03/04/2010
NEWS STORY
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Half-an-hour before today's all-important qualifying session, it is bright and sunny. However, this is Malaysia and as we know from experience the weather can - and often does - change in a heartbeat. One minute it's bright and sunny, next we're hit with a deluge that brings everything to a standstill, witness last year's race.
Every day for the last week the weather has changed round about this time, and with last year's embarrassment still fresh in the organizer's minds a few basic precautions have already been taken.
For a start off, this session and the race have both been moved forward by an hour, thereby, should the worst happen, giving us a slightly bigger window rather than having to end the race prematurely due to failing light
Furthermore, should today's session be completely washed out, the organizers have plans in place for qualifying to be held tomorrow morning. However, that would be a last resort, for if today's session were unable to continue beyond Q2, the grid would be based on the positions at the end of Q1. Similarly if the session has to be stopped in Q3 the grid would reflect the order at the end of Q2.
Lewis Hamilton set the pace in both of yesterday's sessions while in today's session he was pipped by Mark Webber in the final moments. The Red Bull appears to have the advantage, however, there remains that massive question mark in terms of reliability. Indeed, following an engine failure yesterday afternoon, the Australian was running a new powerplant this morning.
As ever, it is the usual suspects that dominate - Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes - but the battle behind them is almost as fascinating, though Williams appears to be lagging behind thus far this weekend.
With five minutes to go before the lights go green the rain begins to fall, and how. The air temperature is 31 degrees C, while the track temperature is 33 degrees. Humidity is 60 percent.
Knowing that the session could be stopped at any time, the drivers will be keen to establish themselves right from the outset and post a banker lap. Williams claim that the current downpour will last for around fifteen minutes then clear up. They also claim that this is as bad as it will get. We shall see.
The lights go green and Kamui Kobayashi leads a train of ten cars all shod with Intermediates. Vettel in the only one of the big guns to go out early, a brave move by the German or a reckless gamble?
As Petrov spins at Turn 2 it is noticeable that some parts of the track are totally dry, hence the need for Inters.
Buemi posts the benchmark time, the Swiss crossing the line at 48.945. de la Rosa and Kobayashi make it a Sauber 2-3 only to be split when Vettel posts 50.466 to go third.
A 47.520 sees Kubica go quickest as Buemi takes to the grass. Still no sign of the seven remaining big guns who wait resolutely in their garages.
As de la Rosa goes quickest (47.153), Schumacher leaves the Mercedes garage and heads down the pitlane on Inters. The German is followed by Alonso and the McLarens.
Kubica raises the benchmark with a 46.283, as all but di Grassi are on track.
Vettel improves to third (47.632) as Liuzzi does well to keep his car under control. Elsewhere, Senna goes off and is stuck in the gravel.
Button goes twelfth quickest with a 52.211 as teammate Hamilton spins at the final corner. Schumacher posts 52.239 to go thirteenth.
Button spins off and is stuck in the gravel, followed moments later by Petrov. It appears the big guns took a gamble and it failed. "Keep your engine running," Button is told. However, it's all over for the world champion.
With seven minutes remaining, Hamilton, Alonso and Massa are all in the danger zone.
Kubica quickest, ahead of de la Rosa, Vettel and Petrov. Webber is twelfth, ahead of Button, Schumacher, Glock and Rosberg.
"Be careful," Michael Schumacher is told. Words the German is unlikely to have heard in his entire forty-one years.
Three minutes remaining, and Hamilton is still provisionally on the back row of the grid, not far behind the two Ferraris.
"We need a one minute fifty two," Hamilton is told. He is currently on one minute fifty nine.
A big spin for Alonso as he struggles to improve on 53.6. Elsewhere, Hamilton improves to twenty-first with a 54.146.
It has stopped raining, but the track remains very wet, as proven by Alonso who spins again.
Hamilton posts a personal best in sector two as does Alonso, however, both fail to make the cut, as does Massa.
Therefore, at the end of Q1, we lose Trulli, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, Chandhok, Senna and di Grassi.
Quickest was Kubica, ahead of de la Rosa, Vettel, Petrov, Kobayashi, Alguersuari, Buemi, Sutil, Hulkenberg and Liuzzi. Button finished thirteenth, but will play no further part in this session, effectively qualifying seventeenth.
Talking to reporters, Melbourne winner Jenson Button looks suitably cheesed off. "We got it wrong," he says, a masterpiece of understatement.
The rain stopped, Petrov leads the way as Q2 gets underway. The Russian is followed by Liuzzi, Sutil and everyone else bar Rosberg, Kubica and Glock. With more rain forecast within the next few minutes it is, once again, vital that drivers get in a banker time.
Most are on Inters, however, Rosberg, unlike his Mercedes teammate, is on full wets.
Petrov crosses the line at 53.730, but this is soon beaten by Sutil and then Vettel (51.814). However, moments later Schumacher - the rain master - crosses the line at 50.611.
A 50.749 sees Kubica go second, ahead of Hulkenberg and Rosberg. Elsewhere Glock spins but keeps it under control lucky not to be hit by the Toro Rosso that is running close behind.
Petrov makes it a Renault 2-3 as he posts 50.670 to go second. Elsewhere, Vettel, who was on full wets, pits for Inters.
Petrov raises the benchmark with a 48.760, the Russian clearly revelling in these conditions. Vettel is told that there is more rain on the way.
Schumacher re-takes the top spot with a 48.643 as Barrichello goes third, ahead of Hulkenberg and Kubica.
As Rosberg goes sixth (51.242), Vettel goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 47.003 to go quickest.
Hulkenberg is now second, ahead of Barrichello and Sutil as the order constantly changes.
A 46.951 sees Kubica take the top spot ahead of Vettel and Sutil as the rain begins to increase in intensity.
Vettel posts 46.828to go quickest as teammate Webber goes quickest in the first sector. Schumacher, currently ninth, goes quickest in the second sector. Webber posts 48.210 to go seventh while Schumacher fails to improve and remains tenth.
"We do need this lap," Schumacher is told. "You just need to get it together." The German responds with a poor second sector, and equally poor third, remaining tenth. Nonetheless, there are no other improvements and consequently the seven-time champion makes the cut by the skin of his teeth.
At the end of Q2 we lose Petrov, de la Rosa, Buemi, Alguersuari, Kovalainen, Glock and Button.
Quickest was Vettel, ahead of Kubica, Sutil, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Kobayashi, Webber, Liuzzi, Barrichello and Schumacher.
As Q3 gets underway, it's raining once again, all but Vettel are straight out and all on full wets. The downpour, which looks likely to last for the entire phase, appears heavier than that witnessed in Q1 and Q2.
As Kubica begins the second sector of his first flying lap, the session is red flagged. Nobody has gone off consequently we can only assume that Race Control has stopped the session on safety grounds.
As the drivers sit in their cars, in their various garages, Vettel admits that it was just "ridiculous out there". And this from another rain-master.
Liuzzi and Sutil wait at the end of the pitlane for the session to resume, the pair sitting side by side even though there are two minutes before it officially gets underway. The rain has stopped.
It is forecast that it will be dry for two to three minutes before there is further rain. At which point lightning rakes the sky.
The session resumes, all but Kobayashi and Vettel are straight out. Most are on full wets, while a couple, including Webber, are on Inters. On their out lap, Schumacher is eager to pass Kubica, but the Pole is having none of it.
Sutil posts the benchmark, crossing the line at 51.238, with Hulkenberg going second and Liuzzi third.
A 51.326 sees Kubica go second, while Vettel can only manage seventh (51.794).
Schumacher goes fifth (51.717) as his teammate goes quickest in the first sector.
Webber goes quickest in the second sector as Sutil consolidates his top spot with a 50.914.
Weber takes provisional pole with a 50.451 ahead of Rosberg (50.673) and Vettel.
As Schumacher seeks to improve on eighth, Webber goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 49.327. Rosberg holds on to second while Vettel has to settle for third.
Mark Webber gives Red Bull its third pole of the season, ahead of Rosberg, Vettel, Sutil, Hulkenberg, Kubica, Barrichello, Schumacher, Kobayashi and Liuzzi.
Among the first to congratulate Webber on his mighty achievement is teammate Vettel, the German seeming genuinely pleased with the Australian's success.
Once again, the Sepang weather leaves us on the edge of our seats, not merely in terms of today's session but also in terms of tomorrow's race, when, other than Sutil and Hulkenberg mixing it with the Red Bulls and Mercedes, we have the Ferraris and McLarens needing to fight their way back up the field.
Bernie Ecclestone tampered with the scheduling of the race weekend in his quest to get the best of both worlds, money from the Malaysian government which backs the race and decent TV figures in Europe, F1's heartland. While it may not have been the intention the old goat may have done us all a favour, for tomorrow looks to be anything but boring.