20/10/2007
NEWS STORY
 |
Ahead of today's all-important qualifying session, the air temperature is 32 degrees C, while the track temperature is 60 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
We mentioned in our free practice report that there might be repercussions following an incident involving Felipe Massa. At this time we understand that the Race Stewards are still considering the matter.
The incident in question saw Felipe Massa fail to slow down when yellow flags were being waved following Robert Kubica's retirement from the session with a technical problem. Massa didn't hit the brakes until he was virtually alongside the Pole's stricken BMW.
When the lights go green there is just one car in the pitlane, Sakon Yamamoto in the Spyker, soon to be renamed Force India. The Japanese driver is eventually joined by his teammate, Adrian Sutil.
Yamamoto posts the first time of the afternoon, but it's a disappointing 1:16.135. Moments later Sutil posts 15.217, at which point the Toyotas head down the pitlane.
As the clock ticks more and more cars pour out on to the track. However, the 'big guns' opt to wait.
As Schumacher posts 14.256, Sutil pulls off track in the third sector, his session seemingly over.
It's a Renault 1-2 with Fisichella heading Kovalainen, however the pace is much slower than this morning.
All eyes on Lewis Hamilton as Webber goes quickest ahead of Red Bull teammate David Coulthard. It's a fast and frantic as it reads.
Hamilton goes straight to the top of the timesheets (13.033), but that's almost a second of his best time this morning.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, however a poor mid-sector sees him go sixteenth with a 14.464. Hamilton remains quickest, ahead of Webber and Coulthard.
As Kubica goes third, Massa goes quickest in the first sector. Elsewhere, Raikkonen takes the top spot with a 13.016.
A 12.203 sees Massa go quickest, as Alonso goes eighth. With less than four minutes remaining Button is still in the danger zone, as are Yamamoto, Nakajima, Schumacher and Davidson. Trulli, Kovalainen, Sato and Fisichella are all hovering above the danger zone.
With two minutes remaining, the top three - Massa, Raikkonen and Hamilton - appear to have settle for the times they've set. Fernando Alonso has no such luxury and is forced to go out again.
Schumacher goes eleventh, but there are a number of drivers still on track. Button improves to sixteenth, and it is only a poor final sector from Kovalainen that prevents the Englishman from failing at the first hurdle.
Therefore, we lose Kovalainen, Sato, Nakajima, Davidson, Sutil and Nakajima.
Quickest was Massa, ahead of Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Webber, Kubica, Coulthard, Trulli, Heidfeld and Fisichella.
The lights go green for the second phase, but as ever there is no real urgency to get to work.
Four minutes into the session it is Schumacher who break the deadlock, heading down the pitlane to get the show underway. Moments later he is followed by Trulli, Coulthard, Liuzzi, Webber and Alonso. Indeed, within the next sixty seconds all but Heidfeld and Kubica are on track
Schumacher posts the benchmark (13.738), but moments later Trulli goes almost 0.8s quicker.
As Coulthard goes second, Massa goes quickest in the first sector. For a brief moment Alonso goes quickest, but is then eclipsed by Massa and then Raikkonen, with Hamilton going second, splitting the two Ferraris.
Webber goes fifth, ahead of Trulli, Fisichella and Liuzzi, however, all eyes are on the BMWs. Indeed, the two white and blue cars are the only cars on track.
Heidfeld goes sixth (13.009), only to be leapfrogged by his teammate who goes fifth with a 12.641.
With two and a half minutes remaining, the cars begin streaming back out on to the track. However, the top five - Raikkonen, Hamilton, Massa, Alonso and Kubica - opt to stay put.
Vettel, Schumacher, Button, Coulthard, Rosberg and Barrichello are still in the danger zone with less than thirty second remaining.
Coulthard improves to sixth, as Heidfeld fails to improve. Webber goes sixth, ahead of Rosberg, as Barrichello takes tenth spot. However, a late improvement from Trulli sees the Honda driver miss the cut.
Therefore we lose Button, Schumacher, Liuzzi, Vettel, Barrichello and Fisichella.
Quickest was Raikkonen, ahead of Hamilton, Massa, Alonso, Kubica, Webber, Rosberg, Trulli, Coulthard and Heidfeld.
As we wait for the lights to go green for the final phase, Hamilton heads the pitlane traffic jam, from Alonso, Massa and Raikkonen.
Hamilton is on the softs, Alonso on the hards. Indeed, Rosberg and the Red Bulls are the only other drivers on the softs at this stage. The first five run together as though it's the opening lap of the race.
As Massa allows Raikkonen and Kubica past, the Finn closes right in on Alonso, who is in turn trying to shadow his McLaren teammate.
With just over seven minutes remaining, the first round of tyre stops gets underway. Raikkonen was among the early stoppers. A replay shows Trulli and Kubica almost colliding in the pitlane.
With just under six minutes remaining both McLaren pit.
Raikkonen is pushing hard, however, he's not that far behind Hamilton who has just exited the pits. Hamilton, realising that the Finn is behind him, and that the FIA is in a generous mood, when it comes to handing out penalties, wisely pulls aside for the Ferrari.
Massa is quickest (12.128), ahead of Raikkonen and Webber, as Hamilton appears to be struggling for grip. Hamilton crosses the line at 12.410 to go second, while Alonso can only manage fifth (12.984).
With just under three minutes remaining, the final round of tyre stops begins. Hamilton, Coulthard and Alonso are the last to stop.
Once again, Hamilton exits the pits ahead of Raikkonen, and once again the Englishman gives his Finnish rival plenty of space.
Massa goes blindingly quick in the first sector, and again in the second. He crosses the line at 11.931, which surely must be good enough for pole.
Hamilton goes quickest in the middle sector, but at the line it's 12.082, which is only good enough for second. Raikkonen takes third, ahead of Alonso, with Webber an amazing fifth. Heidfeld will start sixth, ahead of Kubica, Trulli, Coulthard and Rosberg.
Local hero Felipe Massa will start his home Grand Prix from pole position for the second successive year, however, all eyes are on the trio behind him.
A real heart in the mouth climax to the session, with the top four covered by just 0.4s and Hamilton coming so close to taking the coveted pole at the death.
Great stuff, and hopefully the prologue to a great race tomorrow.
To check out our Interlagos qualifying gallery, click here