After qualifying was cancelled on Saturday due to heavy rain, it is good to be able to tell you that with just twenty minutes to go before today's rescheduled session gets underway it is warm and sunny. The air temperature is already 24 degrees C with a nice breeze.

The track is still damp in many places and while it will dry, the question is how, long will this take? Track temperature is 25 degrees and the humidity is still 70 percent.

Lewis Hamilton has been hit with a five-place grid penalty after his team opted to change the gearbox on his McLaren. However, as we get to the sharp end of the season it is widely felt that there are going to be a lot more of these penalties, including some for engine changes.

With five minutes to go before the session begins, the track, particularly the main straight, is visibly drier. Air temperature now 25 degrees and track temperature 27 degrees. Humidity is 67 percent.

Consequently, with the status quo re-established - certainly in terms of the weather - one has to reflect that in Friday's two sessions the Red Bulls were a country mile ahead of the opposition with only the Ferraris and, surprisingly, the Renaults giving them a run for their money. Jenson Button was up there for McLaren but Lewis Hamilton had limited track-time following a crash in the first session.

Tyre options are hard (prime) and soft (option), however, the rubber laid down on Friday has been washed away.

The lights go green and Petrov leads the way, closely followed by Hulkenberg, Senna, Glock, Barrichello and a whole host of others. Button is an early riser, the reigning world champion on inters.

Petrov crosses the line at 38.957 but this is immediately beaten by Hulkenberg with a 35.352.

Sutil briefly goes quickest with a 34.963 but moments later Massa posts 34.636.

Six minutes into the session, as Barrichello goes quickest (32.858), almost everyone bar the McLarens and Red Bulls has been out. Schumacher and Alonso are worryingly close as they race through the 130R.

Hulkenberg raises the benchmark with a 32.317 to make it a Williams 1-2, Heidfeld goes third ahead of Schumacher and Petrov.

As the McLarens and Red Bulls leave the pits, only Kubica hasn't made an appearance.

Rosberg goes third with a 32.645 as the McLaren and Red Bull drivers begin their first flying laps.

Webber goes twelfth, Hamilton thirteenth, Vettel sixth and Button ninth, with 7:17 still on the clock.

Next time around, Webber improves to third however, having gone quickest in S2, Vettel posts 32.168 to go quickest. Hamilton goes eighth and Button twelfth.

Kubica is finally on track the Pole going thirteenth with his first attempt (33.346).