Malaysian Grand Prix Grid Confusion

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Qualifying with the new double elimination format is very exciting this year.  Combine that with the impressive showing of the Williams Cosworth and Nico Rosberg's third place grid position, this is starting out to be a pretty good year in F1. 

Now Rosberg is pretty happy with his grid position but everyone else is being jumbled about because of the 10 place penalty for changing engines.  No less than five drivers - David Coulthard of Red Bull, Felippe Massa of Ferrari, Michael Schumacher of Ferrari, Ralph Schumacher of Toyota, and Rubens Barrichello of Honda - have all been put 10 places down the grid from their actual qualifying time for changing engines. 

David Coulthard is rightfully upset with the rule that says a race engine must last two race weekends or you incur a 10-place gird pentalty for the next race.  His engine started dying on the last lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix but he crossed the finish line.  Since he completed the race but needed to change his engine, he is down 10 places.  Jacques Villeneuve, whose engine expired on lap 20 of the Bahrain Grand Prix gets a new engine with no penatly.  I see David's point but he's stuck with the rules the way they are for now.  Maybe they can change things for next year.

In all the confusion, Canada's favourite son, Jacques Villeneuve, moved up from 14th to 10th on the grid, but, more importantly, is also ahead of his teammate.  Hopefully he can make up a few more places during the race and score some points for BMW.

The official qualifying times were:

 P. No Driver Team - Engine Tyres Times Ave/Gaps
1. 2 FISICHELLA Renault M 1'33"840 212.647 Km/h
2. 12 BUTTON Honda M 1'33"986 + 0'00"146
3. 10 ROSBERG Williams Cosworth B 1'34"626 + 0'00"786
4. 5 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'34"668 + 0'00"828
5. 9 WEBBER Williams Cosworth B 1'34"672 + 0'00"832
6. 4 MONTOYA McLaren Mercedes M 1'34"916 + 0'01"076
7. 3 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'34"983 + 0'01"143
8. 1 ALONSO Renault M 1'35"747 + 0'01"907
9. 15 KLIEN RedBull Ferrari M 1'38"715 + 0'04"875
10. 7 R.SCHUMACHER Toyota B 1'34"586               

11. 14 COULTHARD RedBull Ferrari M 1'34"614
12. 11 BARRICHELLO Honda M 1'34"683
13. 8 TRULLI Toyota B 1'34"702
14. 17 VILLENEUVE BMW Sauber M 1'34"752
15. 16 HEIDFELD BMW Sauber M 1'34"783
16. 6 MASSA Ferrari B 1'35"091               

17. 21 SPEED Toro Rosso Cosw. M 1'36"297
18. 20 LIUZZI Toro Rosso Cosw. M 1'36"581
19. 19 ALBERS Midland Toyota B 1'37"426
20. 18 MONTEIRO Midland Toyota B 1'37"819
21. 22 SATO S. Aguri F1 Honda B 1'39"011
22. 23 IDE S. Aguri F1 Honda B 1'40"720

However, the actual grid starting positions for the race (at 60 minutes before the start) are:

 P. No Driver Team - Engine
1. 2 FISICHELLA Renault
2. 12 BUTTON Honda
3. 10 ROSBERG Williams Cosworth
4. 9 WEBBER Williams Cosworth
5. 4 MONTOYA McLaren Mercedes
6. 3 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes
7. 1 ALONSO Renault
8. 15 KLIEN RedBull Ferrari
9. 8 TRULLI Toyota
10. 17 VILLENEUVE BMW Sauber
11. 16 HEIDFELD BMW Sauber
12. 21 SPEED Toro Rosso Cosw.
13. 20 LIUZZI Toro Rosso Cosw.
14. 5 M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari
15. 19 ALBERS Midland Toyota
16. 18 MONTEIRO Midland Toyota
17. 22 SATO S. Aguri F1 Honda
18. 23 IDE S. Aguri F1 Honda
19. 14 COULTHARD RedBull Ferrari
20. 11 BARRICHELLO Honda
21. 6 MASSA Ferrari
22. 7 R.SCHUMACHER Toyota

Quite the shakeup!! We'll see how Massa, the Schumacher brothers and the others do in slicing their way further up the field. Should be fun to watch!!