09/05/2009
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, while the track temperature is 40 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
Though Ferrari finished first and second in this morning's free practice session, it remains to be seen whether the Maranello outfit has made a genuine step forward this weekend, or whether it is playing games, as has been suggested. Though it has been working flat-out over the break since Bahrain, like its rival teams, with no on-track testing allowed, many remain sceptical that the changes made will be significant straight-out-of-the box.
BMW also appears to have taken a step forward, however, the German team's progress will not have been helped by Heidfeld's unnecessary of this morning.
McLaren also appear to have made progress, however, on the surface this doesn't seem to match that of Ferrari and BMW, with the Woking car still looking to be a bit of a handful.
Therefore, still to be entirely convinced by the big guns, it appears that Brawn and Red Bull have the edge, with Toyota close behind.
Renault is another team eager to take a step forward, and while the French outfit hasn't impressed thus far this weekend, never write off Fernando Alonso, particularly when performing in front of his adoring public.
As for tyres, the two options available this weekend are hard and soft, however, with drivers appearing desperate to save as many softs as possible for this session and tomorrow's race, it has been hard to get a good idea of the difference between the two.
In much the same way, while we might expect Ferrari and BMW higher up the timesheets this afternoon, the real proof of progress made will come tomorrow.
When the lights go green it is Sutil who is first out of the box, joined, a few seconds later, by Fisichella and Kovalainen, the Finn making a very early appearance.
Sutil's 23.544 is better than Kovalainen's 23.718, as Heidfeld and Piquet head down the pitlane. However, Sutil is on softs as opposed to the Finn who is on hards.
Piquet goes third, only to be demoted by Heidfeld who goes quickest with a 23.375. The BMW crew has done well to rebuild the front-left of Heidfeld's F1.09 in the last couple of hours.
Piquet goes quickest (22.852) but is eclipsed by Heidfeld and then Trulli, who crosses the line at 22.369. A 22.500 puts Glock second, a Toyota 1-2.
As the Ferraris leave the pits, Vettel goes quickest with a 22.192.
Glock (hard) goes quickest, as Kovalainen gets out of shape in Turns 8/9.
The order is constantly changing, with Buemi and then Vettel displacing Glock.
Raikkonen (hards) posts 21.646 to go third, as teammate Massa (softs) takes second with a 20.759.
All eyes on Hamilton (softs), as Button improves to fourth. The McLaren driver crosses the line at 21.244 to take fourth from his fellow Briton.
Massa goes quickest in the first two sectors finally crossing the line at 20.484 to go quickest. Nakajima goes third and Kubica fourth, ahead of Hamilton, Buemi and Raikkonen. Kovalainen can only manage sixteenth, with Piquet going twelfth.
Heidfeld goes eleventh with a 21.396, matching Rosberg's time. Alonso, Barrichello and Kovalainen remaining in the danger zone, with the Toyota duo hovering.
Kovalainen goes fourteenth with a 21.675, however, it doesn't appear to be enough to get the Finn through to the next stage.
Despite a poor first sector, Alonso goes fifth, much to the delight of the fans in the stands.
With just over 90 seconds remaining, Barrichello is in the danger zone, as is Kovalainen and Bourdais, with Piquet far from safe.
Glock goes fourth with a 20.958 only to be demoted by Button and then Webber who take third and second respectively.
Barrichello takes sixth with a 20.808 and immediately goes quickest in the first sector of his next lap.
All eyes on Trulli who drops into the danger zone when Heidfeld improves. The Italian posts 21.189 to go fifteenth, just escaping the drop but causing Kimi Raikkonen to fall out the first hurdle.
It would appear that Ferrari has made another massive strategic error, for while Massa tops the timesheets, Raikkonen is out, his day's work done. The Maranello outfit continues to shoot itself in the foot at every possible opportunity.
Quickest was Massa, ahead of Webber, Button, Vettel, Rosberg, Barrichello, Nakajima, Glock, Kubica and Hamilton.
We lose Fisichella, Sutil, Kovalainen, Bourdais and Raikkonen.
The second phase gets underway, but as ever there is no immediate rush to get to work.
Eventually Nakajima breaks the deadlock, followed by Buemi and Rosberg. The soft tyres appear to be the order of the day.
Buemi posts the benchmark, crossing the line at 21.499, however, this is soon beaten by Rosberg who posts a 21.145.
A very, very aggressive Vettel goes quickest with a 20.220 as Buemi goes off into the gravel at Turn 9, though he is able to continue.
Webber goes quickest with a 20.007, giving Red Bull a 1-2. Barrichello goes third, ahead of Nakajima and Alonso.
Massa can only manage sixth, with all but the BMW duo having posted a time.
Heidfeld goes seventh with a 0.676, with teammate Kubica going third moments later (20.408).
Massa returns to the pits to fit a new set of softs, the Brazilian eager to get back out and improve on his previous time.
The Ferrari driver posts personal bests in the first two sectors, and again in the third, crossing the line at 20.149 to go second, thereby splitting the Red Bulls.
Rosberg fails to improve, and with less than a minute to go the German remains fourteenth, and in the danger zone along with Glock and Piquet.
Barrichello goes quickest with a 19.954 as Button goes fifth. A late improvement sees Piquet go ninth, however, late improvements from Trulli and Alonso see the Brazilian pushed back down to the drop zone. Lewis Hamilton also fails to make the cut.
Quickest was Barrichello, ahead of Webber, Glock, Massa, Button, Vettel, Rosberg, Kubica, Trulli and Alonso.
We lose Buemi, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Piquet and Nakajima.
Phase three gets underway, and Trulli, who has had a hit and miss weekend thus far, is first out, followed by his Toyota teammate.
Trulli crosses the line at 22.588, but Glock immediately goes quicker posting a 22.198.
Barrichello goes quickest in the second sector, and again in the third, crossing the line at 21.442 to go quickest. Rosberg takes fourth with a 23.002.
Webber posts 21.936 to go second, only to be demoted by Button and then Vettel, who takes provisional pole with a 1.301.
Massa can only manage fifth (22.004) and Alonso sixth, as Kubica posts 22.685 to go ninth.
Barrichello begins a flying lap, the Brawn driver determined to wrest pole from Vettel, the young up-start. The Brazilian goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second. He crosses the line at 19.954 to take provisional pole, as attention shift to Button and the Red Bull duo.
Vettel goes quickest in the first sector, only to be beaten by Glock. Vettel maintains his pace in the second sector, crossing the line at 20.660 to rob Barrichello, as Massa improves to third.
All eyes on Button who, having posted personal bests in sectors one and two, goes quickest of all in three, crossing the line at 20.527 to take pole, his third of the season and fifth of his career. He's been quiet for much of the weekend, but so what, he only needs to produce the goods at times like this.
Button tops the timesheets ahead of Vettel, Barrichello, Massa, Webber, Glock, Trulli, Alonso, Rosberg and Kubica.
We'll know a lot more about today's true pace once the fuel loads are made public, however, it seems safe to say that Brawn and Red Bull still have the edge. Toyota is thereabouts, but losing a little bit of ground, while, despite an obvious step forward, Ferrari continues to shoot itself in the foot, ruining all its hard work.
Strong performances from Alonso, Rosberg and Kubica, while McLaren clearly still has lots more work to do.
A good session, which indicates we could be in for an equally good race tomorrow on a track which traditionally produces the sort of race the sport's critics point to when they say F1 is all about processions and cars going roundy roundy.