09/09/2006
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 28 degrees C, and the track temperature is 41 degrees. It remains warm and sunny.
First out is Liuzzi, followed by Sato, Yamamoto and Trulli. Alonso is another 'early riser'.
Liuzzi posts the first time of the first phase of the session, crossing the line at 1:24.344, as Sato and Yamamoto go second and third.
Trulli posts 24.510 to go second, but is quickly demoted by Scot 'Boner' speed. That said, Coulthard and Klien go first and second, the Scot posting 23.453.
With five minutes gone, the red flags come out as Yamamoto's left-rear tyre delaminates, leaving a large chunk of rubber on the track. Button, Barrichello and Raikkonen were all on track.
Yamamoto makes a great job of getting the Super Aguri back to the pits in one piece. Credit where credit's due.
Of course, the failure of the tyre is sure to worry the other Bridgestone runners.
The marshals clear the debris from the track - with the session scheduled to restart at 14:13.
The lights go green and first out is Massa, who is greeted with enthusiasm by the fans at the first chicane. Michael leaves the pits moments later.
Unsurprisingly, the Brazilian is quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 1:22.028, to go quickest. However, Heidfeld and Michael are both on hot lap with the Ferrari driver posting 21.711 to go quickest.
Heidfeld goes second (21.764), ahead of Raikkonen, as Button goes fifth ahead of Barrichello.
De la Rosa posts 22.422 to go fifth, as Alonso and Fisichella begin their first flying lap. Rosberg goes seventh, to split the Hondas.
Alonso posts 21.747 to go second, as Fisichella goes eighth with a 22.486. Meanwhile, Kubica and Speed are still in the danger zone, as are the Super Aguris and Midlands.
Kubica is on a good lap, which puts Coulthard in danger. That said, the Scot goes twelfth and Kubica goes eighth. Meanwhile, Klien spins off, bringing out the yellow flags.
The first big name victim of the day is Webber, who falls at the first hurdle, along with Liuzzi, Albers, Monteiro, Sato and Yamamoto.
Michael was quickest, ahead of Alonso, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Massa, Trulli, de la Rosa, Kubica, Fisichella and Button.
The second phase gets underway, but nobody seems keen to get to work.
Eventually, Robert Kubica breaks the deadlock, the sound of the BMW V8 bouncing off the oak trees as the Pole heads up to the Lesmos.
They have been unable to get Christian Klien's car back to the pits, therefore the Austrian's session is over. He therefore qualifies sixteenth.
Kubica posts 21.617, as Heidfeld begins his flying lap. However, all eyes on Alonso who goes quickest with a 21.526, as Heidfeld goes third, ahead of Fisichella, Trulli and Ralf.
Raikkonen, de la Rosa, Michael and Massa are all on track.
The Spaniard goes sixth (22.147), as Kimi goes quickest in the second sector. The Finn goes quickest (21.349), but both Ferrari drivers are on fast lap. Schumacher goes second, but Massa is painting the timing-screen purple. Indeed, the Brazilian crosses the line at 21.225, to go quickest, ahead of Raikkonen, Michael and Alonso.
Less than five minutes remaining, and Coulthard (again) Rosberg, Ralf and de la Rosa are in the danger zone. Just out of danger - stressing the fact that they are just out of danger - are Trulli and Button.
Ralf fails to improve and looks destine to miss the cut, as Trulli attempts raise Toyota team spirits. The Italian improves to ninth, which drops Button to tenth.
With seconds remaining, Heidfeld goes quickest in the first sector. Meanwhile, de la Rosa goes ninth, which is bad news for Button. Heidfeld goes fourth, only to be demoted by his teammate, Kubica, who goes second.
Therefore, Trulli misses the cut, as does his teammate, Ralf, along with Rosberg, Coulthard, Speed and Klien.
Massa is quickest, ahead of Kubica, Raikkonen, Michael, Heidfeld, Alonso, Button, Barrichello, Fisichella and de la Rosa.
This week's great fuel economy run gets underway, and at this stage it would be a brave man - or woman - to predict who's going to be on pole in sixteen or seventeen minutes time.
Heidfeld leads Massa, Kubica, Michael, Alonso, Fisichella, de la Rosa and Button.
Alonso loses concentration and gets it all wrong at the first chicane, having to take to the slip road. Elsewhere, Button is desperate to get past de la Rosa.
The pit stops begin, but there is further misery for Alonso, whose right-rear tyre has detonated. He makes it back to the pits, where his crew check the car for damage, having seen bits of bodywork fly off the car. Meanwhile all his rivals have made their first stop.
Massa goes quickest in the first sector, but Heidfeld goes quicker. As Massa goes quickest in the first sector, Raikkonen goes quickest in the first. Game very much on!
Massa takes provisional pole (21.704), ahead of Michael, however Raikkonen posts a 21.621 to re-take the top spot.
Alonso can only manage eighth (23.110), which puts him ahead of Fisichella and Barrichello.
With under three minutes remaining, Massa is back on track, who sets a personal best in the first sector.
As Massa goes quickest in the second sector, Kubica goes fastest in the first. However, don't write off Michael, who goes quickest in the second sector.
Massa fails to improve, as Michael goes quickest (21.486), bringing the crowd to its feet.
However, it's not over yet, Raikkonen and Alonso are both on track. The Finn takes provisional Pole with a 21.484, the crowd sits down again.
Alonso crosses the line at 21.829 to take fifth, behind Raikkonen, Michael, Heidfeld and Massa. Button will start from sixth, ahead of Kubica, de la Rosa, Barrichello and Fisichella.
If the speculation proves correct, next year Kimi Raikkonen will be wearing red, and the logo of the Cavallino Rampante. However, for now he is a McLaren driver, and it is one of the silver and black cars in which he will start from pole position tomorrow.
Michael starts what might be his final Grand Prix in Europe from second on the grid, ahead of fellow German Nick Heidfeld, as BMW continues to build on the form it has been showing all weekend.
Massa starts from fourth, with Button and Alonso right behind.
In terms of the Italian Grand Prix today's session sets up an intriguing race, with McLaren possibly looking at its first win since Japan last year.
However, in terms of the World Championship, Michael has a safety cushion - albeit a minor one - of knowing that his nemesis, Alonso, is behind Felipe.
Let's hope that tomorrow's race can live up to the hype, the ingredients certainly appear to be there… after all, we could even see BMW throw a spanner in the works.
To check out our Italy qualifying gallery, click here