Formula 1: The GOAT-Chapter 251: Race Weekend | Saturday | Qualifying II
"...he crosses the finish line and moves to PROVISIONAL POLE POSITION, but there are still ten minutes remaining in this twenty-minute qualifying session. Dennis Hauger has the fastest time at the moment, but the track is still improving as more rubber is being put down, and these times will keep getting faster and faster with passing time," Brad commentated with enthusiasm as he watched the drivers give their best on the track. The feed didn’t last on Dennis for too long as he was already on his cool-down lap and it shifted to where the action had been every few minutes.
"While his teammate is setting incredible lap times, he is still in the pitlane watching it just like a spectator. Is he waiting for the track to evolve before he joins and sets his qualifying laps?" Justin said the moment the feed shifted to Fatih, who was still holding the tablet.
"He only needs two laps, but delaying it too much has its own risks as well, since you won’t have a second chance. If he enters now, he will be able to drive at least four laps and have time," Brad said, his tone making it clear he was looking forward to when Fatih would join the track, but he didn’t talk about him for too long as the feed immediately returned to the continuing qualifying session.
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"When do you plan to send him to the track?" Jack’s race engineer opened his ear covers to ask James, who was looking at the screen of the qualifying videos of their other two drivers.
They had improved a lot, having spent yesterday after the first practice analyzing Fatih’s telemetry and video from free practice one to try and see where they could improve. It had clearly worked since they had improved quite a lot in the second free practice and were now fighting for a top-four start as it stood.
"Now," James said after he clicked the radio button that connected him to Fatih’s chief mechanic, before both of them turned to look at Fatih’s garage as the engine that had been warming up slowly was revved up.
Lisa, Fatih’s chief mechanic, immediately stood in front of Fatih’s garage, looking to see if there was any car in the pitlane. When she didn’t see any car or obstacle, she made a pulling motion to Fatih as she walked backward. Fatih obliged, immediately leaving the garage and turning left as he entered the pitlane and started heading to the track.
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"Five minutes, that is what is remaining in the qualifying session, and it is only now that Fatih is entering the track. Do you think he will make it in time to put two push laps on the timing board?" Brad sounded very excited amidst his commentary, like a child who was finally allowed to go out and play.
"It should take him at least three minutes to warm up the tires to optimal push temperature, so that leaves two minutes for him to put in two laps, which doesn’t sound like enough. But so long as the second lap is started with even a few seconds on the clock, that lap will be counted.
I don’t think we need to question if he can drive two consecutive push laps since he already drove more than ten of them in free practice one, and if he puts in the same lap times as he did then, that would be enough to put him in P7, which is very scary news for the other drivers since this is a pace he can sustain for an entire race," Justin said just as the feed once again returned to Fatih, who was now on the straight, swerving left and right, taking his time to gently introduce the tires to the heat and doing it just slowly enough that he should have them in the perfect window by the time he comes out of the final hairpin.
"I would be very nervous to leave everything that late into the session without a lap time on the board because a single, timely yellow flag or double yellow flag would guarantee him starting from the back."
"From his point of view, it is not that big of a problem because of the pace he can sustain, meaning he is guaranteed to make up positions so long as his wheel-to-wheel racing is up to par with his clear on-track pace. But that would mean complicating things when they didn’t need to be."
"Well, we will have the answer in a few seconds as he is now down to first gear in the final corner, the hairpin, and he is on power. Justin, take it from here," Brad said, immediately handing it over to Justin as the feed was now going to be fully focused on Fatih.
"With two minutes on the clock, he is now on his first push lap. The tires are in optimal condition, the driver is in optimal condition, but this is his first experience with the new engine as his old one is sealed for further investigation.
So can he repeat the same feat? We will know starting now as he passes the start-finish line and he is on a flyer! Just look at the commitment through Clervaux. He’s right on the limit of adhesion there, downshifting to third but keeping the minimum speed high. You can see he’s not overworking the front tires; he’s being very patient with the throttle on the exit of the chicane.
Now he opens the steering for Hawthorn. It’s a wide, deceptive corner, and he’s using every millimeter of the road, plus a bit of the exit kerb, to keep the momentum through the gears. He’s into the second chicane now, and he just straightens the car out. He’s taking the shortest route possible, isn’t he? That saves him hundredths, but it also keeps the platform of the car stable for the run down the straight.
This is the big stop. He’s into sixth, eyes on the markers... and there, heavy on the brakes, down to second for Tower Bend. You’ve got to get the rotation done early here so you can pick up the throttle for the climb. He’s done it perfectly. The car is absolutely planted, and his spatial awareness is top-tier.
Through the Jim Clark Esses, he’s incredibly brave, taking fifth gear where we have seen others hesitate. Into sixth through Barcroft, then a sharp downshift to third for Sunny In. Watch the transition here; he just breathes on the throttle for Sunny Out, up to fourth immediately. It’s a rhythmic sequence of right-handers, very reminiscent of that triple-apex Turn 8 in Turkey, requiring a lot of trust in the rear end.
Finally, into the Complex. He’s trail-braking right into the apex to keep the nose pinned. Down to second, then a short squirt of power before the big anchor job for the Hairpin. It’s the tightest corner in the country, and if you’re greedy here, you’ll lose all your exit speed. He stays disciplined, hooks it up, and now it’s just a drag race to the timing line..."
"OOOOOOOOOOOH! A 1:20.521!" the two commentators shouted in unison as the number was shown on the screen. It was five-tenths faster than Dennis Hauger’s 1:21.001.
"And he is already starting his second qualifying lap, starting it with forty seconds still on the clock! Are we going to see the unimaginable feat of a driver taking a double pole position with just two laps on the track, and how big of a feat would that be?"
"It would be a legendary feat, but there are two drivers still on track in the middle of their final laps who have very competitive times based on their first and second sectors. I wonder if they are going to be able to break the 1:21 wall like Fatih did. This is now getting even more interesting than it was, and I’m looking forward to it."
The crowd itself could be heard cheering the moment Fatih’s lap time was updated on the timing tower, but the commentator reminding them there were two drivers in the middle of their laps with competitive times enhanced the feeling, as they now had three drivers in the middle of their qualifying laps.
