26/04/2008
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 23 degrees C, while the track temperature is 38 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
Although Kimi Raikkonen was quickest in both of yesterday's sessions, he was down in thirteenth this morning. Meanwhile, this morning's pace-setter was Nick Heidfeld. Fact is, ahead of this session nobody really knows the true pecking order.
It appears that Ferrari is quickest, while behind them it is hard to say whether McLaren or BMW has the edge. The Renaults have been quick, but then, so have the Toyotas, Williams, Red Bulls, Hondas, Toro Rossos and even the Force Indias, having been blindingly quick on Friday.
Furthermore, there is confusion as to tyres, with some teams claiming that there is little to choose between the two options (medium and hard).
The lights go green, and first out is Sutil, followed by Bourdais, Glock, Davidson and Fisichella.
Sutil's car looks very twitchy as the German posts a 23.224 to set the benchmark. Bourdais goes second, ahead of Fisichella and Davidson. Michael Schumacher watches from the pit-wall as Kimi Raikkonen heads down the pitlane.
Bourdais goes quickest in the first two sectors, crossing the line at 22.803 to go quickest as Raikkonen goes eighth (26.457). However, in the first sector of the next lap the Finn goes quickest, maintaining the pace in the second sector. As Hamilton goes quickest in the first sector, Raikkonen crosses the line at 22.050 to go quickest.
Hamilton posts 21.366 to take the top spot, but it is unlikely that he will be there at the end of the session, the McLaren not appearing to be the match of the Ferrari this weekend.
Jarno Trulli goes third (22.043), ahead of Nakajima, Rosberg and Bourdais, as Webber begins his first flying lap of the day having suffered a throttle problem this morning.
Button produces a 22.229 to go fourth, as Alonso heads down the pitlane, much to the partisan crowd's delight. The Spaniard responds by going third, crossing the line at 21.895.
A 21.704 sees Nakajima go second, the Japanese driver having gone quickest of all in the final sector. However, all eyes are on Massa who leapfrogs the Williams driver with a 21.614.
With just over five minutes remaining, Kovalainen finally leaves the pits, the Finn the only driver yet to post a time.
Bourdais goes sixth with a 22.803, though it takes the timing screen a few moments to realise.
As Kovalainen begins his flying lap, Kubica goes second with a 21.423. The Finn goes quickest in the second sector, crossing the line at 21.430 to go third.
Raikkonen is back on track, the Finn going quickest in the first two sectors and maintaining the pace in the third. He crosses the line at 20.701, a very, very impressive lap.
While Hamilton, Kubica, Kovalainen and Massa have settled for their times, Heidfeld has to go out again having had to abort an earlier lap. Now he faces the added problem of traffic. The German is currently twelfth.
Seventeen drivers on track and it's all to play for. Vettel goes fourteenth, but it is unlikely to be enough.
Webber improves to fifth, only to be leapfrogged by Alonso, who goes second, and Rosberg.
One by one drivers improve, and consequently, rivals drop down the timesheets. When the smoke finally clears, we have lost Coulthard, who has showed so much pace this weekend, along with Fisichella, Sutil, Sato and Davidson.
Quickest was Raikkonen, ahead of Trulli, Alonso, Hamilton, Piquet, Kubica, Glock, Kovalainen, Heidfeld and Rosberg.
The lights go green for the second phase, however, it is several minutes before an engine fires up and a car heads out into the sunlight… and it's Alonso. The Spaniard is on softs. Piquet, Webber, Trulli and Glock head down the pitlane shortly afterwards.
Alonso crosses the line at an impressive 20.976, with teammate Piquet going second (21.182). However, moments later the Renaults are eclipsed by Trulli who posts an amazing 20.915.
Hamilton has a major 'wobble', but goes quickest nonetheless with a 20.825. Hardly has he crossed the line however, than Raikkonen goes quicker, the Finn posting 20.784. As far as we can see, everyone's on softs.
Barrichello goes sixth, ahead of Webber, as Kubica begins his first flying lap of the second phase. A 20.597 sees the Pole (softs) go quickest, repeating the form we witnessed in Bahrain. Teammate Heidfeld (hards) can only manage twelfth.
With three minutes remaining, Heidfeld is still in the danger zone, as are Button, Rosberg and Nakajima. Indeed, Massa is still in eleventh.
Trulli leads a train of fourteen cars back on to the track for the final assault, only Raikkonen and Kubica settling for their times.
Kovalainen and Massa are both about to improve, both drivers going quickest in various sectors. The Brazilian goes quickest of all (20.584), as Kovalainen goes fourth, ahead of his teammate.
Despite having gone quickest in the second sector, Hamilton pits. However, since he was already assured of seventh place overall he was probably told to save his tyres.
Therefore, we lose Barrichello, Nakajima, Button, Glock, Rosberg and Bourdais.
Quickest was Massa, ahead of Kubica, Raikkonen, Alonso, Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Piquet, Trulli and Webber.
The final, all-important, phase gets underway, but though the lights are green there is no action. Finally, after ninety seconds of silences, Jarno Trulli's engine bursts into life and the Italian heads down the pitlane. Almost a minute later he is joined by Massa, Heidfeld, Kubica and the rest.
Trulli posts the benchmark (23.393), however, Massa (soft) and Hamilton (hard) are already looking threatening. The Englishman takes the top spot with a 22.379, as Kubica goes second.
Massa goes quickest, the Brazilian crossing the line at 22.058, while teammate Raikkonen can only manage fourth. Meanwhile, local favourite Fernando Alonso goes third with a 22.517.
The drivers make their final pit stops, all of them appearing to fit softs.
Less than a minute remains and Hamilton posts a personal best in the first sector. However, Kovalainen goes quickest of all in the first sector.
Hamilton goes quickest in the second sector, but Raikkonen has now upped his pace and goes quickest in the first.
Alonso takes pole with a 21.904 but Raikkonen is still on his lap. The Finn crosses the line at 21.813 to take pole, breaking millions of Spanish hearts in the process.
Massa finishes third, ahead of Kubica, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Webber, Trulli, Heidfeld and Piquet.
There are times when Kimi does things the hard way, and today's final phase of qualifying was certainly one of them. That said, he's looked good for much of the weekend, as has Massa, and a red car on pole comes as no surprise.
However, who would have bet on Fernando Alonso starting from the front row? Sceptics will argue that the Spaniard was running light and that putting the car on the front row was a statement, in addition to guaranteeing a full house on Sunday and maximum TV viewership. In reality, the Renaults have been looking good all weekend and the team does appear to have made a genuine step forward. Only tomorrow's race will reveal how much of a step forward.
BMW are sure to be disappointed with fourth and ninth, however, we wouldn't be surprised to see at least one of their drivers on the podium tomorrow, most likely Kubica.
Fifth and sixth for McLaren is disappointing, no matter which way you look it, and clear proof that Ferrari is beginning to inch ahead. Then again, perhaps the Woking team has something up its sleeve strategy-wise. Then again, perhaps it doesn't.
Red Bull will be delighted to have Webber in the top ten, but will be equally disappointed not to have Coulthard up there also, he certainly had the pace in previous sessions. All that remains now is for the team to solve its reliability issues.
Another convincing performance from Trulli in the Toyota, the Italian looking set to add a few more points to his tally tomorrow.
Biggest disappointments today were Williams, Toro Rosso and Force India, while Honda can't be too unhappy with its performance.
A close qualifying session, let's hope the race is as good.