to make it to the end of the race tomorrow and then let's see where we are. It's even tighter than last year."

Dominic Harlow, Chief Race Engineer
"That was a very tight session - it seems the field is even closer than last year. Unfortunately it was not the outcome we'd hoped for as both drivers narrowly missed out on Q2. The drivers and engineers got close to getting the best they could from the car this weekend."

"We need a bit more development to really challenge, but given how our programme started late, we've made enormous progress already and we know that there is plenty in the pipeline. The race is going to be a good one, and it will be interesting to see the strategies that are adopted now that all the teams must commit to a race start fuel load just two hours after confirming their grid position."

Toro Rosso Ferrari - Australian GP - Qualifying

With very little in the way of pre-season testing under their belts, Sebastien Buemi and Sebastien Bourdais qualified 16th and 20th respectively for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

For Buemi, 16th position was a solid result, especially as the Swiss rookie was four-tenths up on his more experienced team-mate.
Sebastien Buemi
“I have to say I found the pace at which qualifying happens rather quick! You go out, you come back, you change tyres, you go out again. You need to stay relaxed. I think we did quite a good job with what we had and missed out on Q2 by half a tenth."

"I am quite happy, as these days have been something of a test session for us and we improved the car quite a lot from yesterday morning through to now. I have taken confidence from what I have done so far and feel I am going to be capable of doing this job, even if I am quite young."

"The visibility in the sunshine was a bit better than yesterday, but we have to get used to it.”
Sebastien Bourdais
“It was closer than expected to getting to Q2 from a team point of view as Seb just missed out on 15th place to the McLaren by a fraction. My car wasn’t too bad: on my second run I made a slight mistake and on my third, unfortunately my out lap was too slow and I did not get the tyres up to temperature. But it’s encouraging, as the Red Bull car is going well and we are not as far off the pace as I had expected."

"We have made good progress in terms of understanding the car. Starting last, it will be a tough race, but I will attack as much as I can and hope the race is as eventful as last year.”

Toyota - Australian GP - Qualifying

Toyota will have two cars in the top ten when the Australian Grand Prix kicks off the season but were still left feeling a little disappointed.

On another clear, sunny day at Albert Park in Melbourne, Timo Glock claimed sixth place on the grid with Jarno Trulli two places further back in eighth.

With medium and super soft compounds on offer, both drivers used the softer option to progress through Q1 and Q2 as the whole grid was able to compare outright performance for the first time with the 2009-specification cars.

Q3, with all cars carrying the amount of fuel they will start the race with, was predictably tense and the two Toyotas used the super soft tyres in the final seconds to set their fastest times.
Timo Glock
"We struggled a bit in second and third practice to find the right balance but we worked hard to find a solution and we did some set-up work which got the car into the right set-up window. I think with a bit more fine-tuning maybe we could have been further up the grid - we were only a tenth behind the top three so it could have been better but I am quite positive about the result. The car feels pretty good now and we are clearly not far away so let's see how it goes tomorrow in terms of strategy. I am pretty happy and reasonably confident."
Jarno Trulli
"That was a really hard qualifying for me.
I expected a lot more from today so I am disappointed. Of course I will fight as hard as I can in the race but I don't know what to expect because the car felt different in qualifying compared to final practice. I don't know why but the tyres just would not warm up as expected and I was sliding around quite a bit. On top of that I had some issues with the brakes so it was really difficult for me."
Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis
"Overall the result is quite disappointing because we were hoping for more from qualifying today. We expected to be further up the grid but of course strategy plays a part in Q3 so we cannot forget that factor. It was easy to predict which tyres to use in qualifying because the super soft compound was clearly preferable but for the race it is a different matter. Tyre choice is a bigger challenge for the race and we have time now to look at the situation."

Brawn GP claim front row on debut - Australian GP - Qualifying

Qualifying for the opening round of the 2009 Formula One championship brought its fair share of highs and lows but it was a sensational day for the new Brawn Mercedes team with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello claiming the front row in style in the impressive Mercedes-powered BGP 001.

As ever in qualifying it came down to the very final hot lap of the ten minute pole shoot-out with Barrichello claiming the provisional pole on a 1:26.505s best before Button flashed across the line seconds later to claim his fourth career pole on a 1:26.202.

The Brawn GP team head into their first race with the possibility of replicating the antics of Walter Wold in the 1970s and recording a debut Grand Prix victory.

While Brawn squad celebrate their qualifying success, there will be big smiles in the Red Bull Renault camp as Sebastian Vettel recovered from a troubled time in practice to claim third position on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix.

While Vettel had a good run, team-mate and home town hero Mark Webber will be disappointed to line up in tenth position in the second RB5 after showing very good pace ahead of the final qualifying shoot-out.

BMW Sauber has opted to split their strategy between Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld this weekend with the former running without the new KERS technology. Kubica lines up an impressive fourth in his F1.09 while Heidfeld will be disappointed to start 11th.

Nico Rosberg dominated ahead of qualifying in the Williams Toyota but will have to be satisfied with fifth position on the grid. Such is the pace of the FW31 package in Melbourne, the fact that fifth is a minor disappointment, shows how much progress the team has made in the off-season. Kazuki Nakajima starts 13th in the second Williams after failing to get in a good lap in the second round of qualifying.

Toyota had been expected to challenge for the pole position with the super-fast TF109 but Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli start sixth and eighth after lapping roughly a second off the pace of Button. Until we know the fuel levels, this may or may not be a significant point.

Felipe Massa ran well in practice in his Ferrari, recording the fourth fastest time, but in qualifying saw the Italian team struggle a little for pace with the Brazilian splitting the Toyota duo to start seventh. Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen recovered well after missing most of the final practice session when his F60 developed a hydraulic problem and starts ninth ahead of Webber’s Red Bull.

Renault showed very little pace in practice and that form continued to a degree into qualifying this afternoon. Former champion Fernando Alonso and team-mate Nelson Piquet do have KERS on board the R29 this weekend but a small error from the Spaniard on his final run left him 12th while Piquet, who has struggled all weekend, could do no better than 17th.

Lewis Hamilton won the Australian Grand Prix last year, but the new KERS equipped McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 has had a difficult start to its life and generally suffers from a lack of downforce. Both Heikki Kovalainen and Hamilton made it into the second round of qualifying but a gearbox issue meant that 2008 champion could take no further part in the session. Kovalainen was 14th fastest and will line-up ahead of Hamilton, potential gearbox penalties aside.

Toro Rosso Ferrari had just one test session ahead of the Australian Grand Prix and it was therefore of little surprise to see new rookie Sebastien Buemi and former Champ Car star Sebastien Bourdais struggle for pace in the new STR4 package. Buemi however did a great job to qualify 16th for his first Grand Prix ahead of Piquet while 20th and slowest was a poor result from his more experienced team-mate.

Force India Mercedes showed solid mid-field pace in practice but their qualifying form was poor today with Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil just 18th and 19th respectively.

The 58-lap Australian Grand Prix gets underway at 08.00 CET, 17.00 local time and it should be a thriller!

Qualifying Result (Click to enlarge)

Head -" We looking forward to return on top"

Nico Rosberg on Saturday completed a clean-sweep of heading the practice timesheets at Albert Park, but Williams' Patrick Head remains cautious as Melbourne braces for the decisive qualifying session.

Rosberg was three thousandths quicker than Toyota's Jarno Trulli in third and final practice in Australia, having also headed Friday's two 90 minute sessions.

"No complaints," engineering boss Head said, "it's better to be at the sharp end than the blunt end, but it's going to be very tight in qualifying.”

"Very tight," he emphasised, with the other FW31 driven by Kazuki Nakajima fifth.

Like Toyota, the other 'clever diffuser' team Brawn has also been consistently quick this weekend, and early on Saturday Jenson Button was also close to the pace.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa was also up there, although team-mate Kimi Raikkonen brought up the rear following a hydraulic failure.

Like Head, Brawn boss Ross Brawn was keeping his expectations for qualifying in check.

"You never know what fuel loads everyone is running, so the reality check is still to come later this afternoon.”

"I'm holding back until we see what happens," he added.

Australian GP - Free Practice 3

Nico Rosberg continued to impress in the third and final practice session ahead of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, setting the pace with a best lap of 1:25.808s in the Williams Toyota.

Rosberg, who topped both of the Friday practice sessions, used the super-soft Bridgestone tyre for his hot lap and just managed to shade Toyota's Jarno Trulli by three-thousandths of a second.

Jenson Button led the way for the Brawn Mercedes team with the third fastest time, again underlining the performance advantage the 'diffuser three' are enjoying around the Albert Park circuit.

As ever with a practice session ahead of qualifying, it is difficult to know who is running on almost empty fuel tanks to simulate the first or second round of qualifying and who is running with race fuel to simulate the final round of qualifying.

Felipe Massa languished down the timesheets for much of the session before making late gains in his Ferrari. The Brazilian ended the session fourth fastest but it remains to be seen if that kind of performance can be replicated should he make it into the final round of qualifying.

Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen had a very short session as he was forced to pull off and retire the second F60 following a hydraulic failure. With just five laps completed, Raikkonen heads into qualifying somewhat blind.

Kazuki Nakajima continued to shine in the second Williams with the fifth fastest time ahead of Rubens Barrichello in the second BGP 001.
The Brazilian veteran was on a very hot lap late in the session before running wide and losing time.

Mark Webber again ran well for the Red Bull Renault team with the seventh fastest time ahead of Timo Glock in the second Toyota. BMW Sauber meanwhile have shown no speed all weekend but at least in this session Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld were able to scrape into the top ten.

Reflecting their pace from yesterday, Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton were 11th and 12th fastest for McLaren Mercedes ahead of Sebastian Vettel who had a wild ride across the gravel and grass at turn one before retiring the second RB5.

Adrian Sutil continued to lead the way at Force India with the 14th best time ahead of the Toro Rosso duo of Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastien Buemi.

With what is visibly the worst handling car on the circuit, Fernando Alonso continued his Melbourne struggle in 17th ahead of former team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella and current team-mate Nelson Piquet.

Next up is the all-important qualifying hour and as we have seen so far this weekend in Melbourne, nothing this year is predictable...

Free Practice 3 Result (Click to enlarge).