21/06/2008
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's all-important qualifying session, the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees.
It was clear this morning that the big players are keeping their cards very close to their chest, with Piquet topping the timesheets from Webber and Vettel. Over the course of the next hour we should get a much better idea of the true running order here.
What has been noticeable, particularly this morning, is that the softer option tyre hasn't significantly increased lap speeds, thus far. In fact, we have seen little of the softer option thus far this weekend. The other option is medium, which we will refer to as hard or harder.
The red light go green, which is as good a time as any to remind ourselves that both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will forfeit ten grid places here following their silliness in Montreal.
Bourdais, Vettel and Fisichella are first out. Appropriately, the Frenchman posts the first time of the session, crossing the line at 1:17.101. Moments later, his Toro Rosso teammate posts 16.303.
Six minutes into the session, Massa head down the pitlane, as do Raikkonen and Kovalainen.
The Brazilian goes quickest with a 16.107, with teammate Raikkonen going second moments later. As Kovalainen begins his flying lap, Lewis Hamilton is halfway round the track on his out lap.
The Finn goes quickest (15.965), only to be leapfrogged by his teammate who posts 15.634. Raikkonen and Massa improve to second and third.
A 16.020 sees Mark Webber go fifth, as Heidfeld and Kubica leave the pits.
Alonso goes quickest in the first sector, finally crossing the line at 15.939 to go fourth.
Vettel is sixth (16.014), the German really 'hot' this weekend.
Kubica's first flying lap is only good enough for fourteenth, while Heidfeld has yet to post a time. Next time around the Pole improves to ninth, as Heidfeld can only manage eighteenth. Disappointingly, and somewhat surprisingly, the German fails to improve on his next lap.
As the mechanics work furiously on Barrichello's car, Button returns from the weighbridge. Both Honda drivers in the danger zone.
Heidfeld fails to improve, and with just under four minutes remaining it's not looking good for the German. That said, Kubica remains ninth.
Massa goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the third, crossing the line at 15.024 to go quickest. Raikkonen improves to second with a 15.133, Ferrari concerned that the Finn might losing his previous best time for gaining an advantage by cutting the chicane.
Kubica improves to fourth, as Heidfeld begins his 'do or die' lap. The German is on softs, but it's a scrappy lap. As Trulli goes third (15.521), Heidfeld improves to twelfth, thereby making the cut, but only just.
We lose Nakajima, Button, Barrichello, Fisichella and Sutil.
Quickest was Massa, ahead of Raikkonen, Trulli, Hamilton, Kubica, Glock, Alonso, Coulthard, Piquet and Vettel.
The second phase gets underway, or at least the lights go green, but nobody seems eager to get to work.
Finally, with almost four minutes gone, Bourdais heads down the pitlane. Followed, shortly afterwards, by Piquet, Coulthard and Webber.
The Frenchman is on softs as he posts the first time of the phase (16.045). Moments later, however, he is leapfrogged by Vettel, Webber and Alonso.
Hamilton (softs) goes second with a 15.484, only for Massa and Raikkonen to make it a Maranello 1-2. Both Ferrari drivers on softs.
Kovalainen is on softs, as is just about everyone else, as he posts 15.726 to go (a disappointing) eighth.
With less than five minutes to go, both BMWs are on track, neither driver having posted a time, as yet. Kubica posts 15.726 to go eighth, as his teammate goes tenth with a 15.786.
Rosberg, Piquet, Bourdais, Vettel and Coulthard still in the danger zone, with Heidfeld, Kovalainen and Kubica not exactly home and dry.
While the Ferrari duo settle for what they've got, all but Coulthard are on track, looking to improve. That said, with ninety seconds remaining, the Scot heads down the pitlane.
Kovalainen improves to eighth, but is it enough?
Webber and Trulli both post personal bests in the first sector, while Hamilton goes quickest of the lot. The Englishman improves to third (15.293), as Trulli goes fourth and Coulthard ninth.
Therefore, we lose Piquet, Vettel, Bourdais, Rosberg and Heidfeld, just two weeks after that amazing BMW 1-2 in Canada.
Quickest was Massa, ahead of Raikkonen, Hamilton, Trulli, Alonso, Webber, Glock, Kovalainen, Coulthard and Kubica. Not the best of sessions for BMW.
The lights go green, indicating the start of the final phase. However, it is just over a minute before Timo Glock gets proceedings underway.
As the German begins his flying lap, Webber and Trulli head down the pitlane.
Having locked-up and gone wide, Glock's time is 21.242, which would at least have assured him of pole for the GP2 race.
Trulli spins at Turn 8, messing up Webber's lap, as Glock improves to 18.722. Alonso takes an impressive third, ahead of Kovalainen and Kubica.
Massa takes provisional pole with a 16.597, only to have it snatched back by his teammate with a 16.449. A mistake by Hamilton means the McLaren driver can only manage sixth.
Most of the times were set on the harder option. With just over two minutes remaining, the drivers pit ahead of the final assault. Most choose the soft option, but Hamilton and Kubica stick to the hard tyre, as does Alonso.
Massa posts a personal best in the first sector, as do Kubica and Coulthard. The Brazilian goes quickest of all in the second sector, and third, but fails to best his teammate's time.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, but knowing he cannot be beaten dives into the pits, job done.
Alonso appears to consolidate third, however, a mammoth effort from Hamilton sees the Englishman bump the Renault driver down to fourth.
Therefore, Kimi Raikkonen takes his second pole position of the season, and more importantly the two-hundredth in the history of Ferrari.
Massa finishes second quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Alonso, Trulli, Kovalainen, Kubica, Webber, Coulthard and Glock.
However, because of the Montreal penalties, Hamilton will start from thirteenth, and Rosberg twentieth.
Going into tomorrow's race, Ferrari will have every reason to feel very confident, while BMW will be wondering what's gone wrong.
Hamilton did the best he could, while Alonso continues to impress. Another strong performance from Jarno Trulli, who, thanks to Hamilton's penalty, will have clear air between himself and Raikkonen tomorrow.
Kovalainen is sure to be disappointed with sixth, however, it remains to be seen what sort of strategy the Woking team is adopting.
As far as Robert Kubica is concerned, what a difference two weeks makes, the Pole admitting that he is "struggling" here.
Great performances from both Red Bull drivers, who must be looking good for a few more points tomorrow, while Timo Glock continues to impress.
On paper, it looks as though Ferrari has the final race at Magny-Cours sewn up. Then again, in the same way that F1 was not due to return here after the 2007 event, in F1 it is wise never to take anything for granted.