07/07/2012
NEWS STORY
 |
Ahead of today's all-important qualifying session the air temperature is 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 22 degrees. It is dry but blustery, with damp in the air and ominous dark clouds in the distance.
Each of the practice sessions thus far has seen a different pace-setter, Romain Grosjean in FP1, Lewis Hamilton in FP2 and Fernando Alonso this morning, the only one of the sessions held in the dry.
Even though this morning's session was held in much improved conditions, we have still learned little in terms of the true running order - or have we?
Some believe that Ferrari is looking good here - especially if conditions remain the same, while others point to Red Bull and McLaren. However, a late charge from Grosjean on hard tyres suggests Lotus should not be ruled out while one cannot help but feel that Mercedes is playing the long game.
As ever the Saubers are punching well above their weight, while both Williams drivers have been looking good here, particularly Maldonado.
Just minutes before the start of Q1, light rain begins to fall, driven almost horizontally by the strong wind. Ferrari claims that rain will last for around thirty minutes, admitting that this will turn the session into a "lottery". Visibly the rain increases in intensity.
"This will get worse," Petrov is told, "we need to go out immediately, you will do five timed laps."
The lights no green and there is an immediate mad scramble, as he heads down the pitlane Raikkonen is advised that he has no KERS. Within seconds all but Massa are on track. That said, seconds later the Brazilian leaves his garage.
All are on inters, Button, even on his out lap, told that he must keep pushing, pushing, pushing, that every lap will count. Race control announces that DRS is disabled, the session deemed wet.
A number of drivers slipping and sliding already, Kobayashi does well to keep his car under control. The Japanese crosses the line at 1:50.411, elsewhere, the Lotus duo almost take one another out.
As Alonso goes second, ahead of Vergne and Hulkenberg, the Mercedes duo are on hot lap. Rosberg goes quickest but is immediately leapfrogged by his teammate and then Massa (49.568). Raikkonen, who was involved in the incident with his teammate, is last (59.808).
A 49.446 sees Ricciardo go quickest, as Schumacher is told that there will be four or five minutes of light rain before it gets heavier.
Hamilton goes quickest with a 49.175, as Ricciardo and Massa look set to improve.
Massa takes the top spot with a 48.499 but Schumacher and Kobayashi are clearly about to improve. Sure enough, the Sauber driver posts 47.840 while Vergne goes second with a 48.431. Moments later, a 48.083 sees Schumacher go third behind Kobayashi and Hamilton.
Vettel, currently ninth, goes quickest in S1, all twenty-four drivers still on track.
It's getting crazy, Vergne goes quickest, then Ricciardo, then Maldonado, as the Sauber duo look set to improve. Button can only manage sixteenth (48.889), the Englishman usually revelling in such conditions.
No sooner has Kobayashi gone quickest with a 46.649 than he is out-paced by his teammate Perez who bangs in a 46.494. Raikkonen goes sixth and Webber eighth.
"Can I use DRS," asks Hamilton. "No," is the firm response. "Do not use DRS."
Schumacher splits the Saubers with a 46.571, then demoted when Maldonado goes quickest with a 46.449.
Vettel, who has now slipped to sixteenth as the times tumble, leaps to first place with a 46.279 having gone quickest in S1.
The Sauber drivers are the first to switch to dry tyres, indeed, they've switched to softs. The Swiss team admits that it's a big gamble, adding "fingers crossed". As the rain increases in intensity, Kobayashi returns to the pits and safety.
Somehow, Verge goes quickest in S2, despite the fact that the rain is falling harder. Nonetheless, in the final sector he can only manage 31.5, therefore he fails to improve and remains sixteenth.
Button is still eighteenth, while teammate Hamilton is fourteenth. With 2:10 on the clock they both have their work cut out.
Button takes on a new set of inters, as the Toro Rossos both post fastest sector times but fail to improve overall.
A poor final sector means Button fails to improve and remains eighteenth, however, he still has time for one final lap. Rosberg is also right on the cusp of falling at the first hurdle.
Hulkenberg posts 46.334 to go second, as Hamilton fails to improve on fourteenth.
When Glock spins on the start-line straight it brings out the yellow flags, a nightmare for those drivers seeking a late improvement. Being after the line it doesn't effect Button however, the McLaren driver fails to improve anyway and consequently misses the cut.
Vettel is quickest, ahead of Hulkenberg, Maldonado, Perez, Alonso, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Grosjean, Senna and Ricciardo.
We lose Button, Petrov, Kovalainen, Glock, de la Rosa, Karthikeyan and Pic, the Frenchman failing to make the 107% time.
Ricciardo heads the queue of drivers eager to get out for Q2, the Australian, like most of his rivals, now having switched to full wets, conditions having deteriorated. That said, the Ferraris stick with inters as do the Williams duo.
Massa is told that he is only doing the one lap on the inters, a message the Brazilian will be delighted to receive. It's nasty out there and as if to prove it Alonso also stops and switches to the full wet rubber.
In to time at all there are ten, eleven, twelve names on the timesheets, Perez heading Hamilton, Rosberg and Vergne. Schumacher goes off track, spins and comes to a halt, the German having to reverse his car. Moments later, there is a nasty moment for Alonso, the Spaniard lucky to keep the Ferrari out of the wall.
As Schumacher has another excursion, Alonso converses with his crew in Italian, the Spaniard, currently sixteenth and unhappy at the amount of aquaplaning, suggesting that the session should be red-flagged.
Hamilton is also unhappy, also calling for the session to be stopped, revealing that he nearly collided with a Sauber.
As it stands, with 6:19 on the clock, Maldonado, di Resta, Grosjean, Schumacher, Massa, Alonso and Senna comprise the bottom seven. As Massa takes to the grass, the Brazilian, like so many others, just a passenger, the session is red flagged. The simple fact is that with so much standing water, and the constant heavy downfall, even the full wets cannot cope.
"They made the right decision," Vettel tells his crew, "there is too much water everywhere." He reels off a list of the worst corners, there are a lot of them.
Perez is currently quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Rosberg, Vergne, Hulkenberg, Kobayashi, Raikkonen, Webber, Ricciardo and Vettel.
Di Resta applauds the decision to stop the session, admitting that for much of the lap he was a passenger. He also says that even if it stopped raining right now it will take sometime for the standing water to clear.
As everyone kicks their heels, Race Control announces that it expects the heavy rain to continue until around 14:40 local time - meaning a 'break' of around fifty minutes. They also confirm that ten minutes notice will be given before the session resumes.
The break is good news for Lotus which now has the opportunity to work on Raikkonen's KERS issue. However, its bad news for the stewards who have to come up with a Plan B should the rain continue or the light fail.
Charlie Whiting confirms that according to the information he has the rain should stop at 14:40 and by the standing water has been cleared - with brushes - the session should resume "round about three".
To keep the fans entertained, mechanics, some drivers and some team bosses, come out to the pitlane and perform Mexican waves for the crowd. Nice to see some of the residents of Planet Paddock once again revealing their human side.
In the Sauber garage, in an effort to keep warm, Kobayashi is hugging a pile of tyres still in their warmers.
At 14:50, as the rain visibly eases off, the sweepers take to the track, some motorised, some the old fashioned way.
"Drops possible. No rain within the next thirty minutes," is the reading on the official weather screen.
At 14:57 the stewards announce that the session will resume at 15:07.
With only 6:19 of Q2 remaining there will be a mad scramble to get to work and get in as many laps as possible. Most, if not all, appear to be on full wets, Maldonado leading the way.
One of the last out is Vettel, the Red Bull driver on wets, indeed, only the Saubers are on inters.
As Hamilton reports that conditions remain difficult, Grosjean wobbles as he enters the Hangar Straight. Elsewhere, Kobayashi ditches the inters.
Grosjean goes quickest in S1 but this is soon beaten by Alonso. Grosjean crosses the line at 57.634 to go quickest, Alonso taking second moments later.
As Schumacher goes quickest in S2, Rosberg goes cross country, costing the German precious time.
Despite a mistake coming on to the pit straight, Schumacher goes quickest, however his time of 56.461 is soon beaten by Hulkenberg and then Webber (55.898).
Hamilton goes quickest in S2, as Grosjean improves to third, Webber also on a hot lap.
A 54.897 sees Hamilton go quickest, as Rosberg improves to eighth. Perez, still on inters, can only manage fifteenth.
Raikkonen is all over the place, struggling for grip, but still he manages sixth, crossing the line at 56.469.
Di Resta goes ninth but a number of drivers, including Maldonado, Alonso and Vettel are still on hot laps. The Spaniard and the German both improve thereby dumping the Scot out of the session.
Grosjean spins and is left stuck in the gravel, thereby bringing out the yellow flags. Nonetheless, Alonso slips under the door to bang in a 56.921 to take ninth.
Quickest was Hamilton, ahead of Hulkenberg, Schumacher, Webber, Grosjean, Massa, Raikkonen, Maldonado, Alonso and Vettel.
We lose di Resta, Kobayashi, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Senna, Vergne and Perez.
Once again, Maldonado leads the way as Q3 gets underway. The Venezuelan now on inters. Massa is also on inters as is teammate Alonso.
Maldonado is going to stay out for the duration, the idea being that as the track dries his car will go faster and faster. Well, that's the plan.
Vettel, Webber and Hulkenberg also on inters, Hamilton, who is on wets, immediately pits in order to change.
Schumacher is told that there is heavy rain approaching but should hit the track until after the session ends. The German, like Raikkonen, is on full wets.
Maldonado crosses the line at 58.016, while Raikkonen can only manage 2:03.978.
A 55.617 sees Massa go quickest, though Schumacher - on wets remember - posts 54.091.
Alonso posts 53.699 to take the top spot as Vettel goes third, the Red Bull driver clearly struggling.
In the first sector of his next lap, Alonso is 1.8s quicker than Schumacher, who is immediately told to pit and change to inters.
Massa posts 53.549 to take provisional pole but ths is soon beaten by his teammate's 52.544.
Vettel goes third and Hamilton fifth, Raikkonen still struggling and currently ninth.
Webber splits the Ferraris with a 53.153, but Massa, is looking to improve having gone quickest in S2. Sure enough the Brazilian posts a 53.065 to make it an all Ferrari front row. For now.
Hamilton cannot improve and remains sixth, however, Webber goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 51.793 to take provisional pole.
Alonso hasn't given up however and goes quickest in S1. At which stage it begins to rain again.
Schumacher goes quickest in S2, but his time is soon beaten by Vettel. The Mercedes driver goes third as Alonso takes the top spot (51.746) however, a poor final sector means Vettel can only make fourth.
After all the waiting, and waiting, a breathtaking final session sees Alonso take pole position, his first since Singapore 2010, ahead of Webber, Schumacher, Vettel, Massa, Raikkonen, Maldonado, Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Grosjean.
Di Resta will start eleventh, ahead of Kobayashi, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Senna, Vergne, Perez, Button, Petrov, Kovalainen, Glock, de la Rosa, Karthikeyan and Pic.
Whatever the weather gods might deliver tomorrow, the thousands of fans who braved today's miserable conditions were dished up something to savour, a real fight to the finish which results in an intriguing grid.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.