23/11/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session, the last of the year, the air temperature is 19 degrees C, while the track temperature is 19 degrees.
It has stopped raining, but it is definitely in the air, and the forecasters say there is more to come indeed, the FIA radar warns of light rain from time to time. The track remains damp following this morning's rain so Inters would seem to be the way.
While Nico Rosberg was quickest in both of yesterday's wet sessions, the German didn't post a time this morning, nor did the Ferrari duo or Jenson Button.
Such were the conditions we didn't see the drivers switch to Inters until the final stages and even then many were clearly struggling.
With rain predicted tomorrow also, we could be in for a real classic, and this morning's timesheets gives us a scintillating appetiser of what could be. Webber quickest, with Kovalainen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Vergne and Gutierrez all in the Top Seven. And how about Bianchi thirteenth, two spots behind Hamilton, but, along with Pic, Chilton and Van der Garde, ahead of Vettel.
With tyres limited, Mercedes and Ferrari both opted not to run in the final ten minutes this morning, neither team wanting to take any risks. It is this kind of caution that could well play into the hands of those drivers and teams willing to take a gamble.
While Valtteri Bottas quadrupled his team's tally in just one race, what chance Bianchi or Pic helping their team leapfrog Williams should it get really silly tomorrow. Nothing in F1 is ever impossible.
With the rain having stopped - for now - we can expect action right from the start as drivers seek the infamous 'banker lap'.
As the lights go green, the FIA announces that the "risk of rain for this session is 100%"
Hamilton heads the queue of 15 cars that heads on to the track - all are on Inters. In moments all 22 are on track, some barging their way past the 'back markers'.
"If you feel it's too wet for Inters, we can always pit stop for full wets," Pic is told.
In clear air, Hamilton posts 25.342, Pic going second with a 27.843.
"There are a few dry patches in S1 and S2," says Hulkenberg.
After the first wave of times it's: Hamilton, di Resta, Hulkenberg and Button. Then Vettel goes second with a 25.381. Elsewhere, Alonso and Webber almost come to grief.
There is a dry line, for sure," says Hamilton as he fails to improve on his previous best.
As Hamilton goes quickest in S1, and Webber goes seventeenth overall, it starts raining heavily in the pitlane. A strong final sector sees the Australian go ninth overall (26.689).
With 12:00 on the clock, Vergne and Gutierrez join the usual suspects in the drop zone.
"OK, mate, we are P9, P9," Webber is told, "we want to keep circulating, keep going for the moment."
Alonso posts a PB in S2 as he seeks improves from 16th to 14th.
While most drivers are now back in the pits, a few continue, among them Gutierrez (currently 19th) and Kovalainen.
Try as he might, the rain falling harder now, Gutierrez cannot improve. He is joined on track by the Marussia duo.
With 4:10 on the clock, Kovalainen, Ricciardo, Maldonado and Vergne are back on track, all but the Frenchman currently outside the drop zone.
While Vergne fails to improve, Kovalainen posts a PB in S1 and Maldonado in S3.
Gutierrez improves to 17th with a 27.460 but he needs to fins another couple of tenths.
From out of nowhere, Kovalainen produces a 26.266 to go fifth the Finn fastest of all in the final sector.
Vergne posts a PB in S1, as does teammate Ricciardo. However, the Frenchman loses time in S2 with a couple of mistakes, though a strong final sector sees him go 15th.
Maldonado and Gutierrez both fail to improve and consequently fail to progress into Q2.
Quickest is Hamilton, ahead of Vettel, Rosberg, Hulkenberg, Kovalainen, di Resta, Button, Grosjean, Alonso and Webber.
We lose Maldonado, Gutierrez, Pic, Van der Garde, Bianchi and Chilton.
Rosberg and Hamilton head the queue for the start of Q2, as the FIA forecasts "light to very light rain".
Ricciardo opines that the tyres "peak" early on the out lap, then struggle to maintain both front & rear grip for the rest of the run.
In moments all sixteen drivers are on track, again eager to post a time before the conditions deteriorate. Last out is Vettel.
Rosberg posts 26.626 with teammate going second on 27.044. On board with Webber and it's hard to tell if he has backed off or not. Countryman Ricciardo goes fourth with a 27.623.
A 26.515 sees Vettel go quickest, as Alonso goes fourth and Vergne fifth.
As Webber improves to third (26.963), Hamilton goes quickest in S1. The Mercedes driver posts a PB in S2 before crossing the line at 26.698.
With 7:40 remaining, Bottas, Button, di Resta, Sutil, Hulkenberg and Perez comprise the drop zone.
On board replay shows Massa really struggling with his car, the Ferrari snapping one way then the other.
Perez improves to 13th before being eclipsed by his teammate who posts 28.308 to go eleventh.
As Hamilton and then Rosberg pit for new sets on Inters, Vettel posts a PB is S1. In S2 he goes quickest of all, despite a lock-up, finally crossing the line at 26.449.
Massa (9th) goes quickest in S1 as di Resta improves to eleventh. Massa crosses the line at 27.049 to go sixth. Sutil fails to improve and remains sixteenth.
Having gone quickest in S3, Alonso takes second with a 26.590 however, he drops to third when Grosjean posts 26.161 to go quickest.
As the Toro Rossos improve to eighth and ninth, on the pitwall Martin Whitmarsh looks worried as his drivers remain fourteenth and fifteenth.
As Button fails to improve on fifteenth, things get a whole lot worse for McLaren when Perez goes off and into the barriers in coming out of Turn 5. He is the first driver to actually come to grief this weekend.
"Checo, are you OK, can you hear me?" the Mexican is asked. "Yes, I'm OK," is the reply.
Replay shows him losing the back end of the car as he goes over the kerbs, the car then heading into the wall opposite. His mechanics have a long night ahead of them.
Grosjean is quickest, ahead of Vettel, Alonso, Rosberg, Hamilton, Webber, Massa, Ricciardo, Vergne and Hulkenberg.
We lose Kovalainen, di Resta, Bottas, Perez, Button and Sutil.
As the rain increases in intensity, the start of Q3 is delayed by ten minutes.
"Try to give me less information when I start the lap," says Vergne. "Last time you give me Release 1, and I was in turn 1, so don't know." "OK, Jev, start of the session delayed by ten minutes," is the response.
Due to the volume of water on the track a further ten minute delay is announced. Last week it was the fog.
Clearly the guys at Toro Rosso are drinking too much Red Bull. "OK, I jump out," says Vergne. "I need... you know what I need." "OK, another eleven and a half minute delay, if you need to go to the toilet, you can," is the reply. But then comes Ricciardo, who reveals: "I'm gonna get out for the toilet, is that OK?"
As the boys return from their trip to the 'mens room' a further delay is announced.
Given the all-clear, Webber and Vettel head the queue at the end of the pitlane for Q3. The Milton Keynes duo both sporting full as are their rivals. In moments all ten are on track.
As he posts 29.215 Webber complains of "very low rear grip". Moments later Vettel posts 28.830 while Grosjean, who was quickest in S1, dives into the pits. Could the lotus driver be fitting a set of inters? Yes he is, and Vettel is also calling for the green banded tyres.
After the first run (on full wets), it's Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Webber, Alonso, Vergne, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg and Massa. No time from Grosjean.
On his out lap, Grosjean is quickest in S3. Mercedes and Ferrari have to stack their drivers for their second runs.
As Grosjean goes quickest (27.773), Rosberg is warned that there is further rain on the way and must therefore make his first timed lap count.
Webber goes quickest with a 27.623 however, moments later teammate Vettel bangs in a 26.479.
Lots of PBs but no signs of a massive improvement, certainly nothing to worry Vettel.
Rosberg splits the Red Bulls with a 27.555 but then Alonso improves with as 27.539.
Grosjean fails to improve on sixth while Rosberg takes second again, this time posting 27.102.
As if to rub their noses in it, Vettel goes quickest in the two final sectors but a poor opening sector means he fails to improve.
Consequently, the German starts from pole ahead of Rosberg, with Alonso third, ahead of Webber, Hamilton, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Vergne, Massa and Hulkenberg.
Kovalainen will start eleventh, ahead of di Resta, Bottas, Perez, Button, Sutil, Maldonado, Gutierrez, Pic, Van der Garde, Bianchi and Chilton.