23/06/2012
NEWS STORY
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With three different drivers topping the sheets in the three practice sessions today's qualifying - not to mention tomorrow's race - was always going to be something of a conundrum.
Throw into the mix the ever increasing temperatures, the dustiness of the track, the technical problems befalling certain drivers, the unexplained lack of pace of others and the ongoing confusion over the 2012 Pirellis and you have the making of a real thriller.
Surprisingly, this morning didn't witness the red hot finish we'd expected. When the drivers did switch from the medium to soft rubber in the final fifteen minutes there were few really significant improvements. While Button, the Lotus and Force India duos showed real pace, in the Englishman's case against his current run of form, Hamilton, the Red Bulls, Ferrari and Mercedes were largely disappointing.
Being the street circuit that it is, pole here will be as important as it is at Monaco, pity then poor Mark Webber who was sidelined with a technical problem this morning and has therefore yet to complete any mileage on the softer rubber.
With seven winners from the first eight races, many are wondering whether an eight name will be added to the list tomorrow, while others speculate as to who might become the first man to win two races.
One man being tipped as a potential eighth winner is Michael Schumacher, while either of the Lotus drivers has to be worth a punt.
After a number of visits here, Valencia, as a race track, remains as unattractive and unfulfilling as ever, it adds nothing to the experience of the driver or the fan and the sooner it is dropped the better.
Twenty minutes before the start of the session, Marussia boss John Booth reveals that Timo Glock's stomach bug and that the German could miss qualifying. Bob Constanduros subsequently tweets that the Marussia has left the circuit. The Russian team subsequently confirms that Timo is a no-show.
Air temperature is 26 degrees C and the track temperature 43 degrees, the hottest it has been all weekend, though it will get hotter over the next hour.
The lights go green for Q1 and Ricciardo leads the way, followed by Maldonado, Senna, Pic, Webber, Alonso and Massa. Surprising to see some of the big guns out so early, not so in the Australian's case.
As Ricciardo posts 40.707, all but Vettel, Button, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Petrov and de la Rosa are on track.
Senna posts 40.468 as Perez locks up going into T2. Massa takes the top spot with a 39.634 as Raikkonen goes second and di Resta third. A 40.211 sees Grosjean go fourth ahead of Senna and Ricciardo.
Webber heads back to the pits as everybody bar Vettel continues.
Kobayashi goes quickest in S1 as Alonso goes fifth overall (39.849). However, a 39.577 sees Schumacher take the top spot. Kobayashi goes third (39.651).
A lock-up and a slide for Vergne who is already on the softer rubber.
Button goes second with a 39.622 as teammate Hamilton begins his first flying lap. Elsewhere, Vettel finally leaves the pits.
Having gone quickest in S3, Hamilton goes quickest overall (36.169), ahead of Massa and Alonso.
With 8:10 on the clock Webber is still in the pits, while the Toro Rosso duo are down at the bottom of the sheets with the usual suspects.
Hamilton is on another quick lap, a PB in S1 is followed by a purple in S2 however, a poor final sector means he fails to improve.
As Vettel goes sixth (39.626), Webber finally leaves the pits. The Australian is on the softer rubber, the only big guns to switch to the options this early. He crosses the line at 40.431 to go sixteenth, a disappointing time under the circumstances.
The Force Indias and Williams are also on the soft rubber now, as Webber loses a heap of time in S1 of his next lap. Elsewhere, teammate Vettel drops to ninth as Perez and Senna both improve.
Di Resta goes quickest with a 38.858 as Rosberg goes second. Webber drops into the danger zone and eases off, the Australian appearing to have given up the ghost. He has time for another lap but his tyres are well past their best.
Maldonado goes quickest (38.825) having gone quickest in the first and final sectors.
Stewards announce that Kobayashi is under investigation for impeding Hulkenberg.
Q1 comes to an end with Maldonado quickest, ahead of di Resta, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Hamilton, Perez, Massa, Alonso, Schumacher and Senna.
While a late charge sees Kovalainen improve to seventeenth (40.087), we lose Vergne, Webber, Petrov, de la Rosa, Karthikeyan and Pic.
The moment the lights go green for Q2 there is a mad scramble to get to work, amongst the eager beavers are the Ferrari duo and Vettel. Indeed, in no time at all all but Button and Kovalainen are on track.
Maldonado sets the bar with a 39.924 but this is soon beaten by Massa, Alonso and then di Resta, the Scot on the softer rubber. Moments later Hulkenberg makes it a Force India 1-2, the German crossing the line at 39.074.
It is fast and furious, no sooner has Hulkenberg put force India 1-2 than Vettel, Kobayashi, Raikkonen and Rosberg all go quicker.
Hamilton is on the softer rubber, as are most of his rivals now, leaving only the Ferrari duo to make the switch. Despite the soft rubber Hamilton is locking-up.
Hamilton goes third (38.616), surprising under the circumstances. Moments later he is demoted when his teammate posts 38.563. Alonso is twelfth and Massa fourteenth. The Brazilian, on mediums, had a clear track but could only manage 39.386.
As Hamilton returns to the pits, Alonso heads back out on a new set of softs. The top ten are covered by just half-a-second, it's as close now as it has been since yesterday morning.
With 4:20 on the clock, Senna, Alonso, Perez, Massa, Maldonado, Ricciardo and Kovalainen comprise the danger zone.
A 38.707 sees Alonso go seventh, just ahead of Vettel. Elsewhere, Hulkenberg goes quickest in S2 as teammate di Resta also looks set to improve. The German posts 38.689 to go fifth. Moments later his Scottish teammate goes second with a 38.519 as Button and Hamilton leave their garages.
At 1:19 all but Rosberg, Raikkonen and Ricciardo are on track.
Maldonado goes fifth (38.570) having gone quickest in S3. Massa, despite going quickest in S2, fails to improve on twelfth, while Grosjean goes quickest in S1.
Vettel goes third (38.530) as Grosjean continues on his way. Schumacher is on track also.
Grosjean goes quickest with a 38.489 as Hamilton goes quickest in S2. Schumacher can only manage twelfth (38.770) while Alonso aborts his lap and settles for eleventh.
Q2 ends with Grosjean quickest, ahead of Rosberg, di Resta, Vettel, Raikkonen, Button, Maldonado, Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Kobayashi.
We lose Alonso, Schumacher, Massa, Senna, Perez, Kovalainen and Ricciardo.
Despite only qualifying eleventh, the crowd warmly applauds Alonso, who, surprisingly returns to the pits his helmet still firmly in place. In the Ferrari garage Luca di Montezemolo looks highly unimpressed. On the other hand, it's worth noting that the top ten were covered by just 0.214s.
The lights have barely gone green when Raikkonen heads down the pitlane followed by Maldonado. Soon they are joined by Button, Hamilton, Rosberg, di Resta and Hulkenberg. Only Vettel, Grosjean and Kobayashi remain in their garages.
Di Resta and Hulkenberg return to their garages as Rosberg goes quickest in the first two sectors.
Raikkonen posts 39.966 but this is soon beaten by Rosberg's 38.623. No sooner has Hamilton gone second than he is eclipsed by his teammate who crosses the line at 38.866.
After a mistake which sees him run wide, Maldonado returns to the pits. With 4:40 on the clock only Rosberg, Button, Hamilton and Raikkonen have posted times.
Grosjean is first out for the final assault, followed by Maldonado. Shortly after they are joined by di Resta.
Grosjean is quickest in S1, almost 0.1s up on the opposition. Di Resta posts a PB in S2 but Grosjean is also very quick. At the line the Lotus driver posts 38.505 to go quickest, having posted a purple in S3.
Di Resta goes quickest in S2, as Maldonado goes quickest overall with a 38.475. Di Resta crosses the line at a disappointing 38.992 which puts him seventh.
As the chequered flag is waved, Vettel goes quickest in S1, and again in S2. The German crosses the line at 38.086 to take provisional pole, while Hamilton takes second with a 38.410.
Vettel takes his third pole of 2012 and his third successive pole at Valencia, an ominous omen for tomorrow.
The German will start ahead of Hamilton, with Maldonado third, ahead of Grosjean, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Button and di Resta.
While there were excellent performances from Vettel, Hamilton and Maldonado, Button and di Resta will be bitterly disappointed. Then again, their frustration will be nothing compared to that of Alonso, Schumacher and Massa.
While the front row isn't that surprising, the make-up of the rows behind, not to mention the tightness of the field suggests that we could be in for a truly fascinating race tomorrow. Though the circuit doesn't really encourage overtaking, tyre and pit strategy, not to mention the threat from the weather, could provide us with something to keep us entertained until the very last corner.
Check out our qualifying gallery, here.