10/10/2010
NEWS STORY
 |
After qualifying was cancelled on Saturday due to heavy rain, it is good to be able to tell you that with just twenty minutes to go before today's rescheduled session gets underway it is warm and sunny. The air temperature is already 24 degrees C with a nice breeze.
The track is still damp in many places and while it will dry, the question is how, long will this take? Track temperature is 25 degrees and the humidity is still 70 percent.
Lewis Hamilton has been hit with a five-place grid penalty after his team opted to change the gearbox on his McLaren. However, as we get to the sharp end of the season it is widely felt that there are going to be a lot more of these penalties, including some for engine changes.
With five minutes to go before the session begins, the track, particularly the main straight, is visibly drier. Air temperature now 25 degrees and track temperature 27 degrees. Humidity is 67 percent.
Consequently, with the status quo re-established - certainly in terms of the weather - one has to reflect that in Friday's two sessions the Red Bulls were a country mile ahead of the opposition with only the Ferraris and, surprisingly, the Renaults giving them a run for their money. Jenson Button was up there for McLaren but Lewis Hamilton had limited track-time following a crash in the first session.
Tyre options are hard (prime) and soft (option), however, the rubber laid down on Friday has been washed away.
The lights go green and Petrov leads the way, closely followed by Hulkenberg, Senna, Glock, Barrichello and a whole host of others. Button is an early riser, the reigning world champion on inters.
Petrov crosses the line at 38.957 but this is immediately beaten by Hulkenberg with a 35.352.
Sutil briefly goes quickest with a 34.963 but moments later Massa posts 34.636.
Six minutes into the session, as Barrichello goes quickest (32.858), almost everyone bar the McLarens and Red Bulls has been out. Schumacher and Alonso are worryingly close as they race through the 130R.
Hulkenberg raises the benchmark with a 32.317 to make it a Williams 1-2, Heidfeld goes third ahead of Schumacher and Petrov.
As the McLarens and Red Bulls leave the pits, only Kubica hasn't made an appearance.
Rosberg goes third with a 32.645 as the McLaren and Red Bull drivers begin their first flying laps.
Webber goes twelfth, Hamilton thirteenth, Vettel sixth and Button ninth, with 7:17 still on the clock.
Next time around, Webber improves to third however, having gone quickest in S2, Vettel posts 32.168 to go quickest. Hamilton goes eighth and Button twelfth.
Kubica is finally on track the Pole going thirteenth with his first attempt (33.346).
Having gone quickest in S1, Vettel raises the benchmark with a 32.035. Hulkenberg remains second, ahead of Barrichello, Webber, Alonso, Rosberg, Massa, Button, Hamilton and Petrov.
Along with the usual suspects, Buemi looks the most likely to fail at the first hurdle. That said, Alguersuari, Sutil and Liuzzi are just above the drop zone.
Kubica improves to twelfth with a 33.002 as Rosberg posts 32.238 to go third, the German having gone quickest in the final two sectors.
At the end of Q1, Vettel is quickest, ahead of Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Barrichello, Webber, Schumacher, Alonso, Button, Massa and Kobayashi.
We lose Buemi, Trulli, Kovalainen, di Grassi, Glock, Senna and Yamamoto.
Mass and Alonso wait patiently at the end of the pitlane for the start of Q2, followed, shortly afterwards, by the Williams duo, the Renault duo, Liuzzi and Alguersuari.
No sooner has Massa posted 32.573 than his teammate goes quicker with a 31.819, moments later Hulkenberg and Kubica split the scarlet cars at the top of the timesheets.
A 31.651 sees Webber go quickest as Button slips into second with a 31.795. Vettel goes third (31.812) ahead of Alonso and Hamilton, the five title contenders fill the top five positions.
With 9:00 on the clock all but the Mercedes duo have posted times.
Webber goes quickest in S1 finally posting a 31.455 as Button goes second with a 31.763 having gone quickest in the final two sectors.
Schumacher's first flying lap sees the German go tenth (32.314) while teammate Rosberg goes seventh (31.998).
With less than four minutes on the clock, Massa and Petrov are both in the danger zone along with Kobayashi, Sutil, Heidfeld, Alguersuari and Liuzzi.
Both Ferraris on track with Massa (softs) really having to work the F10 in his quest to escape the drop zone. Suffering problems with traffic - a McLaren and a Williams - the Brazilian fails to improve.
Vettel goes quickest in S1 and again in S2. At the line the German posts 31.184 taking the top sot from his teammate.
Hamilton improves to third overall as Kobayashi fails to make the cut. All eyes are on Massa who has now dropped to twelfth with Schumacher now in eleventh.
Massa fails to improve while a strong final sector sees Schumacher improve to tenth demoting countryman Heidfeld to eleventh.
Vettel quickest, ahead of Webber, Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Barrichello, Rosberg, Hulkenberg, Kubica and Schumacher.
We lose Heidfeld, Massa, Petrov, Kobayashi, Sutil, Alguersuari and Liuzzi.
Looking ahead to Q3, the big question is which tyres should the drivers opt for, with the hards appearing to be performing better than the softs.
Ahead of Q3 it's finely poised, and while the Red Bulls continue to have the edge, the McLarens are looking stronger than before while Alonso could only manage fifth. However, is the wily Spaniard saving the best for last?
For their first run, most drivers appear to have opted for the option (soft) tyre.
Hamilton posts the benchmark, the Englishman crossing the line at 31.320. Moments later Alonso posts 31.411 to go second.
As Barrichello goes third (31.596), Vettel goes quickest in S1. Webber goes quickest in S2 but his teammate goes even quicker. At the line Webber posts 31.185 however, moments later Vettel posts 30.792 to take provisional pole.
Barrichello goes fifth, ahead of Kubica, Rosberg and Barrichello as Button comes out on prime tyres, the Englishman clearly looking ahead to the start of today's race.
As the leading eight return to the pits, Button and Hulkenberg (softs) have the track to themselves.
Button goes quickest in S2 finally crossing the line at 31.378 to go fourth. Hulkenberg posts 31.559 to go sixth.
With less than a minute on the clock all ten drivers are on track.
Lots of personal bests in S1, while Vettel and Alonso looks set to improve.
Hamilton improves with a 31.169 but this is beaten by Webber while Vettel consolidates his top spot with a 30.785.
Kubica produces a 31.231 out of nowhere to go fourth ahead of Alonso, Button, Rosberg, Barrichello, Hulkenberg and Schumacher.
However, with Hamilton forfeiting fiver places due to the gearbox change, this means that Kubica will start from third on the grid - behind the Red Bulls - with Alonso fourth, ahead of Button, Rosberg, Barrichello, Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Schumacher.
With the good weather set to continue, four of the title contenders starting from the first three rows, Kubica looking to pull off a shock and Hamilton clearly up for a fight, we should be in for a Suzuka special in just a couple of hours from now.