07/07/2007
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of this afternoon's qualifying session, the air temperature is 21 degrees C, and the track temperature is 40 degrees. It remains sunny, with a few clouds in the sky, but windy.
The lights go green, and it is the Spykers of Sutil and albers who get proceedings underway.
As Kovalainen heads down the pitlane, the Spykers begin their first flying lap, both cars looking extremely twitchy through Becketts.
For a brief moment Sutil tops the timesheets before being bumped down by his teammate. However, as Kovalainen begins his first flying lap it is clear that the Spyker duo's moment of glory will be just that, a moment.
The Finn goes quickest (21.297), but Fisichella is already on a very hot lap, crossing the line at 21.054. Wurz goes third ahead of Schumacher and Trulli.
As Hamilton goes through Copse he appears to have forgotten that he's in an F1 car and not a GP2 car, he really lets the tail hang out.
Fisichella improves to 20.967, but Hamilton is setting a blistering pace. Sure enough, the Englishman crosses the line at 20.274 to go quickest ahead of Webber, Kubica and Fisichella.
Alonso leaves the pits, followed by Raikkonen. Massa waits and watches.
Hamilton improves to 19.885 as Kubica goes third with a 20.911. Jenson Button can only manage 22.247.
As Raikkonen and Alonso begin their flying laps, Massa heads down the pitlane. The Spaniard goes quickest in the first sector, as Heidfeld goes third overall. Raikkonen goes second but is bumped down to third when Alonso goes quickest (19.330).
Déjà vu for Button who is called to the weighbridge, which is exactly what screwed up his qualifying hopes here last year.
Raikkonen improves with a 19.753, splitting Alonso and Massa. Button and Barrichello are both in the danger zone. As are the Super Aguris and Spykers. Schumacher and Rosberg are safe, but only just.
Davidson is pushing hard, desperate to make the cut. However, it all goes wrong at Brooklands, he goes off after getting all crossed up, thereby bringing out the yellow flags. This is dreadful news for the drivers still in the danger zone, and this includes Button and Barrichello.
Trulli goes tenth, and teammate Schumacher sixth, as Button fails to make the cut for the second successive British GP. A bigger shock however is Rosberg, who can only manage seventeenth with a 21.219.
Therefore, we lose Rosberg, Button, Davidson, Sutil, Sato and Albers.
Quickest was Alonso, ahead of Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Schumacher, Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Webber and Wurz.
Unlike previous qualifying sessions this year, the moment the lights go green for the second phase a car heads down the pitlane, it's Liuzzi.
The Italian makes a slight mistake going through Becketts, going slightly wide, however, he gets away with it. He goes wide at Luffield, finally crossing the line at 20.947.
As Liuzzi heads back to the pits, Fisichella, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Barrichello, and the rest, get to work.
Coulthard can only manage 21.006, as Kovalainen and Schumacher send the timing screens purple.
The German goes quickest, ahead of Trulli, who is then nudged out by Webber. However, Raikkonen is back where he's spent much of the weekend, at the top of the timesheets, posting a 19.252.
Hamilton goes second ahead of Hamilton, Fisichella and Schumacher, as Alonso goes quickest in the first sector. As Liuzzi goes tenth (20.854), Alonso goes quickest with a 19.152. The World Champion running on the hard compound, unlike most of his rivals.
Kubica goes fourth ahead of his teammate, but is then bumped down to fifth by Massa, who posts 19.421 to go fourth.
With just over two-and-a-half minutes remaining, Fisichella is one of the first out for the final assault of the phase. The top six - Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Massa, Kubica and Heidfeld - have clearly settled for the times already set.
Wurz, Coulthard, Trulli and Barrichello are still in the danger zone, as are Liuzzi and Speed.
Wurz goes eighth with a 20.350, as Fisichella takes fifth, which bumps both BMWs down. Trulli also improves, as does Schumacher. If Barrichello or Webber improve it will be bad new for Heidfeld, however, thankfully for the German, they don't.
Therefore we lose Webber, Coulthard, Wurz, Barrichello, Speed and Liuzzi.
Quickest was Alonso, ahead of Raikkonen, Hamilton, Massa, Schumacher, Fisichella, Kubica, Kovalainen, Trulli and Heidfeld.
At the end of the pitlane Lewis Hamilton heads the queue was the final phase is about to get underway. Behind him is his teammate Fernando Alonso, who is ahead of Massa, Raikkonen, Heidfeld and Fisichella.
When the lights go green Alonso attempts to get in front of Hamilton, but the Englishman is having none of it. That said, the Spaniard's shadows his teammate, filling his mirrors.
Hamilton is lapping in the 21.2s, around 0.5s quicker than his teammate. Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen is playing games with Nick Heidfeld.
Schumacher is the first to pit, as Hamilton continues to lap in the 21.2s.
Raikkonen, Alonso, Massa, Fisichella and Kovalainen all pit, with just over seven minutes remaining.
Schumacher goes quickest in the second sector, as Alonso goes quickest in the first.
Schumacher posts 21.218 to go quickest, but all eyes are on Alonso who is setting a blistering pace. The Spaniard crosses the line at 20.410, as Massa goes second (20.482) ahead of Raikkonen.
Kubica takes fourth ahead of the Renault duo, as Hamilton begins a hot lap. The Englishman crosses the line at 20.593 to go fourth, while the final round of pit stops gets underway.
Alonso is back on track on softs, as the final assault on pole gets underway. With just over two minutes remaining, Hamilton makes his final stop.
Alonso goes quickest in the first sector, however, Massa goes quicker. The Spaniard loses pace in the second sector, but Massa doesn't. At the line Alonso posts 20.147, as Massa fails to beat him, however, all eyes are on Raikkonen, who, despite going wide, takes provisional pole with a 20.099.
Hamilton goes quickest in the second sector, crossing the line at 19.997 to take pole position for his home race. By his usual (high) standards the youngster has looked a little off in most of the session, however, now, when he needed to most, he pulls it out of the bag. The partisan crowd is clearly delighted, cheering on the McLaren rookie.
Raikkonen takes second, ahead of Alonso, Massa, Kubica, Schumacher, Kovalainen, Fisichella, Heidfeld and Trulli.
There are times when the hype gets a little too much, however, this is due to an over-enthusiastic media rather than the man himself. Yet at times like this, when he pulls off the seemingly impossible, it is difficult to find the right words, for this was the mark of champion, a man who did what was needed when it was needed.
A fantastic performance that sets up the prospect of an Englishman winning the British Grand Prix for the first time since 1995 (Johnny Herbert), and a Briton for the first time since 2000 (David Coulthard).
Of course, before the street parties get underway, let's not forget the question of strategy and, of course, the British weather. Then again, there's the notorious run up to and through Copse, which has seen many British Grands Prix end in tears.
To check out our Silverstone qualifying gallery, click here