30/06/2007
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, while the track temperature is 44 degrees.
While Lewis Hamilton was quickest in this morning's free practice session, his teammate suffered a brake sensor problem which meant he only got two minutes running. This, coupled with the fact that the Englishman suffered a problem in yesterday's first session, appears to indicate the MP4-22 is not entirely bullet-proof.
This, coupled with the fact that Ferrari appears to have rediscovered its early season form, plus what appears to be a come back by Renault, not forgetting BMW of course, gives us reason to believe that we could witness some real battles as the season develops and that McLaren is not going to run away with the title(s).
The lights go green, but it is over two minutes before the first engine fires up. It's Adrian Sutil who gets the session underway. The German is followed by Fisichella, Kovalainen and Albers. Coulthard, Trulli and Sato are not far behind.
Sutil posts the first time of the session, crossing the line at 17.915. Within seconds he is fourth, as Albers, Fisichella and Kovalainen all go quicker.
As Trulli goes second, Hamilton heads down the pitlane.
Rosberg goes quickest in the first sector, however, he can only manage 16.371, which puts him seventh, as Coulthard goes quickest.
All eyes on Hamilton who is quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 14.805, putting him quickest by almost a second.
No sign of the Ferraris as Alonso begins his first flying lap. The Spaniard goes quickest in the first sector, but loses ground in the second, having gone wide. At the line it's 15.22, which puts him second ahead of Heidfeld.
Just under five minutes remaining and Massa is quickest in the first sector. He loses a little ground in the second sector but is strong in the third, crossing the line at 15.303 to go second.
Kimi Raikkonen is on track, as Wurz remains well and truly in the 'danger zone'. At the second split the Finn is 0.006s up on Hamilton, finally crossing the line at 14.872 to go second.
With just over two minutes remaining, many of the drivers opt to go out for a final run, with Fisichella, Webber, Barrichello, Wurz, Rosberg and Button all in, or hovering just above, the danger zone.
Fisichella goes eleventh, as Wurz goes sixteenth. Webber posts 15.746 to go sixth as Wurz fails to make the cut, losing out to his German teammate once again.
At the first hurdle we lose Sutil, Albers, Davidson, Sato, Wurz and Liuzzi.
Quickest was Hamilton, ahead of Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Kovalainen, Webber, Schumacher, Kubica, Heidfeld and Coulthard.
Both Hondas made the cut but it will be interesting to see how the fare in phase two. Same goes for Fisichella, Trulli and Speed.
The lights go green and the second phase gets underway. However, there is no mad rush to get to work. It is over four minutes before the first car emerges. This time it's Coulthard who gets proceedings underway.
As the Scot begins his flying lap, Webber, Trulli, Schumacher and Hamilton head down the pitlane. It looks like being a good time from Coulthard but he appears to have a problem, he aborts his first lap and heads back to the pits.
Trulli goes quickest, as Webber also pits, a nightmare for Red Bull.
Hamilton goes quickest as Raikkonen goes second. Kovalainen takes third ahead of his Renault teammate.
A 14.822 sees Massa go second, as Rosberg improves to fifth. The German has out-qualified his teammate for all eight races this season.
As Button goes tenth, Massa locks up big time. With just over five minutes remaining, both Red Bull cars are still in the pits. The team believes that the problem is electrics related and that both drivers will make a stab at posting a time.
Kubica goes fourth, ahead of Alonso, Kovalainen and Rosberg. The Red Bulls and Honda are in the danger zone.
Sadly, it's all over for Coulthard, the team will not be able to fix his problem in time. This means that we're unlikely to see Webber again either.
With two-and-a-half minutes remaining, only Heidfeld is on track. Moments later Rosberg and Fisichella join him. The leading five appear to have settled for the times they have already set. Unbelievably, Webber has made it back out, unlike his Scottish teammate.
Fisichella goes sixth, ahead of his teammate, as Trulli improves to ninth. However, it's an early bath for Button and Barrichello, who, like, Webber, fail to make it to the final phase.
Therefore, we lose Coulthard, Speed, Webber, Barrichello, Button and Schumacher. The German, like Wurz, has yet to out-qualify his teammate this season.
Quickest in the second phase was Hamilton, ahead of Massa, Raikkonen, Kubica, Alonso, Heidfeld, Fisichella, Kovalainen, Rosberg and Trulli.
Kimi Raikkonen heads the traffic jam at the end of the pitlane. The Finn would dearly love to take pole here, and better still convert it to a win tomorrow. However, several of the men behind him will have other ideas, including his own teammate, Felipe Massa.
The lights go green and the final phase gets underway. Alonso passes Hamilton on the run up to the chicane.
Surprisingly, Alonso dives back into the pits at the end of his first lap. His car is pushed into its garage… a potential disaster for the World Champion.
The McLaren crew swarms over the car like worker bees, as back on track Raikkonen leads the way, ahead of Hamilton and Fisichella. The Englishman is told that his believe his teammate has an engine problem. Depending on serious the engine problem is, this could be absolutely disastrous for the Spaniard, effectively ending his race hopes before it has even begun.
Raikkonen continues to set the pace, ahead of Hamilton, Heidfeld, Massa and Fisichella.
Trulli is the first to pit, the Italian sticking with the harder option tyre.
Next time around Raikkonen, Hamilton, Massa, Fisichella and Rosberg all stop. As do Kubica and Kovalainen.
It's all over for Alonso, with 5:13 remaining the Spaniard gets out of his car.
Raikkonen and Hamilton are battling for pole, but it is Massa who is quickest in the first sector. Raikkonen is quickest at 15.434, but this is beaten by Hamilton (15.185) and then Massa (15.034). Kubica goes fourth, ahead of Heidfeld and Rosberg.
Raikkonen makes his second stop, as Kovalainen and Fisichella battle for seventh. Hamilton is told that he's losing one-tenth in the first and second sectors. Elsewhere, Trulli and Kubica almost collide in the pits.
Raikkonen and Hamilton begin their final assault, but it's Massa who still tops the timesheets.
Hamilton goes quickest in the second sector, as Raikkonen fails to improve. Hamilton improves but it is not enough, he misses out to Massa, who takes his fourth pole of the year.
Kubica qualifies fourth, ahead of Fisichella, Kovalainen, Heidfeld, Trulli, Rosberg and Fernando Alonso, who failed to post a time.
From the opening practice session it appeared that Ferrari had rediscovered its early season form, and now we know that yesterday's results were no fluke, the Maranello team is back.
It remains to be seen how bad Alonso's problem is, for at best he will start from tenth on the grid. However, if he requires an engine change he will start from twentieth, effectively killing off any hope of a podium.
Then again, let's not forget the weather forecasts.
A great return to the cockpit for Kubica, while Renault appears to have made a major step forward. Trulli does the business, as ever, while one cannot help but feel that Nick Heidfeld is still having problems with his back.
Nico Rosberg qualifies the Williams in ninth, which means that id all goes well he should add a point or two to the Grove outfit's tally tomorrow.
An interesting race in prospect tomorrow, with Lewis Hamilton appearing to be carrying all of McLaren's hopes.
However, everything will depend on what the weather gods have in store for us.
Go on, admit it…. You want it to pour down.
To check out our Magny-Cours qualifying gallery, click here