Bahrain GP: Glock’s Toyota fast

Timo Glock

(GMM) On Saturday morning, Timo Glock ended the final practice session before qualifying in Bahrain with the fastest time.

But when the checkered flag on the 60-minute session waved, the German's Toyota was being loaded onto the back of a flat-bed truck, after a mechanical problem struck in the dying minutes.

It is another scorching day in the Sakhir desert, with temperatures rising into the high thirties.

After installation laps when the green lights shone, the track fell into silence for almost a quarter of the hour.

Like Glock, Sebastien Bourdais will be worried in the two hours before qualifying, after spending most of the session in the Toro Rosso garage.

Heikki Kovalainen's program was slightly limited due to an early problem, when he pulled his McLaren to a halt in the pitlane after a sensor predicted a problem with his newly-fitted Mercedes engine.

The Finn went on to complete 12 laps but was nearly a second off the leading pace. Felipe Massa had a better session for Ferrari with the second quickest time, while his teammate Kimi Raikkonen was fifth.

At the other end of the timesheet, the Brawns were a second off the pace, and the Red Bulls just 11th and 18th, but the order is often confused in the hours leading up to qualifying.

Qualifying takes place at 2pm local.

Results