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[Jensonb]

Quali could be interesting. Can't believe I'll have to watch it recorded again

[al4x]

Quali could be interesting. Can't believe I'll have to watch it recorded again

np could just have become amazing

[McLaren Fan]

Here are the times from the final practice session.

From autosport.com:

Piquet fastest in final practice - France

By Matt Beer Saturday, June 21st 2008, 10:03 GMT

Renault's Nelson Piquet was fastest in the final practice session before qualifying for the French Grand Prix.

Under pressure to improve his qualifying performances after the difficult start to his Formula One career, the Brazilian rookie led the way for the majority of the session.

Piquet's hard tyre lap time was sufficient to keep him at the head of the pack as few drivers gained time when they switched to softs in the final minutes.

Mark Webber took second for Red Bull Racing, with Sebastian Vettel maintaining his superb practice form by taking third place in his Toro Rosso.

As usual, the likely front-runners ran heavier fuel loads in this session in preparation for Q3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) was the best of the likely pole contenders in fifth place, behind Williams' Nico Rosberg.

A variety of drivers had swapped the top spot in the first half of the session, including both Toro Rosso drivers, before Piquet stamped his authority on the hour.

He usurped Vettel with a 1:16.344 lap on the harder tyres after 22 minutes, and although he was beaten by Lewis Hamilton soon afterwards, Piquet's second run was quick enough to move him back ahead - his 1:15.750 lap beating the McLaren by four tenths of a second.

Webber was the first major contender to try soft tyres, and closed to within 0.009 seconds of Piquet, who then failed to improve his time when he tried softs shortly afterwards - despite setting a new benchmark in the middle sector.

Vettel had remained in the top ten all morning, and shot back up to third when he switched to the softer Bridgestones, with Rosberg also making a late jump up the order to secure fourth.

Behind sixth-placed Jarno Trulli's Toyota, Hamilton ended up seventh after an error at the Imola chicane on his soft tyre run.

Sebastien Bourdais (Toro Rosso), Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and David Coulthard (Red Bull) completed the top tens.

Likely Q3 contenders Fernando Alonso, Heikki Kovalainen and BMW duo Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld appeared to be focusing on heavier fuel runs, as they ended the morning in 12th, 13th, 14th and 18th places respectively.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Piquet Renault (B) 1:15.750 19
2. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:15.759 + 0.009 14
3. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:15.827 + 0.077 21
4. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:15.974 + 0.224 17
5. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:16.003 + 0.253 18
6. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:16.147 + 0.397 20
7. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:16.182 + 0.432 16
8. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:16.235 + 0.485 18
9. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:16.256 + 0.506 17
10. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:16.282 + 0.532 18
11. Glock Toyota (B) 1:16.344 + 0.594 20
12. Alonso Renault (B) 1:16.437 + 0.687 20
13. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:16.545 + 0.795 16
14. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:16.617 + 0.867 20
15. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:16.644 + 0.894 16
16. Button Honda (B) 1:16.651 + 0.901 20
17. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:16.658 + 0.908 17
18. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:16.687 + 0.937 19
19. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:17.365 + 1.615 23
20. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:17.612 + 1.862 21

All timing unofficial

[Rivelution]

BMW seem to be struggling here, and Nick looked like he was struggling with his tires again. A shame Heikki didnt qualify too well, but Alonso and Trulli did very well. Massa said he hurt his neck on an elevator, and not from driving.

[AKR]

Lewis has to take risks, he's got little to loose so he has to go risky strategy and risky moves . Heiki needs to step up and try for a good result, its his chance to show what he can do and he needs to take points of the other title contenders. That purely a view from the Hamilton/McLaren point of view of course

Yeah my good friend "The Nightmare" got 3rd on the grid, oops make that 13th. Hopefully he tries too hard and stuffs up and the 2 cars that start 1st and 2nd on the grid finish that way.

[texasmr2]

It is definitely going to be very interesting to see if the predictions are correct concerning Lewis doing a 4 stop race. If he does not get taken out at the start by a backmarker he could storm through the field on light fuel loads.

I think Ferrari will finish 1 and 2 but I'm not sure in which order.

[Kiwi_Chris]

should be a good race pity the red menace is out in front, god knows im looking foreward to the press confrence if kimi wins

[Denthúl]

Bloody hell. That has to be the worst qualifying session of the year for me. 16th and 17th for Button and Barrichello is just disappointing, seeing as Barrichello has had two good races before this. I'm really hoping that it rains so that there's a chance they could finish around the 10th-place mark.

The top ten places on the grid didn't really end up the way I expected (aside from seeing the two Ferraris on the front row). Alonso and Trulli on row two should be interesting, and it's a shame that Kovy only managed to get to the third row, but maybe he's got a bit more fuel on board. Let's hope, eh?

[racechick]

Lewis has to take risks, he's got little to loose so he has to go risky strategy and risky moves . Heiki needs to step up and try for a good result, its his chance to show what he can do and he needs to take points of the other title contenders. That purely a view from the Hamilton/McLaren point of view of course

Yeah my good friend "The Nightmare" got 3rd on the grid, oops make that 13th. Hopefully he tries too hard and stuffs up and the 2 cars that start 1st and 2nd on the grid finish that way.

LOL! I thought of you! Dream qualfying for you. A 1,2 with nightmare boy out the way. Bet he'd have had one of them at the first cornes if he'd stayed 3rd. Got a job on his hands from 13th! I wouldnt count him out completely though, yes he could stuff up trying but he could do one of his magic drives,

[texasmr2]

Yah that was crazy because it seemed that Honda did not even try!
Also what happened to Nick and Nico in qualifying they sucked bigtime .

[Denthúl]

Maybe Ross Brawn has read my posts and put 95% of their time and resources into the 2009 car...

...well, I can hope...

[McLaren Fan]

Well, what a drab display the truly awful Magny-Cours once again served up. As we all expected, Ferrari have the edge, although they were not as dominant as I expected them to be; they are really only faster in the final sector of the lap. Moreover, there is a good chance Hamilton could have been on pole position had he not have made those two errors. Kovalainen, however, was pretty disappointing this weekend, as he was in Canada. This was really his chance to step up and show McLaren and the Formula One community what he could do, but he failed, which does him no credit and reduces McLaren's strategy options. The only consolation for McLaren is that the BMWs and Vettel are not as fast as people expected them to be. In saying that, Trulli and Alonso are looking pretty quick. The latter drove very well, once again obliterating Piquet, who has shown absolutely no signs of improvement. What happened to Williams? For me, with the possible exception of BMW's woes, was the biggest talking point of the qualifying session, but James Allen and Brundle completely failed to pick up on it, and, afterwards, Jim Ryder and Mark Blundell were having another Hamilton love-in. Finally, a lot of people and I have rightly given Hamilton a lot of criticism for arrogance, but today his comments were a lot more measured, so kudos to him for that. Let's hope it continues.

[Kiwi_Chris]

Maybe Ross Brawn has read my posts and put 95% of their time and resources into the 2009 car...

...well, I can hope...

it seems like honda have written off this year. Every interview they talk about 2009 and dont really seem to give a s*** about what happens this year

[Rivelution]

Maybe Ross Brawn has read my posts and put 95% of their time and resources into the 2009 car...

...well, I can hope...

it seems like honda have written off this year. Every interview they talk about 2009 and dont really seem to give a s*** about what happens this year

Thats because the have written off this year. Honda, Force India, and Williams have already admitted they're working on next years car more than this years.

[f1ea]

Hopefully he tries too hard and stuffs up and the 2 cars that start 1st and 2nd on the grid finish that way.

Don't think he needs to stuff up for that to happen I figured Luis will take chances with set up and also go light, but i doubt it'll be as bold as 4 stops.

Man.. the Mclarens and BMWs are really off the pace here but at least Heidfeld wasn't completely humiliated this time although his laps looked terrible. And Piquet was decent, not bad.

So that little 'awaited' fight w/ Alonso and Nick probably won't happen. But instead we'll get it with the Trulli, Alonso, Heikki and Kubica fights Should be VERY interesting.

Massa looked set for pole... but kinda lost it to the pressure, instead Kimi kept his cool and got it. Well done by both anyway.