19/04/2014
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 14 degrees C, while the track temperature is 17 degrees.
If things weren't already a little confused following yesterday's two sessions - some claiming Mercedes were sandbagging - the waters were further muddied this morning when rain saw most drivers limit their running in an attempt to save wet and inters for this afternoon and tomorrow.
Yesterday, Mercedes - sandbagging or not - had the edge, with Red Bull and Ferrari in hot pursuit, the customer Mercedes outfits not as competitive as they were in previous races.
This morning it was Daniel Ricciardo who topped the sheets however, with the Mercedes duo and Fernando Alonso failing to post a time we are not quite sure what the true order really is.
While drivers were clearly saving inters and wets for the remainder of the weekend there was no mistaking the despondency in Sebastian Vettel's voice, the German uncharacteristically down.
Though Lewis Hamilton was quickest yesterday, there is the feeling that teammate Nico Rosberg has the edge, both previous winners here.
Tyre choices are medium (prime) and soft (option), while the DRS zones are on the start-finish straight and on the back straight leading to T14.
While there is a fairly big gap between the two dry compounds it is thought that this is due to the unusually cool temperatures.
Pirelli is expecting teams to get 20 laps from the options and 25 from the primes, with degradation on the primes about half of that on the options. So currently we're looking at between two and three stops on Sunday. However, if it remains like it was this morning, all bets are off.
Though it has stopped raining, the track remains wet, the situation not helped by the low temperatures.
With minutes to go, things are looking very bad for Maldonado who has had a nightmare weekend, much of it, to be honest, of his own making. However, today's problem is technical and not down to him. With minutes to go, there is no engine in his Lotus which means he will not be taking part, which means that as well as starting from the back (or pitlane) tomorrow, he will carry over his Bahrain penalty to Spain.
Bianchi leads the way when the lights go green, the Frenchman followed by Sutil, Chilton, Gutierrez and Kvyat. Most are on full wets though Vergne, Kobayashi and Ericsson opt for inters.
Rosberg (wets) runs wide in T6 as more and more drivers pour - literally - on to the track.
Asked about the conditions, Ricciardo replies: "I'd say extreme for now," referring to the tyre choice.
Just moments into the session all twenty-one drivers - with engines - are on track.
The first wave sees Rosberg go quickest (56.351) ahead of Hamilton (57.477), Vettel, Magnussen and Ricciardo. It is very wet and visibility is poor.
Alonso goes second with a 57.030 only to be demoted when Hamilton improves with a 56.450. Bottas takes fourth but is leapfrogged by Ricciardo and Vettel.
Vettel goes quickest in S2 as Ricciardo complains of "poor traction". Vettel posts 56.596 to go third, 0.245s down on Rosberg.
All but the Caterhams and Vergne are on full wets.
Massa comes up behind a very slow Gutierrez, costing the Williams driver time and no doubt giving him a scare.
Gutierrez and Sutil swap to inters, as do Vergne and Kobayashi, all clearly feeling that they have nothing to lose and therefore might as well take a punt.
Vettel goes quickest in the first two sectors, the German revelling in these conditions, as he always does. He crosses the line at 55.926 to go quickest.
At the first split Bianchi is 0.231s up while Sutil and Gutierrez are also set to improve. However, a mistake by Bianchi in the final corner means he fails to make the cut.
In fact, Gutierrez can only manage fifteenth while Sutil improve by a second to go eleventh.
As drivers look to follow Sutil's example, Hamilton posts 55.518 to go quickest. Vergne slips into the drop zone.
Vergne improves to sixteenth while Raikkonen goes thirteenth with a 58.279.
Despite their best efforts Gutierrez, Grosjean and Kobayashi fail to improve, the Mexican messing up in the final corner. All of which is good news for Raikkonen who had slipped to fourteenth.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Hulkenberg, Vettel, Rosberg, Bottas, Ricciardo, Massa, Alonso, Kvyat and Magnussen.
We lose Gutierrez, Kobayashi, Bianchi, Ericsson and Chilton.
Bearing in mind the way some drivers struggled in Q1 we could see some big names fall by the wayside in this session.
Sutil is first out, followed by countryman Rosberg. They are joined by Alonso, Vergne, Hamilton, Kvyat, Vergne and Grosjean. Soon all 16 drivers are on track.
The first wave sees Hamilton go quickest (54.200) ahead of Rosberg, Alonso and Bottas.
Perez runs wide in T4, as Grosjean also has a moment.
Vettel improves to second, despite a moment in T2, albeit 0.688s down on Hamilton, putting the Mercedes driver's lap fully in perspective. Raikkonen runs wide at T14.
Despite his earlier moment Raikkonen improves to seventh (56.860). Elsewhere, Hulkenberg runs wide in T11.
As Massa trips up over Raikkonen, Hamilton goes quickest in S2.
With less than a minute remaining, Magnussen, Perez and Massa are all in the drop zone.
Slipping down to eleventh, Button has one more lap to improve as Massa goes ninth.
Rosberg posts PBs in the first two sectors, but then runs wide at T14 and ruins his lap.
Hulkenberg (10th) locks up in the final corner and therefore fails to improve.
Button fails to improve and thereby misses the cut while a similar fate befalls Raikkonen.
Hamilton is quickest, ahead of Vettel, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Alonso, Bottas, Grosjean, Vergne, Massa and Hulkenberg.
We lose Raikkonen, Button, Kvyat, Sutil, Magnussen and Perez. That's both McLarens and a Ferrari.
Pirelli reveals that despite the conditions, on the inters, Bottas hit 316 kph on the straight.
Vettel is ready and waiting when the lights go green, the German, who revels in these conditions, eager to get to work. Having a clear track ahead will also help. He is followed by Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Alonso and Bottas. All are on inters bar Bottas, Vergne and Hulkenberg who are on full wets.
Vettel and Hamilton trade fastest sector times, the German posts 54.981 while Hamilton 54.348 to leapfrog the German. Rosberg goes third ahead of Ricciardo and Alonso.
As Massa goes sixth (57.324), Grosjean runs wide and is told he needs to pit.
The drivers all pit for a fresh set of inters, only Vergne still on the full wets.
As the final assault begins, Rosberg goes quickest in S1, and as he goes quickest in S2 teammate Hamilton goes quickest in S1. Vettel on a hot lap also, and Ricciardo.
Rosberg locks-up in T14 and ruins his lap however, he has time for another.
Ricciardo goes second with a 54.864 though Hamilton consolidates his position with a 53.860. Vettel goes third and thereby demotes Rosberg to fourth.
As Alonso seeks to improve on seventh, Ricciardo goes quickest in S2.
Alonso goes fifth (56.637) despite a spinning Rosberg on the main straight. Ricciardo improves with a 54.455 but cannot dislodge pole-man Hamilton.
Elsewhere, a late improvement from Massa sees the Brazilian veteran go sixth.
Hamilton takes pole, ahead of Ricciardo, Vettel, Rosberg, Alonso, Massa, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Vergne and Grosjean.
While the determination of some sections of the media on whipping up a situation at Mercedes is becoming tiresome, there is no doubt that not only did Hamilton have the speed today but his teammate made a number of uncharacteristic errors.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.
Chris Balfe