13/10/2012
NEWS STORY
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Based on the evidence thus far, and paying particular attention to this morning's qualifying-spec runs, the only person likely to threaten Sebastian Vettel this weekend is his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, though a technical problem prevented him from completing a single lap on the softer rubber.
Second placed Lewis Hamilton was 0.527s off the German's pace, and Jenson Button 0.869, while the suggestion was that Vettel, who was also quickest on the prime rubber, has more in reserve.
It truth, the world champion is looking good for his third consecutive win of the season, and, barring the intervention of Romain Grosjean, likely to leave here tomorrow afternoon heading this season's title race for the first time since Bahrain.
Webber's software problem meant that the Australian didn't get to run in qualifying spec however, assuming it has been fixed we could be looking at another Suzuka-style front row lock-out.
While both McLarens are looking handy, the Ferraris are up there, as are the Lotus duo while Mercedes continues to lose ground to Force India.
The green and dusty track continues to cause problems and though there weren't as many lock-ups and offs as we witnessed yesterday, we had more than our fair share.
Unusually, traffic is clearly a problem here, the 'bottleneck' at the first corner/pitlane exit seeing problems in every session thus far.
As the lights go green, the air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 28 degrees.
Kovalainen is first out, as is often the case, the Finn followed, a minute or so later, by Maldonado and di Resta.
As more and more drivers take to the track, all on primes, Kovalainen crosses the line at 1:42.028.
Maldonado posts 39.716, as Raikkonen encounters traffic. The Finn subsequently posting 39.990 to go second. Teammate Grosjean can only manage sixth (49.231).
As Hulkenberg goes quickest in S1, Petrov, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan emerge on the option rubber.
A 39.543 sees Alonso head straight to the op of the timesheets, as Hulkenberg goes third and di Resta fifth. Elsewhere, Karthikeyan spins at T3, the HRT driver complaining that he had "no pedal".
Massa goes quickest in the first two sectors eventually crossing the line at 39.074, almost half-a-second quicker than his teammate. However, Raikkonen re-takes the position with a 38.887.
Webber is the last driver to emerge, as Kovalainen switches to options and Hamilton runs wide (again) after locking-up at T1.
Button goes third (39.239) ahead of Alonso, Rosberg and Schumacher, however, moments later they are demoted when Hamilton goes third with a 39.180.
With 7:15 on the clock, Vettel begins his first flying lap, the German immediately going quickest in S2. He's quickest again in S3, crossing the line at 38.208. Moments later, Webber makes it a Red Bull 1-2 when he slips in a 38.615.
Button splits the Red Bulls with a 38.615, the Englishman, unlike his teammate, looking totally comfortable on the softer rubber. Still no time from Karthikeyan.
Di Resta, Hulkenberg, Maldonado and Grosjean all switch to the option rubber. The Frenchman has the usual exhaust on his Lotus whilst his teammate has the new Coanda exhaust.
While Vettel is the clear pace-setter, the midfield group is very, very well matched.
Going quickest in S3, Webber re-takes second with a 38.397, Vettel and Button seemingly having settled for their times.
As Schumacher comes out again, now shod with options, so too does Alonso, an early gamble from Ferrari.
With 1:25 on the clock, Kobayashi is in the danger zone, with Vergne, Perez, Ricciardo, Schumacher and Senna hovering.
Kobayashi goes fourth but is demoted by Perez as Hamilton slips down to thirteenth.
Vergne goes quickest in S1 as Alonso slips down to fifteenth. The Frenchman goes sixth (38.744) dropping Hamilton to fifteenth.
Schumacher goes eighth and Alonso sixteenth (on options) dropping Hamilton to seventeenth. All eyes are on Senna who fluffs his lap and thereby saves the day for Hamilton who was facing major embarrassment. A close call for Alonso also.
Quickest was Vettel, ahead of Webber, Button, Perez, Kobayashi, Vergne, Ricciardo, Schumacher, Grosjean and Raikkonen.
We lose Senna, Petrov, Kovalainen, Pic, Glock, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan who failed to post a time and will need the approval of the stewards if he is to take part in tomorrow's race.
The lights go green for Q2, traditionally this season the most competitive of the lot. Perez is the first out, the Mexican on the option rubber. He is soon joined by teammate Kobayashi.
As Perez begins his flying lap, Alonso heads down the pitlane on the same set of options he used at the end of Q1. Soon all but the Mercedes duo are on track.
Perez posts 38.981 as Kobayashi and Vergne go quickest in various sectors. Button is told to keep working his brakes.
Kobayashi posts 38.594 and di Resta 38.649 as Vettel, Webber and Alonso begin their first flying laps.
Webber goes quickest (38.220) but this is soon beaten by Alonso (37.987) and Vettel (37.767). Massa posts 38.253 to go fourth. The Mercedes duo head down the pitlane.
Grosjean goes fifth and Raikkonen seventh as Hamilton takes third and Button seventh. Hamilton's 38.000 was in spite of a couple of little mistakes.
As Rosberg goes eleventh, Vettel is told to "have another go", the Austrian team clearly not entirely happy with his time but not wanting to risk another run and, more importantly, another set of tyres.
Schumacher goes seventh (38.436), around 0.4s quicker than his teammate. With 5:30 on the clock the Mercedes drivers are the only men on track.
Senna says he didn't make any mistakes in Q1 and that the changes made to his car before the session didn't work.
With 4:00 on the clock there is nobody on track, eventually, at 3:40, di Resta breaks the deadlock. He is joined by Ricciardo and Hulkenberg. Button, Schumacher, Raikkonen head out, as does Webber and then Hamilton. Only Vettel and Alonso appear to have settled for their times. That said, the Spaniard makes a late charge out of the Ferrari garage.
Surprisingly, Vergne is the only driver to post a purple, while teammate Ricciardo pulls to the side of the track with what appears to be a transmission problem.
The times tumble, however, Button drops to eleventh as Perez, Hulkenberg and Schumacher improve. A number of drivers appeared not to ease off in the yellow flag zone where Ricciardo's Toro Rosso has been abandoned, and could well face penalties, but that's no consolation for the McLaren driver.
Bad news for Sauber also, neither driver making the cut.
Quickest was Vettel, ahead of Alonso, Hamilton, Webber, Raikkonen, Massa, Grosjean, Rosberg, Hulkenberg and Schumacher.
We lose Button, Perez, Kobayashi, di Resta, Maldonado, Ricciardo and Vergne. On the face of it, Ricciardo's stoppage appears to have wrecked his teammate's lap.
Last out for Q2, Rosberg is first out for Q3, the German followed by Massa, Alonso, Grosjean, Raikkonen and Hamilton. Soon all ten drivers are on track.
At the end of his flying lap, Rosberg dives into the pits as Massa goes quickest (38.010) and then Alonso. However, the Spaniard's time is soon eclipsed by Vettel who bangs in a 37.316. Hamilton can only manage fifth (38.034). Like Rosberg, Schumacher and Hulkenberg pitted without posting a time.
Told that there was room for improvement in S2, Red Bull advises Vettel that his was a "pretty tidy lap".
At 2:48 Hulkenberg comes out for his final run, the German followed by Webber, Rosberg, Hamilton, Schumacher and Alonso. Hamilton almost runs into the side of Rosberg as they head down the pitlane, the German released somewhat unsafely.
Rosberg goes quickest in S1 while Webber does the business in S2. The Australian takes provisional pole with a 37.242. Hamilton can only manage third and Alonso fourth.
Vettel goes quickest in S3 but it is not enough, his 37.318 not enough to overhaul his teammate's time. Hamilton remains third, ahead of Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Rosberg and Schumacher.
While we were expecting a Red Bull lock-out, we weren't expecting the Australian to be leading it. Of course, this puts a whole new complexion not only on tomorrow's race but also the championship, after all, it is mathematically still possible for the Red Bull driver to win.
Looking ahead, we have an interesting grid however, it remains to be seen whether the stewards will impose any penalties as a result of what happened - or didn't happen - during the yellow flag period in Q3.
Check out our Qualifying gallery, here.