21/07/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's all important qualifying session, the air temperature is 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 25 degrees. The heavy rain shower at the end of FP3 went away as quickly as it had arrived and now, courtesy of the sun - a rare visitor to F1 circuits these days - we have an almost ideal track. We say almost because the rain will have washed away much of the rubber.
While this morning's session finally answered some of the questions, a number remain unanswered. Most importantly, while some drivers finally got to do a low fuel run on soft tyres, in anticipation of this afternoon, others didn't Indeed, tyre use this morning was strangely mixed, leaving us with no clear picture.
Certainly the Ferrari and Red Bull has the edge, however, the Williams is also looking very good here. Lotus, which really needs to up its performance in qualifying, remains a conundrum, while both Mercedes were uncharacteristically off the pace.
McLaren, which has a whole raft of updates here, is looking quite good though its still hard to tell, especially since Button failed to get in a low fuel run courtesy of the late appearance of the rain.
Grid position isn't as important here as at home track however, for Webber, Grosjean and Rosberg the situation isn't helped by the penalties they carry into today's session. Webber gets a five-place penalty after his team changed his gearbox overnight, while the other two carry over similar penalties from Silverstone.
In the minutes before the session gets underway, the wind picks up and a couple of teams, including Mercedes, warn that rain is on the way. Ferrari claims that it is thirty minutes away, in time for Q3.
The lights go green and the Force India head the queue at the end of the pitlane. With an eye on the big clouds in the distance, the Red Bull, Ferraris, indeed everyone is eager to get to work and get in the obligatory 'banker lap'.
Hulkenberg posts the first time of the afternoon, the German crossing the line at 1:18.475. Most are on medium rubber, though the four slower teams - which includes Toro Rosso - are on softs.
As Button goes quickest (16.737), Race Control claims there will be a five minute shower in thirty minutes.
As Grosjean runs wide, on-board with Hamilton reveals some ominous clouds in the distance.
A 16.705 sees Alonso go quickest, while Hamilton can only manage eight after a lock-up in the stadium.
Vettel's first flying lap is only good enough for fifteenth (17.849), as Hamilton takes the spot with a 16.383. A 16.507 from Button makes it a McLaren 1-2.
Other than the obvious problems, the rain will wash away the rubber that is being laid right now, the shower at the end of FP3 having washed away the previous layer of rubber and leaving the track 'green'.
Kobayashi splits the McLarens with a 16.481, the Sauber driver on medium, like the majority of his rivals. The quickest soft runner is Vergne who is currently fifteenth, 1.2s off the pace.
Replay shows Grosjean having a major wobble coming out of Turn 1, the Frenchman doing well to keep it all under control. A couple of similarly hairy wobbles this weekend, most notably Vergne's yesterday.
With 8:12 on the clock, Hulkenberg is in the danger zone, with the Toro Rossos and teammate di Resta hovering.
The Force India duo leave the pits, both shod with the softer rubber.
Raikkonen goes quickest in S1 as Hulkenberg goes second quickest overall, the Force India driver crossing the line at 16.271. Raikkonen posts 15.693 to go quickest.
As Webber slips down to thirteenth, and with rivals switching to the softs, the Australian will need to go out again, as might some of the drivers ahead of him.
Di Resta and Ricciardo are on hot laps as Vergne goes tenth (16.741).
As Alonso leaves the pits on softs and Schumacher on mediums, di Resta posts 16.352 to go fourth. Moments later, Ricciardo goes seventh (16.516).
Maldonado goes fourth but all eyes are on Rosberg who goes quickest in S1, the German, like his Mercedes teammate, on mediums. Grosjean, also on mediums, can only manage twelfth.
Rosberg takes second with a 15.988 but is instantly demoted by Perez' 15.726. Alonso posts 16.073 to go fourth.
Losing a heap of time in S3, Webber can only manage fifteenth (16.712). Schumacher can only manage eighteenth (16.919). "We need the next lap," the German is warned.
Senna improves to tenth as Schumacher can only manage seventeenth (16.686), making the cut by the skin of his very white and shiny teeth. The German's good fortune is Vergne's bad, the Toro Rosso driver falling at the first hurdle. That said, Grosjean was only 0.001s quicker than the Mercedes driver.
Quickest was Raikkonen, ahead of Perez, Rosberg, Alonso, Maldonado, Hamilton, Massa, Hulkenberg, di Resta and Vettel.
We lose Vergne, Kovalainen, Petrov, Pic, Glock, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan.
As the drivers return to the pits, Maldonado is told that "some rain" is expected before the start of Q2.
As the fans don their anoraks and ponchos, a few flashes of lightning streak the sky. However, over one part of the circuit there is blue sky.
The lights go green and Button is straight out on the inters. He is followed by Raikkonen, di Resta, Grosjean, Hamilton and the rest…all on the intermediate rubber.
On board with Button it is clear how little grip he has, elsewhere, Maldonado goes quickest in S2.
It's wet from the hairpin right up to the stadium entrance. Massa is warned that though he is on a two lap run he'll probably only get one decent lap. "It will only get wetter," says Rob Smedley. The twitchiness of Button's McLaren suggests the Brazilian will be lucky to even get the one lap.
Button posts 39.010 but Maldonado posts 38.949 to go quickest, but Vettel tops the lot with a 38.505.
The Ferraris trip over one another, Massa going off and rejoining right in front of his teammate, who, nonetheless, goes second with a 38.521.
The Rain Master, Schumacher, goes quickest with a 38.010, but moments later Hamilton bangs in a 37.927.
As the conditions worsen, Rosberg is seventeenth, while, despite going quickest in S2, Schumacher fails to improve his overall time.
Unable to improve on 41.551, Rosberg is the first driver to switch to full wets. Elsewhere, Webber is having a torrid time, the British GP winner having a couple of excursions.
As Perez runs wide and into the gravel - from which he escapes - he, along with Ricciardo, Kobayashi, Massa, Grosjean, Senna and Rosberg comprise the danger zone.
In S1, on full wets, Rosberg is around 0.9s off the pace, things looking bad for the Chinese Grand Prix winner. Despite being second, Schumacher is back out, now shod with wets. Hamilton, Vettel, Button and Webber, unlike the German, having settled for their times.
Unhappy he might have an accident in the conditions, and unlikely to miss the cut, Alonso (fourth) is told to pit.
Despite having made the cut, eighth placed Hulkenberg decides to stay out. A strange decision. As if to prove the point Senna and Grosjean both run wide, the Frenchman taking a long trip through the kitty litter.
A brave effort from Massa, however, he is unable to improve, the Brazilian totally caught out be the conditions, unlike his former teammate.
Raikkonen, who just about makes the cut, complains that Perez blocked him "again".
Quickest in Q2 was Hamilton, ahead of Schumacher, Vettel, Alonso, Button, Maldonado, Webber, Hulkenberg, di Resta and Raikkonen.
We lose Ricciardo, Perez, Kobayashi, Massa, Grosjean, Senna and Rosberg. Particularly galling for Rosberg, who, in his home race, already face a five place penalty. Same goes for Grosjean.
"I think there is too much water for us to run," says Alonso, clearly hoping that Charlie Whiting will be listening in.
Ahead of Q3, as the rain appears to ease, Race Control that within the next five minutes it will increase in intensity.
The lights go green and the McLaren duo are eager to get out there, indeed, within seconds all ten drivers are on track. Could this be the Rain Master Schumacher's second pole of the year? All are on full wets.
Hulkenberg is off on the approach to the Hairpin, the German a passenger as his car takes to the gravel. Moments later Schumacher, of all people, asks that Charlie Whiting be advised that conditions are very bad.
The rain has stopped, which means we could yet see a switch to inters.
Hamilton goes quickest (46.609) and his teammate second (46.922) however, soon they are in fifth and sixth as Vettel ups the ante with a 44.605. As Raikkonen runs wide, Alonso goes second, ahead of Hulkenberg, di Resta and Schumacher.
Although it has stopped raining in places, in others it hasn't, the conditions catching out Hamilton while Button improves to fourth (45.491).
Hamilton goes quickest in S1, having finally got some heats into his wets, however, moments later, Vettel goes even quicker. At 3:07 it's surely too late - and too wet - for inters now.
Hamilton goes quickest with a 44.186, however, moments later Schumacher posts 42.473 only to lose out when Vettel takes provisional pole with a 42.342.
Schumacher posts a 22.8 in S1 as Alonso goes quickest. The German maintains his pace in S2 however a poor S3 means he fails to improve.
From out of nowhere, Webber produces a 41.680 to go quickest, however, Alonso is on a very quick lap. Indeed, the Spaniard takes provisional pole with a 40.904.
Vettel is still on track and responds by going quickest in S1. Button also looking to improve.
Button improves to sixth while Vettel can only manage 41.026, thereby missing out. However, as if to prove a point, Alonso consolidates his position at the front of the grid with a 40.621 - having previously suggested it was too wet to run.
Alonso takes his second successive pole of the season, in similar conditions, ahead of Vettel, Webber, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, Button, Hamilton, di Resta and Raikkonen.
Ricciardo starts eleventh, ahead of Perez, Kobayashi, Massa, Grosjean, Senna, Rosberg, Vergne, Kovalainen, Petrov, Pic, Glock, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.