19/07/2008
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's all-important qualifying session, the air temperature is 23 degrees C, while the track temperature is 27 degrees. It remains fairly overcast but dry and quite windy. There remains speculation that there will be rain during the course of the session, and looking at those nasty clouds we don't doubt it.
McLaren have topped the timesheets in all three practice session, but each time the Ferraris have been very much in the running. BMW has chosen to stick to its usual tactic of focussing on consistency as opposed to lap times, however, a technical problem this morning cost Robert Kubica vital preparation time.
While Alonso and Webber have looked good, Sebastian Vettel has been the real star of the show thus far - at least as far as the 'best of the rest' is concerned.
Rosberg is first out, followed by Bourdais, Sutil and Fisichella. Raikkonen is a surprise 'early riser'.
Rosberg posts the benchmark, crossing the line at 17.522, however, Vettel has already gone quickest inn the first two sectors. He crosses the line at 17.030 to go third.
As in all the previous sessions, we are seeing cars having problems staying on the black stuff.
Raikkonen goes second with a 16.810, the Finn unhappy with the handling of his car this weekend. Webber, leapfrogs the Finn, who then takes the top spot with a 16.352.
As Webber goes quickest (16.058), Massa begins a hot lap. The Brazilian takes the top spot with a 15.885, only to lose out to his Ferrari teammate who improves with a 15.627. Note that this is the Finn's fourth flying lap on the hard compound.
Massa takes the top spot back in the battle of the Ferrari's, the Brazilian raising the benchmark with a 15.255.
All eyes on Hamilton, who gets it wrong at the hairpin, but still manages a 15.218 to go quickest. Kovalainen goes third with a 15.476.
Alonso goes sixth, behind Webber, leaving the BMW drivers as the only drivers yet to post a time.
Whereas the Ferraris improve on successive laps, at least on hards, Hamilton fails to beat his previous best.
Kubica, who suffered a driveshaft failure this morning, goes fifth with a 16.007. Elsewhere, Sutil gets horribly out of shape at the final corner, but somehow keeps it all together.
Heidfeld goes fifth (15.746), ahead of Vettel and Kubica.
Five minutes remaining, and Piquet, Coulthard and Trulli are all in the danger zone.
Just the Ferraris on track as the final assault begins. One by one other drivers head down the pitlane to join them.
Massa goes quickest in the first sector, and by the second he is 0.43s up on Hamilton. At the line the Brazilian posts 14.921 to go quickest, the fastest lap of the weekend. Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, crossing the line at 15.201, 0.3s down on his teammate.
The McLarens have opted to settle for what they've got, as Kubica loses time behind Fisichella, much to the Pole's obvious frustration.
Coulthard goes eighth, but is instantly demoted by Bourdais, who is running on softs. Trulli goes fifth and teammate Glock sixth, as Toyota puts on a show in one of its home races.
Piquet can only manage seventeenth, and therefore falls at the first hurdle, as does Nakajima, we also lose Fisichella, Sutil and Barrichello. Piquet complains that he was blocked by Vettel. "We need to protest," says Nelson.
Quickest was Massa, ahead of Raikkonen, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Vettel, Trulli, Glock, Heidfeld, Rosberg and Webber. Kubica scraped into the second phase, posting a 15.985 to go fourteenth.
The lights go green, signalling the start of the second phase. The clock ticks… nobody appears prepared to break the deadlock and get to work.
Almost four minutes into the session, and against all odds, it is Kimi Raikkonen who breaks the deadlock, followed, moments later, by his Ferrari teammate. The Finn is on softs.
The World Champion posts 14.949, but this is soon beaten by his Ferrari teammate, who posts a 14.747.
As Glock goes third, all eyes are on Hamilton, who goes quickest with a 14.603. Kovalainen goes fourth (15.025), ahead of Trulli, Alonso and Webber.
Coulthard, on softs, opts to abort his second flying lap and dives into the pits. He's ninth.
With five minutes remaining, all but the BMWs have posted times. Kovalainen (softs) is back on track, the Finn clearly feeling that he could still be in danger.
Kubica goes seventh, and Heidfeld tenth, the BMWs really not looking as strong as we expected.
The final corner is scrappy, and how, but Kovalainen improves to third, 0.2s down on his McLaren teammate.
Button, Bourdais, Vettel, Rosberg and Coulthard still in the danger zone with less than two minutes remaining.
As he crosses the line to begin his final flying lap, Bourdais weaves, attempting to generate heat into his tyres. However, a mistake at the hairpin wrecks his lap.
A last gasp attempt sees Vettel go eighth, and Kubica fifth. Alonso takes fourth, while Coulthard goes eighth, which is bad news for Heidfeld, who misses the cut, his situation not helped by a mistake at the hairpin.
Therefore, we no lose Bourdais, Button, Rosberg, Heidfeld and Glock.
Quickest was Hamilton, ahead of Massa, Kovalainen, Alonso, Raikkonen, Kubica, Trulli, Coulthard, Vettel and Webber.
There is a whoop of joy from Vettel when he learns that he has made the cut. "But we're not finished yet," he is told, "you much push harder". "Of course I will push," he replies. "If I don't I might as well go home".
The final phase gets underway. Almost two minutes later, it is Jarno Trulli who gets things underway. As the Italian begins his flying lap, Webber and Vettel head down the pitlane.
Trulli posts the benchmark, crossing the line at 17.126. Elsewhere, Raikkonen goes wide t Turn 1, the Finn really pushing, over-pushing, his Ferrari.
Webber goes second, but is leapfrogged by Raikkonen who goes quickest with a 17.101. However, this is soon eclipsed by Massa who posts 16.323.
As Kovalainen gets it all wrong at the entry to the stadium, Hamilton goes second with a 16.732, but is knocked down to third by Alonso, who, against all odds, posts 16.673.
Raikkonen fits another set of softs and goes out to give it another go. Kubica goes fourth, ahead of Raikkonen, Trulli, Webber and Vettel.
Ninety seconds remaining and all ten drivers are on track. Kovalainen is told that other than that one moment everything he was doing was perfect.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, the Finn not over-driving the car now. He goes second with a 16.389, as his teammate consolidates the top spot.
Kovalainen goes second but all eyes are on Hamilton who is fastest of all through the stadium and crosses the line at 15.666 to take pole.
It's a nightmare for Raikkonen, as Trulli goes fourth and Alonso fifth, forcing the World Champion down to sixth. Kubica takes seventh, ahead of Webber, Vettel and Coulthard.
The McLarens have been dominant in every session thus far this weekend, and for the most part it has been Hamilton who has led the way. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Englishman takes his third pole of the season. Heikki is looking confident, and if the rumours that he is running heavier than Lewis are to be believed, it might be worth keeping a close eye on him tomorrow.
Watching the Ferraris, it's hard to believe that Massa and Raikkonen are driving the same car, the Finn looking most uncomfortable this weekend.
Brilliant performances from both Trulli and Alonso, the Italian in particular looking very impressive.
Following his qualifying performance at Silverstone, Nick Heidfeld claimed that he was now on top of the problem that has plagued him all season… well clearly not. Indeed, judging by Robert Kubica's performance this afternoon, and for much of this weekend, the German team is losing ground. Not a lot, but certainly enough to give cause for concern.
Typically stoic performances from the Red Bull duo while Vettel once again gives us reason to believe that his is a unique talent.
While we might have escaped the rain today, the 'experts' claim that we will not be so lucky tomorrow. Either way, it would be a brave man who would bet against a McLaren victory tomorrow. Then again, it would take an equally brave man to tell that to Felipe Massa.