06/10/2012
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's all-important qualifying session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 36 degrees. It is bright and sunny but still fairly blowy.
We say "all important" because - groan - many drivers claim that overtaking is difficult here. Seventeen of the last twenty Grands Prix here have been won by a driver starting on the front row.
Sebastian Vettel led a Red Bull 1-2 this morning, after Button led a McLaren 1-2 ib FP1 yesterday and Mark Webber did the business in the afternoon.
This morning Nico Hulkenberg crashed out, his teammate having crashed in FP2, and there remains doubt as to whether his car can be repaired in time.
Other than accidents, and let's not forget Schumacher's crash in FP2, a carbon copy of di Resta's, there have been plenty of lock-ups and excursions and much blistering of tyres. However, a problem that occurred this morning was drivers tripping up over one another as it got busier. Button tripping up over Schumacher, Hamilton over Pic and then Maldonado and A N Other.
With Red Bull looking good, and McLaren not too far behind, there are fears that as Ferrari and Lotus continue to make an impression we may have seen the best of them. We always knew that the F2012 wasn't among the best cars out there, far from it, but can Alonso, currently 29 points ahead of Vettel, continue to take home enough points to maintain the lead all the way to the end in Brazil. At this stage it doesn't look like it.
Schumacher carries a ten-place grid penalty into this session, following his silliness in Singapore, while Button has a five-place hit after his team opted to change his gearbox.
The lights go green signalling the start of Q1, but there is no scramble to get to work. After around two minutes of silence an engine fires up and di Resta head down the pitlane.
As di Resta comes towards the end of his out lap, Perez heads on to the track followed by Grosjean, Raikkonen, Maldonado and Senna.
Di Resta crosses the line at 1:33.661, with Perez posting 33.772 moments later.
As replay catches a massive lock-up for di Resta, Petrov, Kovalainen, Glock and Pic are the first drivers to use softs in this session.
Grosjean goes quickest (33.328) ahead of his Lotus teammate, with Senna posting 33.655 to go third.
Massa goes quickest in S1, as Alonso goes second overall, the Spaniard posting 33.463. As Massa goes quickest in S2, Webber is quickest in S1. Massa crosses the line at 32.946 to go quickest with Webber's 33.019 putting the Red Bull driver second.
Perez goes cross country, the Mexican taking a long, long trip through the gravel at Turn 7 (Dunlop). Elsewhere, Kobayashi has problems with de la Rosa at the chicane.
Button goes fourth and Hamilton fifth however, moments later the Woking duo is split by Hamilton who posts 33.211. Replay shows the Ferrari really bouncing around on the kerbs.
A 33.628 sees Rosberg go ninth, leaving his teammate, Vettel, Maldonado and Hulkenberg as the only drivers yet to post a time.
Vettel goes quickest in S2 and then again in S3, the German going quickest with a 32.608. Hulkenberg, whose car has been repaired in time, takes an extra gamble by running with softs.
Maldonado (softs) goes quickest in S1 and despite a couple of wobbles is able to bang in a 32.834, enough to put him second. Teammate Senna, currently ninth, cannot afford to gamble, he leaves the pits on a set of softs.
Hulkenberg and Schumacher are the last drivers to get to work, the Force India driver going second (32.828) while the seven-time champ can only manage 47.347.
From out of nowhere, Raikkonen (softs) produces a 32.221 to go quickest, as Schumacher runs wide at Turn 9. Kobayashi goes quickest in S1 as Schumacher can only manage 43.627.
Perez goes quickest (32.147), the Mexican having been quickest in S2. However, moments later he is leapfrogged by his Sauber teammate.
Senna clearly very angry as Vergne gets in his way at the chicane, the Brazilian shaking his fist in a style reminiscent of his legendary Uncle.
As Grosjean goes quickest (32.029), Schumacher remains twenty-fourth. A last gasp effort sees the German go sixteenth, he makes the cut by the skin of his teeth.
Quickest in Q1 was Grosjean, ahead of Kobayashi, Perez, Raikkonen, Alonso, Vettel, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, di Resta and Massa.
We lose Senna, Kovalainen, Glock, de la Rosa, Pic, Petrov and Karthikeyan.
As Senna complains about the Vergne incident, which his team describe as "unbelievable, unbelievable", one wonders whether there will be ramifications.
Kobayashi is first out for Q2, the Japanese followed by Hulkenberg and Rosberg. As has become the custom, in what is usually the most hotly contested part of the weekend, all are of softs.
Hamilton and Button are among the last to leave the pit, like their rivals they are on softs.
Kobayashi posts 32.368, a good lap and much appreciated by his adoring fans. Hulkenberg can only manage 38.638.
Vettel goes quickest in S1, as di Resta goes second overall. Vettel crosses the line at 31.501 as Massa goes second (32.293), ahead of Kobayashi and Alonso.
Di Resta complains after another incident at the chicane, this time involving Grosjean, the Scot clearly very angry.
Button goes second (31.772) and Webber third (31.950). With 7:25 on the clock, Schumacher is the only driver yet to run.
Hamilton posts 32.121 to go fourth, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, Rosberg, di Resta, Ricciardo, Vergne and Schumacher comprising the danger zone.
The track goes quiet as all seventeen drivers prepare for the second wave. Schumacher breaks the deadlock.
With 4:00 on the clock, Alonso and Rosberg head down the pitlane, followed by fifth placed Massa who clearly still feels he hasn't done enough. Moments later, Hamilton also heads out of his garage.
Alonso and Rosberg posts PBs in S1, though the German remains unconvincing. At the line Alonso posts 31.833 to go third as Kobayashi goes quickest in S1. Rosberg can only manage ninth but is immediately demoted to tenth.
Hulkenberg goes sixth with a 32.272 only to be demoted by Kobayashi's 31.886.
A late charge sees Raikkonen go third (31.826), while Schumacher can only mange twelfth.
As the clock ticks down, Grosjean goes seventh dropping Massa into the danger zone. Indeed, the Brazilian fails to improve.
Quickest was Vettel, ahead of Button, Raikkonen, Alonso, Kobayashi, Webber, Grosjean, Hamilton, Perez and Hulkenberg.
We lose Massa, di Resta, Schumacher, Maldonado, Rosberg, Ricciardo and Vergne.
Raikkonen gets Q3 underway, the Finn followed by Hamilton and Vettel. Hamilton is on scrubbed tyres, his team clearly saving tyres for the race.
On his out lap, Raikkonen runs a blistering pace. All but Alonso, Hulkenberg and the Saubers are on track.
As Raikkonen goes quickest in S1, Vettel and then Webber repeat the feat in S2.
Raikkonen crosses the line at 32.208, but moments later Vettel posts 30.839 and Webber 31.090. Button takes third with a 31.294, teammate Hamilton can only manage sixth (32.349).
They all return to the pits, joining the four drivers that haven't run thus far.
With 2:59 remaining, Perez heads down the pitlane, followed by Raikkonen, Vettel and Alonso. Soon all ten are on track.
Perez begins his flying lap, posting a PB in S1, but no purple. On the other hand, Vettel goes quickest overall in S1.
Perez posts 32.022 to go fifth as Raikkonen spins at Spoon, bringing out the yellow flags and effectively ending the session. Bad news for everyone except Vettel, Webber and Button, who improves with a 31.290 but takes the five-place penalty.
Therefore, pretty much as expected, Vettel takes pole, ahead of Webber, Button, Kobayashi, Grosjean, Perez, Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton and Hulkenberg.
Impressive performance from Kobayashi, whose sole lap went pretty much unseen. Button's penalty promoting the Japanese to third on the grid.
Having taken his fourth Suzuka pole in a row, Vettel appears to be going into tomorrow's race as favourite, however, other than the threat from his teammate, one has to wonder how Hamilton and Alonso can turn this around in terms of the championship.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.