07/09/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees. It is bright and sunny, as it was this morning and indeed yesterday, however, there is a sixty percent chance of rain tomorrow.
Sebastian Vettel led the way this morning in a session which saw Rosberg side-lined with an overheating issue and di Resta crash out at the Parabolica. The Scot's accident followed a brake disk failure, something you really don't want to happen here. Monza, along with Montreal, is the hardest circuit in terms of brakes.
Vettel has been awesome all weekend and, as we saw at Spa, the Red Bull now seems suited to most tracks including the high speed, low downforce ones. Though we must rely on Lewis hamilton to pull something out of the hat, it appears that other than the weather gods this is Seb's to lose.
On the other hand, if you take Vettel out of the equation and the next fourteen drivers this morning were covered by 1.017s, with Alonso, Webber, Hamilton, Perez and Ricciardo covered by just 0.222s.
Having looked good yesterday, Lotus, and in particular Raikkonen, struggled this morning, while it was startling to hear Capt. No Grip say how good his car felt.
Though he finished fourth, Hamilton has been struggling with brake balance, as he has all year, locking-up at numerous corners.
Tyre choices on this the fastest track on the calendar are hard (prime) and medium (option). Paul Hembery claims that there is about a second between the two compounds though this will reduce as the circuit evolves. Ferrari, in particular, struggled with the option tyre.
There are two DRS zones, one on the main pit straight the other on the run from the second Lesmo to the Variante Ascari.
One trick that Ferrari might use this afternoon is something they tried, with little success last year, slipstreaming. Rob Smedley ran the pair through their paces this morning for a try but nothing came of it.
Luca di Montezemolo is expected to speak to the media this afternoon, many wondering if he will publicly cool the situation with Fernando Alonso following their difference of opinion over the break.
While the media focus is on the Spaniard, the fact is that Stefano Domenicali and even Montezemolo are in the firing line as far as the fickle Italian press is concerned.
As Jean todt talks earnestly with Helmut Marko, Vettel is in the background, deep in thought with headphone on, listening to music. Please God don't let it be Miley Cyrus.
Having missed out this morning, rosberg is first out this afternoon, followed by Gutierrez, Ricciardo, Pic and Van der Garde. Force India crew still working on di Resta's car.
"Eight laps?" Rosberg confirms with his crew over the radio
Gutierrez posts the first time, the Mexican crossing the line at 26.293. Rosberg can only manage 27.562.
The Ferrari duo are out early, running in tandem. Massa leads Alonso, natch!
Vergne goes quickest (25.261) ahead of rosberg, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg, as the Ferraris continue. Alonso goes quickest (24.938) but without a tow from his teammate who goes fourth.
As Webber begins his first flying lap, Vettel remains the only driver yet to show. Supreme confidence?
A 25.180 sees Grosjean go quickest with Webber going fifth (25.298) moments later.
Vergne re-takes the top spot with a 24.630, as teammate ricciardo goes quickest in S1. All the pace-setters on primes.
As Alonso goes quickest in S2, Button goes seventh overall. Alonso posts 24.661 as Hamilton goes third (24.826).
With 8;50 on the clock, Vettel leaves his garage on a brand new set of primes.
The drop zone comprises the usual suspects along with Gutierrez, while the Force India duo are hovering.
Vettel begins his first flying lap, by the second split he's already up on Vergne, finally crossing the line at 24.697 to go third.
In the Red Bull garage David Hasselhoff talks to the legendary John Surtees.
A 24.599 sees Hamilton go quickest but moments later Vettel slips in a 24.319.
Force India and Lotus switch to the options with 4:00 on the clock, as does Rosberg. Desperate times?
Di Resta can only manage fifteenth (25.184), two spots behind his teammate.
At the last moment the Ferraris appear, both on the option tyre.
Rosberg bangs in a 24.527 to go second, though Niki Lauda doesn't look too impressed.
Perez goes quickest in S2, crossing the line at 24.635 to go fifth.
Bottas crosses the line at 25.291 but remains eighteenth. However, he has time for one more lap. Elsewhere, Webber runs wide at the second Lesmo.
A late charge sees Maldonado go twelfth, however, no such 'luck' for teammate Bottas who fails to improve.
Quickest in Q1 is Vettel, ahead of Rosberg, Hamilton, Vergne, Perez, Ricciardo, Alonso, Grosjean, Button and Hulkenberg.
We lose Gutierrez, Bottas, Van der Garde, Pic, Bianchi and Chilton. On the other hand, finishing fifteenth and sixteenth, look precarious ahead of Q2.
Ahead of Q2, it's worth noting that other than Red Bull, Alonso and Hamilton stuck with the prime tyres in Q1 and didn't need to resort to the options.
Ricciardo is quick out of the box when the lights go green, followed by di Resta, Hulkenberg, Maldonado and Vergne.
Ricciardo posts 24.746 while di Resta goes second and Vergne third, Force India clearly hurting since Pirelli modified its tyres.
Despite going quickest in the two final sectors, Hulkenberg can only manage second (24.776), as Alonso begins a two-lap run.
Not for the first time, Grosjean gets it wrong at the first chicane, the Lotus driver having to use the escape road.
Alonso goes quickest in S1 and again in S2, ahead of him, but of no use on this lap, is Massa. Alonso goes quickest (24.227) as Hamilton runs wide at the exit of the Parabolica kicking up a cloud of dust.
Raikkonen goes third momentarily with a 24.824, before being demoted when Massa posts 24.705. Rosberg, following his teammate's example and running wide in the Parabolica, goes second (24.538).
With 6:00 on the clock, the Red Bulls have yet to make an appearance. Meanwhile, Hamilton pits, the Mercedes driver now down in fourteenth.
Webber heads down the pitlane on options, the Australian currently in the drop zone with Perez, Grosjean, Maldonado, Hamilton… and Vettel. At which point the world champion leaves the pits also.
Webber goes quickest in S2, finally crossing the line at 24.263 to go second. Vettel now goes quickest in S2 however, he maintains the pace and crosses the line at 23.977.
Alonso remains in the pits as his fifteen rivals slug it out. Raikkonen posts a PB in S1 as does Hamilton. Lots of traffic.
Raikkonen goes tenth and Hamilton ninth, while ricciardo goes quickest in S1. Button and Perez still in the drop zone.
Vettel goes quickest in S1, as Hamilton loses time in traffic. Indeed, his second sector is a nightmare 39.5.
Button goes seventh but is demoted by Massa while Raikkonen and Hamilton fail to improve and thereby miss out.
In the Mercedes garage Toto Wolff cannot believe his eyes, he stares at the monitor in disbelief as Hamilton fails to make it to Q3, coming off the back of a run of four successive poles.
Quickest was Vettel, ahead of Alonso, Webber, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Massa, Button, Vergne and Perez.
We lose Raikkonen, Hamilton, Grosjean, Sutil, Maldonado and di Resta.
Replay suggests that Hamilton lost serious time behind Sutil going into the Parabolica and again at the first chicane on the next lap. Indeed, the stewards announce that they are investigating the matter.
Ahead of Q3, air temperature remains at 30 degrees C, with the track temperature has risen to 45 degrees.
Rosberg is first out for Q3, Mercedes hopes now seemingly resting on his broad shoulders – and the weather gods.
Massa leads his teammate out on to the track, Vettel, surprisingly also out early. Ricciardo, Perez and Hulkenberg opt to wait.
Rosberg posts 28.332 but this is soon beaten by Webber and his 23.990.
Alonso goes second (24.419) and Massa third (24.732) but both are quickly demoted when Vettel stops the clock at 23.859.
A 24.538 sees Ricciardo go fourth, thereby splitting the Ferraris. At which point the two Ferraris head down the pitlane... again.
With 1:40 on the clock all ten drivers are on track, Vettel at the very back of the queue.
"Try to stay with Felipe, try to stay with Felipe" Alonso is told. But he's not nearly close enough. "Felipe is too far," moans the Spaniard.
The chequered flag is waved, as Webber goes quickest in S1 and Vettel in S1.
Webber loses time in S3 when Vergne runs very wide in the Parabolica throwing up a load of kitty litter.
As Massa leapfrogs his teammate to take third, Hulkenberg somehow produces a 24.065 to take third.
Despite the fact that he already has pole, Vettel keeps his foot to the floor and improves to 23.755.
Vettel takes pole, pretty much as expected, ahead of Webber, Hulkenberg, Massa, Alonso, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Perez, Button and Vergne.
Raikkonen will start eleventh, ahead of Hamilton, Grosjean, Sutil, Maldonado, di Resta, Gutierrez, Bottas, Van der Garde, Pic, Bianchi and Chilton.
There will be some pretty miserable garages this afternoon, not least Mercedes and Force India, however, who wouldn't want to be a fly on the wall at Ferrari where Montezemolo appears dumbstruck.
In terms of Vettel taking pole there is no major surprise, but in losing Raikkonen and Hamilton in Q2 and Massa out-qualifying Alonso?
Looking at Red Bull's dominance, and in particular that of Vettel, one has to hope that the weather gods can spring a surprise or two tomorrow.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.