31/07/2010
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 41. Humidity is 57% and while there is talk of rain before the end of the session, this seems unlikely.
Based on the evidence thus far, today and indeed tomorrow should be a stroll for the Red Bull duo which enjoys a clear advantage over its rivals. Much of this is thought to be due to the controversial flexing front wing, which, although deemed legal by the FIA, is under close scrutiny from the Austrian team's rivals.
Ferrari has its own version of the wing, and although this allowed the Maranello team to close the gap yesterday, both drivers were over a second off Webber's pace this morning.
While the McLaren duo talks of damage limitation, Renault has done well to get both Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov into the Top Seven.
Williams is thereabouts, as is Sauber, while Mercedes continues to struggle in its attempt to keep pace with the 'big three'. Force India - looking forward to Spa and Monza - is locked in battle with Toro Rosso, while Virgin is closing the gap to Lotus, or so it appears.
Tyre options are medium (prime) and super-soft (option), though there has been little difference between the two thus far this weekend.
When the lights go green for Q1, Petrov is first out, the Russian looking very good here this weekend. Then again, he needs to impress, what with as many as seven drivers being linked with his seat for next season.
The Russian crosses the line at 1:23.386 to post the benchmark, as all but Massa and Buemi are on track. Traffic could well be a problem in Q2, and some predict that we could see one or two big names fail to make the cut as a result.
Kubica goes second with a 27.680 but then Webber posts 22.786 only to be eclipsed by Petrov who crosses the line at 22.713.
On his first flying lap, Vettel goes quickest with a 21.360 ahead of his teammate, Kubica and Petrov. Moment later however, Rosberg splits the two Renaults with a 22.387.
Alonso, having gone quickest in S1, crosses the line at 21.672 to go second however, Hamilton goes quickest in the first sector of his first flying lap. Despite a mistake in S2 the Englishman posts 21.549 to go second.
No sooner has Barrichello gone second with a 21.478 then he is demoted by Webber who raises the benchmark with a 21.132. No sign of the option tyres yet.
Massa goes fifth (21.638) as Alonso goes quickest in the first sector. However, a poor final sector sees the Spaniard fail to improve.
Vettel - still on the prime tyre - posts a 20.417, a time which sure to see the opposition's heart sink.
With 6:10 remaining, it's Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Massa, Barrichello and Hamilton.
Alguersuari is one of the first drivers to run on the option tyre, the Spaniard going eighth with a 21.978. Elsewhere, the Force Indias are struggling, both driver only just outside the danger zone.
As Hulkenberg improves to seventh, Hamilton and Button head down the pitlane, as do the Mercedes, Schumacher and Rosberg both on options.
Sutil improves to eleventh with a 2.165 but is demoted when Petrov posts 21.558 to go eighth. The Russian having had a poor final sector.
With 1:59 on the clock, Schumacher is in the danger zone, with Button and Rosberg just above him.
Kubica goes third (21.159) as Button goes quickest in the first sector.
A 21.840 sees Schumacher go eighth, however, Rosberg goes fourth and Button seventh with a 21.422.
Kobayashi and Sutil are both on track, however, the Sauber driver dives into the pits thereby missing the cut. Replay shows the Japanese driver losing a heap of time when Senna made a mistake and lost the back of his car in Turn 11 causing the Sauber driver to have to back off considerably.
Quickest in Q1 was Vettel, ahead of Webber, Kubica, Rosberg, Alonso, Massa, Button, Hamilton, Barrichello and Petrov.
We lose Kobayashi, Glock, Kovalainen, Trulli, di Grassi, Senna and Yamamoto.
Massa heads down the pitlane to get Q2 underway, followed, shortly after, by Alguersuari, Alonso, Hamilton and Buemi.
Massa crosses the line at 21.417 however, as Alguersuari goes second (22.212), Alonso and Petrov are on quick laps.
Alonso posts 21.010 to go quickest ahead of his teammate, however, he is leapfrogged by Webber who crosses the line at 20.235. Moments later, Vettel raises the benchmark with a 19.866… these guys are taking the Micky.
Webber improves with a 20.186 but remains second as his teammate posts 19.573, the quickest lap of the weekend by one-thousandth of a second.
Kubica goes fourth (21.049)n while his teammate takes fifth, Hamilton takes sixth with a 21.221.
With the Mercedes duo yet to post a time, Button goes eighth with a 21.306. Third placed Alonso is 1.2s off Vettel's pace.
A 21.296 sees Rosberg go eighth while Schumacher can only manage fourteenth (21.828).
With 6:00 on the clock, Buemi, Alguersuari, Liuzzi, Schumacher, Sutil, de la Rosa and Hulkenberg are still in the danger zone.
Alguersuari on track on options, the Spaniard determined to make the cut. Elsewhere, Alonso goes quickest in S1, however he fails to improve on his previous best.
Vettel is also on track and ominously he goes quickest in S1. Elsewhere, Hulkenberg runs ridiculously wide at Turn 11 as he seeks to improve on eleventh.
Webber posts 19.531, the Australian clearly in no mood to defer to his young teammate. Elsewhere, once again Alonso goes quickest in the first sector.
As the clock reaches 0.00 all but Buemi and Alonso are on track.
Rosberg improves to fourth (20.811) but is demoted by Petrov as Button drops into the danger zone.
Massa improves and drops Hamilton to seventh while Kubica's 20.867 sees the 2008 champion drop to eighth.
However, things are even worse for Button who misses the cut along with Barrichello, Sutil, Schumacher, Buemi, Liuzzi and Alguersuari.
Quickest was Webber, ahead of Vettel, Alonso, Petrov, Rosberg, Massa, Kubica, Hamilton, de la Rosa and Hulkenberg.
Alonso is first out for Q3, perhaps the only driver capable of depriving Red Bull pole here, though, in all honesty that seems like a long shot.
Hulkenberg, Petrov and de la Rosa have used up their supply of new option tyres therefore they will need to rely on old sets.
Alonso posts the first time of Q3, the Spaniard crossing the line at 19.987. Massa posts 20.491 while Rosberg goes third with a 21.183.
Hamilton posts 20.499 to go third but all eyes are on Webber and Vettel. The Australian posts a personal best in S1, and quickest overall in S2. At the line it's 19.184, however, Vettel, who has gone quickest in the first two sectors posts 18.773 to quicker by almost half-a-second. These two are unreal.
Behind the Red Bulls, it's Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Rosberg and Hulkenberg, with de la Rosa and the Renaults clearly opting for just one run.
With 2:18 on the clock, Webber heads down the pitlane on what appears to be a brand new set of options.
Kubica runs wide in Turn 2, however, he will have time for a second flying lap. If his tyres are up to it. Teammate Petrov, on used options, also makes a mistake and runs wide.
Hamilton goes quickest in S1 but moments later Webber goes quicker. Vettel now on track on new options.
Vettel goes quickest in S1 as Webber has a poor middle sector. The Australian fails to improve as Vettel maintains his pace in S2. Knowing he already has pole in the bag he eases off, taking pole by 0.4s.
Behind the Red Bulls, it's Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Rosberg, Petrov, Kubica, de la Rosa and Hulkenberg.
Consequently, as we look ahead to tomorrow, it would appear that once again the question isn't 'who will win' but 'which of the Red Bull drivers will win'. Then again, as we have seen so many times before, despite their pace, despite the advantage of pole, the Milton Keynes team doesn't always do the business.
As in German, Ferrari looks to be the main threat to the Milton Keynes team this weekend, though the 1.2s difference between Vettel and Alonso is quite frightening.
Not for the first time, Hamilton will need to focus on damage limitation, while Rosberg will have every right to be pleased with his performance, certainly with a benchmark like Michael Schumacher.
For the first time this season, Petrov out-qualifies his Renault teammate and it was no fluke, the Russian having impressed from the outset this weekend. Like his teammate he's great to watch, so let's hope he can produce a good result tomorrow, thereby giving his team good reason to retain him for next year.
Strong performances from de la Rosa and Hulkenberg also, the German youngster finally beginning to show the sort of promise we'd seen prior to his move to F1.
Other than the weather, first corner madness or reliability, it looks as though tomorrow will be a Sunday afternoon stroll for Red Bull. The big question being will it be Vettel or Webber who comes out on top. Or is F1 about to spring another surprise?