05/07/2008
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of this afternoon's crucial qualifying session, the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 30 degrees. It remains fairly bright, but with some ominous dark clouds in the distance, while strong winds which could cause problems on the straights.
The lights go green and Nico Rosberg is first out, followed by Glock, Webber, Bourdais and just about everyone else, indeed only Massa isn't on track within the first minute of the session. The reason for their eagerness… heavy rain in the distance.
Nakajima posts the first time of the afternoon, the Williams driver crossing the line at 22.248. Moments later, it is Hamilton who heads the timesheets with a 21.287.
A 21.122 sees Kovalainen go top, as Raikkonen goes second, with so many cars on track (19), it's impossible to keep track of the overall order.
Hamilton goes quickest (20.288), as Alonso goes second, only to be bumped down by Webber, who continues to look good.
Massa goes second with a 20.894, as Heidfeld goes fifth, ahead of Kovalainen, Kubica and Vettel. Raikkonen, who goes quickest in the final sector, takes second from his teammate with a 20.370.
Kovalainen takes the top spot with a 19.957, as Vettel improves to third, the German continuing to impress.
Nico Rosberg can only manage fourteenth, with what looks like a very scrappy Williams. Button, Sutil, Fisichella and Bourdais are all keeping the German company in the 'danger zone' with just under nine minutes remaining.
Kubica improves to fifth with a 20.444, and Coulthard snatches thirteenth, just as the rain begins to fall on the south side of the circuit. Bourdais, manages to improve to fourteenth in the nick of time.
As is so typical here, the rain is falling on one part of the circuit, while the rest is bathed in sunshine.
With four minutes remaining, Barrichello, Rosberg, Button, Sutil and Fisichella are still in the 'danger zone'. The replay shows Nakajima spinning in his efforts to make the cut.
The clock continues ticking, if they're going to make the cut, those drivers in the danger zone have to go out now or accept the fact that they're out. To add to their frustration, fans in the northern part of the track are basking in the sunshine as the rain continues to fall on the south part of the circuit. Bourdais, who is already safe, goes out for a lap, as do Button, Barrichello, Sutil and Fisichella.
Somehow, Bourdais goes quickest in the middle sector, finally crossing the line at 20.584 to go sixth overall. Which makes one wonder why Rosberg didn't go out for another run.
Button fails to make the cut while Fisichella spins at Priory, game over.
The first phase comes to an end and we lose both Hondas, both Force Indias and Rosberg.
Quickest was Kovalainen, ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Kubica, Bourdais, Massa, Piquet, Glock and Webber.
The second phase gets underway, but as usual there is no sense of urgency. The rain has stopped and the sun is shining. Umbrellas make way for parasols.
Three minutes exactly into phase two, Alonso heads down the pitlane, followed by Glock and Raikkonen. The fact that the World Champion is coming out so early indicates that Ferrari fears there might be further rain.
Alonso posts 20.336, however, this is soon beaten by Raikkonen, who crosses the line at 20.037. Glock goes third ahead of Trulli.
A 19.957 sees Kovalainen go quickest, quicker than in phase one, but is soon eclipsed by his teammate whop posts 19.537. The Englishman is on the softer option while the Finn is on the hard.
With just under six minutes remaining, only Nakajima, Kubica and Heidfeld are on track. The BMW still looking a shadow of the car we saw just a couple of races ago.
That said, the Pole goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 19.788 to go third. Moments later, teammate Heidfeld goes fourth.
Under three minutes remaining, and as the final assault gets underway, Bourdais, Glock, Coulthard, Trulli and Nakajima are in the danger zone. Only the BMWs and McLarens opt not to come out.
Vettel posts 20.109 to go seventh, which draws applause from his crew. Glock goes ninth, but is then bumped down by Piquet.
While Coulthard fails to make the cut, Webber goes third, Raikkonen takes sixth and Massa eighth.
Therefore, we now lose Coulthard, Glock, Bourdais, Trulli and Nakajima. Either a serious drop in form from the Toyotas or they're playing a strategic game.
A 1-2 for McLaren, with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Kovalainen. Webber is third, ahead of Kubica, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Alonso, Massa, Vettel and Piquet.
The big question is, why were the Ferraris off the pace in the second phase, are they struggling or is the Italian team looking at tomorrow's race in terms of weather strategy.
The lights go green for the final phase but there's silence, other than the chattering of the crowd and the odd air-horn. With less than eight minutes remaining an engine fires up, its Raikkonen. The Ferrari is first out.
The Finn (on softs) is followed by Hamilton, who is also on softs. The World Champion, clearly suffering from oversteer, posts 22.519. Hamilton, who gores quickest in the first two sectors, goes wide at Priory, crossing the line at 25.912 to go eighth.
One would have thought that he'd abort and dive into the pits, but the McLaren driver stays out for a second flying lap.
Kovalainen goes quickest (22.230), ahead of Raikkonen, with Alonso third, ahead of Heidfeld and Massa. No times from Vettel or Kubica. The Pole has been out but opted to abort his lap.
"You were quickest in the first two sectors," Hamilton is told before his final run, "do not overdrive, do not overdrive."
Raikkonen goes quickest in the final sector to take provisional pole with a 21.706, however, Hamilton, Massa and Kovalainen are all on hot laps.
As Hamilton fails to improve, Webber goes quickest with a 21.554. However, Australian hearts are broken as Kovalainen posts 21.049 to snatch pole, from the Red Bull driver.
The McLaren crew is clearly delighted as Heikki comes good, taking pole by over half-a-second, the first of his F1 career.
As for Webber, what can one say, a fantastic performance from the Australian veteran.
Raikkonen takes third, ahead of Hamilton, Heidfeld, Alonso, Piquet, Vettel, Massa and Kubica, who, clearly having encountered a problem, failed to post a time.
While we take time to savour the moment of a Kovalainen/Webber front row, it's worth remembering that tomorrow's race could be something of a lottery thanks to the British summer.
While this morning's session resulted in a somewhat topsy-turvy timesheet, this afternoon's has also been something of an eye opener, with Piquet almost outpacing his illustrious teammate and Vettel out-qualifying a Ferrari. Great stuff.