25/08/2007
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session the air temperature is 35 degrees C, while the track temperature is 51 degrees. It is hot and sunny.
The big question today is, not so much whether Ferrari will beat McLaren to pole but whether we'll get through the session - indeed the weekend - with no further nonsense such as that witnessed in Hungary.
Although McLaren has been busy presenting a united front, with Alonso and Hamilton having cleared the air, comments from the Spaniard suggest that he is still far from happy. Hopefully, Ron Dennis can keep a lid on things… but that remains to be seen.
The lights go green and first out is Sato, followed by the 'usual suspects'.
Once the dust settles. Liuzzi is quickest, ahead of Yamamoto and Sutil, however, Wurz is already on a very hot lap. Sure enough, the Austrian goes quickest (28.550), but his teammate already looks certain to beat that.
As Schumacher begins his first flying lap, Rosberg goes quickest, crossing the line at 28.275. Davidson goes third.
A 28.332 see Kovalainen go second, splitting the Williams. Fisichella goes fourth (28.845) ahead of Webber, but is then demoted by Button who posts a 28.776.
It's fact and furious with the order constantly changing, however, with seven minutes remaining, Hamilton is the first of the 'big guns' to go out.
It's not the tidiest of laps but it's quick, he crosses the line at 27.513 to go quickest, however, Raikkonen is already on a blindingly quick lap. Sure enough, the Finn crosses the line at 27.294. Kubica goes third ahead of Heidfeld.
Massa goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second, finally crossing the line at 27.488 to go second. However, he is instantly dropped to third by Alonso who posts 27.328.
Yamamoto spins at Turn 10, and has great trouble getting the car going again. Though he eventually succeeds.
With three minutes remaining, Schumacher is in the 'danger zone', with Webber, Barrichello and Button only just outside.
As Massa heads slowly back to the pits, Kovalainen and Button go out for one more flying lap.
Fourteen cars on track with seconds remaining.
Davidson goes eighth, which should be more than enough, while Coulthard remains eleventh. Webber goes fifteenth, while Schumacher can only manage eighteenth, seven places behind his teammate.
Therefore we lose Liuzzi, Schumacher, Sato, Vettel, Sutil and Yamamoto.
Quickest was Raikkonen, ahead of Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Davidson and Fisichella.
The lights go green for the second phase but there is no rush to get to work.
After two and a half minutes, Wurz is the first driver to head down the pitlane. Moments later, the Austrian is joined by Trulli, Webber and Davidson. A mistake at Turn 10 sees Wurz mess up the lap as goes off. He heads back to the pits.
Trulli posts the first time of the second phase, the Italian crossing the line at 28.368, however, this is soon beaten by Webber. Coulthard goes second but is quickly demoted as Kovalainen goes quickest with a 27.824.
Raikkonen posts the quickest lap of the weekend thus far, crossing the line at 26.902. Moments later, Hamilton goes second and Massa third.
All eyes on Alonso, with just over six minutes remaining.
The Spaniard goes quickest of all in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 26.841 to take the top spot from Raikkonen.
As Kubica goes fifth, Heidfeld begins his first flying lap. The German posts exactly the same time as his Polish teammate (27.253), causing a broad grin to spread across Mario Theissen's face.
With just under two minutes remaining, the Ferrari, McLaren and BMW drivers opt to settle for their times, the rest head down the pitlane. Button, Trulli, Barrichello, Wurz, Davidson and Rosberg are still in the 'danger zone'.
It's a brave effort from Davidson, and it pays off when he posts 28.002 to go eighth. However, is it enough?
Coulthard improves but stays eleventh, he misses the cut. Sadly, late improvements from Fisichella and Trulli mean that Davidson also fails to make it through to the final phase.
Therefore, at the second hurdle, we lose Davidson, Webber, Coulthard, Barrichello, Button and Wurz.
Quickest was Alonso, ahead of Raikkonen, Hamilton, Massa, Kubica, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Trulli and Fisichella.
Ahead of the 'fuel burn' phase, Raikkonen waits at the end of the pitlane, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Behind the Englishman is Massa, followed by the two BMWs. Alonso opts to wait in his garage.
Raikkonen posts a 28.585, but Hamilton's right up there with him. Elsewhere, Rosberg and Fisichella appear to be having fun, the German shadowing the Italian.
With just under seven minutes remaining, the first round of stops gets underway. Following the nonsense in Hungary, McLaren has separate pit boxes for Hamilton and Alonso.
With five minutes remaining, Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second. However, Alonso is also on a hot lap.
A 27.546 from Raikkonen, but this is soon beaten by Massa who posts 27.520. Alonso takes third with a 27.574, as Hamilton remains fourth on 27.931.
With just under two minutes remaining, Raikkonen makes his second stop as the session build to its climax. The Finn remains on the softer option tyre. Alonso is the last driver to pit, the Spaniard opting for the harder compound, one of the few drivers to do so.
"Where am I losing time?" asks Hamilton of his engineer. "A tenth in the last sector," is the response.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, however, moments later Hamilton goes quicker. That said, Massa goes quicker still.
Raikkonen has a poor second sector, as does Hamilton, indeed Massa is also poor.
At the line however, Hamilton posts 27.373 to take provisional pole, much to the delight of his team. However, moments later Massa takes the top spot with a 27.329. Alonso can only manage 27.574, which puts him fourth.
"Absolutely fantastic," says Rob Smedley over the radio. "Absolutely fantastic, a brilliant first sector."
Consequently, Massa takes pole position at the same track where one year ago he scored his first ever pole position, and where he went on to score his maiden F1 victory. If history is repeating itself we can expect to see the Brazilian atop the podium tomorrow afternoon.
Hamilton qualifies second, ahead of Raikkonen, Alonso, Kubica, Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Trulli and Fisichella.
Definitely one of the better sessions this year, which (hopefully) sets us up nicely for tomorrow's race.
To check out our Turkey qualifying gallery, click here