06/11/2010
NEWS STORY
 |
While the rain stopped falling for the final ten minutes of this morning's practice session it began falling again shortly after and has been intermittent ever since.
Though this session is expected to take place in changeable conditions, tomorrow is expected to be fine. Which makes things all the more difficult for the drivers and their engineers - but all the more exciting for us.
Fifteen minutes before the start of the session, Bob Constanduros texts: "It's spitting a tiny bit, the track is wet, quite bright outside with clouds clearing. It's going to be all about being out there at the right time, probably the end of the session when it's at its driest in each case."
Five minutes before the session is due to get underway, Martin Whitmarsh reveals that though it has now stopped raining his experts predict that there will be a further downpour just five minutes into the session. Shortly afterwards, Ross Brawn says he is expecting rain halfway through the session.
As the lights go green signalling that start of this all-important session the air temperature is 19 degrees C while the track temperature is 25 degrees. Humidity is 84%.
To add to their problems, Sutil and Buemi both have 5-place grid penalties carried over following their naughtiness in Korea.
Buemi heads a queue of around ten cars at the end of the pitlane, all eager to get out there and get in that all-important 'banker' lap. Indeed, within seconds all twenty-four drivers are on track. The spray is one thing, the traffic quite another.
Buemi crosses the line at 1:22.744, the Swiss, unlike his rivals, enjoying a free track and no spray. On their first lap, only Webber and Massa are able to beat the Toro Rosso driver's time, the Australian going quickest with a 21.272.
A number of drivers run wide at various points on the track, including both Force Indias. Indeed, Liuzzi and Sutil almost take one another out.
Hulkenberg goes quickest only to be beaten by the wily old rain-master, Schumacher, who posts 20.940.
Hulkenberg re-takes the top spot with a 20.537 as Barrichello makes it a Williams 1-2 with a 20.848.
No sooner has Webber posted 19.950 than Vettel sneaks in a 19.855 to take the top spot. Hamilton is warned that rain is coming and that he must be careful for the next few laps. At this stage it is the usual suspects that fill the bottom six positions - no major upsets.
Alonso goes quickest in S2, finally crossing the line at 19.842 as Heidfeld drops into the danger zone.
Next time around Alonso goes quickest again in S1 but the rest of his lap is poor, while Rosberg, who is also quick in S1 runs wide and ruins his lap.
Having gone quickest in S2, Vettel is quickest again in S3 crossing the line at 19.160 to go quickest. Hulkenberg is on a hot lap, posting a 20.050 to go fifth. Elsewhere, Alonso is warned that rain is imminent.
Buemi, currently sixth, goes quickest in S1 however, he's off the pace in the final two sectors and fails to improve. Elsewhere, Alonso has moments when he hits the white lines at Tune 11.
Webber goes quickest with a 19.025 having been quickest of all in S2. The Australian making it a Red Bull 1-2 - not for the first time this year - at the clock counts down to 5:05.
Sutil improves to sixteenth but he is far from safe. Once again, Senna looks likely to be out-qualified by Klien.
Schumacher posts 19.879 to go sixth as Senna spins and almost stall at Turn 3. Kubica, having gone third with a 19.729, goes quickest in S1. A personal best in S2 sees the Pole cross the line at 19.249 but remain third.
Sutil has slipped back into the danger zone, ironically, he relegated by his Italian teammate. Meanwhile, Alonso goes quickest in S2 finally crossing the line at 18.987 to go quickest. At which point fans in the stands start to raise their umbrellas.
Q1 comes to an end and Sutil, Glock, Trulli, Kovalainen, di Grassi, Klien and Senna are out.
Alonso is quickest, ahead of Webber, Vettel, Kubica, Kobayashi, Massa, Barrichello, Schumacher, Button and Hamilton.
Despite the umbrellas it doesn't appear to be raining as Q2 gets underway. Nonetheless, fully aware of the threat the drivers are keen to get back on track as quickly as possible. Within moments fourteen of the seventeen remaining cars are on track.
"No more rain is forecast," Barrichello is told as Kubica goes quickest with a 20.194.
No sooner has Alonso posted a 19.708 than Webber hits back with a 19.694. It's damp, just very damp, but drivers are already lapping quicker than in Q1.
Barrichello - pole man in 2009 - is quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 19.384. Moments later, however, Vettel crosses the line at 19.218.
Webber responds with an 18.851 however, Kubica is on a hot lap. The Pole subsequently goes second with a 19.131.
Hamilton improves to fifth. As he completes the lap he is told that it may be possible to run with dry tyres before the end of the session, the 2008 champ doesn't agree. "It's not going to be dry," he responds.
An 18.839 sees Vettel re-take the top spot as Barrichello runs wide at Turn 6. With 5:40 on the clock Massa is still in the danger zone along with Petrov and the Sauber duo.
Alonso improves to third with a 19.010 as Webber goes quickest in S1. Hulkenberg and Hamilton are on good laps as Button slips into the danger zone.
As Massa seeks to improve both Red Bull drivers are on hot laps. Webber goes quickest with an 18.516 while Vettel improves with an 18.691. Massa posts 19.433 to go eighth but is it enough?
Despite a strong first sector, Vettel loses time in the second. Meanwhile, Massa and Schumacher are now in the danger zone, as is Rosberg.
Schumacher posts 18.923 to go fourth as Kubica goes quickest in S1. Massa improves to tenth as Kubica posts 18.877 to go third, Hulkenberg also making a late improvement.
At the end of Q2, we lose Button, Kobayashi, Rosberg, Alguersuari, Buemi, Heidfeld and Liuzzi. Some real shocks in there, not least the 2009 world champion who only twelve month ago was on top of the world.
Quickest was Webber, who finished ahead of Vettel, Kubica, Hamilton, Schumacher, Barrichello, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Petrov and Massa. Again, some big surprises.
Still no reappearance of the rain as the lights go green to signal the start of Q3. Fernando Alonso leads the way as nine drivers rush to get out as early as possible - just in case. Schumacher is the last driver to leave the pits.
Alonso posts 17.794 however, Webber and then Vettel and Hamilton go quicker, the Englishman posting 17.212. The fastest lap we've seen this afternoon.
A 17.250 sees Schumacher go second as Kubica returns to the pits. At McLaren and at Renault they are fitting the option (super-soft) dry tyres. A brave move… time will tell.
Kubica will be the first driver to complete a lap on the option rubber, all eyes are on the Pole. He's off the pace but no such problems for Hamilton who goes quickest overall in S1.
Kubica runs wide and spins off as Hamilton loses a little pace in S2 and S3, failing to improve.
A big slide for Webber as Hulkenberg goes quickest in S2. Schumacher also on a hot lap.
Hulkenberg goes quickest with a 16.373, however, moments later Hamilton posts 16.274.
Webber can only manage sixth as Hulkenberg goes quickest in the first two sectors. Alonso takes pole but moments later Hulkenberg goes quicker, the German youngster posting a mighty impressive 15.462.
Webber digs deep and posts a 15.519 to go second. However, his teammate responds with a 15.519 to go second.
Another improvement for Hulkenberg, the Williams driver crossing the line at 14.470, a fantastic performance from the boy whose job is under thrteat.
So… (big gulp for breath), Hulkenberg takes pole position, ahead of Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Barrichello, Kubica, Schumacher, Massa and Petrov.
While certain drivers will be on shock, Hulkenberg is beaming, and one of the first to congratulate him is his teammate, veteran Rubens Barrichello.
If the race is only half as exciting as this session we will have a real stunner - and that's not your usual media hyperbole. Sadly, however, with ideal weather conditions expected most of the drama will come on the first lap, at the first corner.
In the Williams garage there is jubilation and Patrick Head - a man who has seen it all over the years - is clearly close to tears.
At a time of in-house bitching, domination by the usual suspects and derogatory remarks about the newbies, it's good to see that F1 can still produce some magic. Nobody in F1 would deny Williams this moment of glory, though it will barely register compared to the Grove outfit's previous achievements over the years. Nonetheless, despite the fact that we have a title fight going on here, this was a little bit of magic we all needed.
Great stuff. More of the same please.
To check out our Interlagos qualifying gallery, click here