05/04/2014
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session the air temperature is 24 degrees C, while the track temperature is 29 degrees.
The evening start and consequent drop in temperatures would normally indicate a change in the hierarchy but having been quickest in all three practice sessions there's nothing to indicate that Mercedes won't dominate this session also.
Worryingly, the five of the next six cars behind the works Mercedes were powered by the German manufacturer and while we can expect Ferrari and Red Bull to raise their game tomorrow it is likely that it will be an all-Mercedes podium.
Of those Mercedes customer teams, Force India appears to have a slight advantage, not only in terms of pace but also the fact that the Silverstone-based outfit appears to have more confidence, Williams and McLaren both running a suspiciously low number of laps this morning.
Red Bull was dealt a blow when Sebastian Vettel made an unforced error which saw him spin off after just 8 laps, leaving the German at the foot of the timesheets and not getting to run the option rubber.
Daniil Kvyat continues to impress and looks likely to continue his points winning run tomorrow, surely some sort of record for a rookie, Russian or otherwise.
Talking of being impressed, it was only a minor mistake which prevented Nico Hulkenberg finishing higher today, the German could be in for another strong points haul tomorrow.
And remember, thanks to those stewards in Malaysia, no matter what Daniel Ricciardo pulls out of the hat today he drops ten grid places following that unsafe release last week.
While the Mercedes teams are looking very strong, spare a thought for Lotus which after a good day yesterday really struggled this morning, Maldonado and Grosjean finishing eighteenth and twentieth.
A number of drivers have had problems keeping on the black stuff today - though not as bad as yesterday - a situation not helped by the strong gusts of wind hitting the circuit from various directions.
The option tyres are around 2s quicker than the primes however, more importantly, they are durable and therefore the 'must haves' tomorrow.
The lights go green and Gutierrez leads the way, the Mexican followed by Hulkenberg, Perez, Kvyat, Vergne and Grosjean. All are on primes bar Gutierrez.
Having locked-up into T10, Gutierrez subsequently posts 1:38.521, but this is soon beaten by Perez who crosses the line at 37.953. However, Force India teammate Hulkenberg then posts 36.883.
As the majority of the big guns head down the pitlane, Grosjean goes second ahead of Kvyat, Perez, Vergne and Gutierrez.
Ricciardo goes quickest in S2, the Australian ultimately stopping the clock at 36.676.
As Alonso goes second (36.729), we note that Grosjean was on options, as are Maldonado, Kobayashi, Chilton, Sutil and Ericsson.
On his first flying lap Hamilton raises the bar with a 35.323, teammate Rosberg posting 35.439 moments later, already over 1.3s quicker than third placed Ricciardo.
Vettel can only manage seventh (34.154) as Button goes sixth (37.023) and Magnussen ninth (37.433).
With just over seven minutes remaining, the Williams duo have yet to make an appearance.
Sutil goes sixth (36.840) and Kobayashi thirteenth (37.563). Shortly after, Gutierrez (softs) goes third.
As the Force Indias switch to options, the Williams duo head down the pitlane, both also sporting options.
Bottas immediately goes quickest in S1, with Hulkenberg, also on options, going even quicker moments later. Bottas maintains his pace, as does Hulkenberg and now Massa, which will mean problems for those drivers hovering above the drop zone.
Hulkenberg goes quickest (38.874) ahead of Bottas with Massa going fourth. Raikkonen drops into the drop zone, with Kvyat and Magnussen hovering.
Vettel switches to options as Ricciardo sticks with primes, the Mercedes duo the only drivers not on track.
Raikkonen improves to fifth and Kvyat seventh which is bad news for Magnussen. However, the McLaren driver post 35.288 to go seventh, dropping Sutil into the danger zone.
A late charge from Grosjean sees the Lotus driver improve to sixteenth, which is just enough. No such luck for teammate Maldonado.
Meanwhile, the camera pics up from silliness from Sutil who appears to give Grosjean an unnecessarily hard time thereby provoking the Frenchman into equal silliness.
Hulkenberg is quickest at the end of Q1, ahead of Bottas, Perez, Massa, Raikkonen, Alonso, Magnussen, Hamilton, Kvyat and Rosberg.
We lose Maldonado, Sutil, Kobayashi, Bianchi, Ericsson and Chilton.
The investigators announce that they are investigating the Sutil/Grosjean incident.
The lights go green for Q2 but there is no rush to get to work.
Eventually the Williams duo get things underway, joined by Hulkenberg, Perez and Hamilton. All but the Williams on the option rubber, including Hamilton.
Bottas goes quickest in S1 but this is soon eclipsed by Hulkenberg. The Finn crosses the line at 36.070 but this is instantly beaten by the Force India driver who stops the clock at 35.682.
A 34.925 sees Raikkonen go top but Hamilton blasts across the line at 33.872. Ricciardo goes second and Alonso third, both over 0.72s off the pace.
Rosberg takes the top spot by 0.164s, crossing the line at 33.708. Kvyat goes seventh ahead of Massa, Perez and Bottas.
Button goes fourth with a 34.714, teammate Magnussen going sixth moment later.
With just over five minutes remaining, Vettel and Grosjean have yet to make an appearance.
Vettel leaves pits on softs, with Bottas, now also on options, following shortly after.
Bottas can only manage a PB is S1 while it looks as though Rosberg and Hamilton have settled for their times.
Vettel goes eighth (34.985), while Bottas goes sixth, dropping the German down the timesheet. Worrying times for the world champion.
Improvements from Massa and Perez see Vettel drop into the drop zone, the German missing the cut. "The downshifts are really bad", he says, somewhat unconvincingly.
Quickest is Rosberg, ahead of Hamilton, Ricciardo, Button, Alonso, Perez, Bottas, Massa, Magnussen and Raikkonen.
We lose Vettel, Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Vergne, Gutierrez and Grosjean.
Believe it or not, Vettel's failure to make it through is not as surprising as Hulkenberg's failure. Not sure what went wrong. No disrespect to teammate Perez intended.
The lights go green signalling the start of Q3 and to all intents and purposes the big question is which of the Mercedes will take pole.
Ricciardo is now Red Bull's only hope however, let's not forget that grid penalty. Can, a Williams, a McLaren or Perez spoil the party. Notice we're not really including the Ferraris.
Bottas sets a blistering pace on his out lap, the Finn, like his rivals on the options. Raikkonen is the only driver not on track.
Rosberg posts 34.247 but Rosberg is also on a hot lap. Perez goes second with a 34.346 while Massa takes third (34.511).
Rosberg takes provisional pole with a 33.185 with Hamilton crossing the line at 33.464 shortly after. Rosberg quickest in the first two sectors and his teammate in the third.
Button, looking as smooth as ever, can only manage sixth (35.166), but is ahead of his McLaren teammate. Elsewhere, a mistake by Ricciardo in the final corner sees him lose time, crossing the line at 35.174 to go seventh.
With just under three minutes on the clock Raikkonen heads down the pitlane for his one run. In moments all ten drivers are on track.
Raikkonen goes very deep into T1, the Finn making another mistake in T10. At the line he posts 34.368 to go fifth.
A couple of PBs, most notably Bottas, while Rosberg pits clearly feeling that he has done enough. Indeed, a mistake by Hamilton at the start of his lap has already wrecked his lap.
Ricciardo takes third (34.051), while Bottas goes fourth and Perez fifth, as replay shows Rosberg being informed that "Lewis has gone off (at T1), you have pole."
So, Rosberg, starts from pole, ahead of Hamilton, Ricciardo, Bottas, Perez, Raikkonen, Button, Massa, Magnussen and Alonso.
Vettel qualifies eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Vergne, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Maldonado, Sutil, Kobayashi, Bianchi, Ericsson and Chilton.
An interesting session, which, other than demonstrating that Hamilton isn't going to have it all his own way this year, sees Raikkonen out-qualify his teammate for the first time this year, as does Perez, with strong performances from Bottas, Ricciardo and Button also.
The big surprises being Vettel, Hulkenberg and Kvyat.
With no hope of the weather gods having a say in things tomorrow, it remains to be seen what the Mercedes boys do at the start and whether reliability will be an issue.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.
Chris Balfe