25/03/2017
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 36 degrees. Though bright, Race Control claims there is a 40% chance of rain.
Sebastian Vettel topped the timesheets in FP3 earlier - posting the fastest lap ever seen here - but in all fairness most of his rivals failed to get a qualifying run as a result of the red flag that followed Lance Stroll's crash.
That said, it was unlikely that the German's 1:23.380 lap - the fastest ever seen here - would have been threatened, with the Mercedes duo both over 0.47s off the pace - Valtteri Bottas out-pacing his illustrious teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Kimi Raikkonen was fourth ahead of the surprise of the session, Nico Hulkenberg in the Renault.
Not only did the former Force India driver post a very, very impressive 25.063, he out-paced both Red Bull drivers, a fact that will not be lost on the Austrian team.
Neither Red Bull driver has been happy with changes made to their cars this weekend, with Max Verstappen complaining of understeer.
With most drivers missing out on their qualifying sims, and doubt over Vettel's fuel load - though what would Ferrari have to gain from sandbagging at this stage - behind the leaders - and Hulkenberg - Haas and Toro Rosso appear to be best of the rest, followed by Williams, Force India and McLaren.
Stroll's late crash, seemingly the result of youthful overenthusiasm, means a busy lunch break for the Grove mechanics as the Canadian damaged the front and rear suspension. Furthermore, a gearbox change means the youngster picks up the first grid penalty of the year.
After all the talk of "bluffing", "sandbagging" and 21,488 miles of pre-season testing, this where we get to find out who's hot and who's not, certainly for the early part of the season. If nothing else, over the next hour we should learn whether Mercedes really faces a threat this season, and it's fair to say that most hope they do.
In case you missed it, ahead of FP1, Sauber announced that Pascal Wehrlein was withdrawing from the remainder of the weekend, the German youngster not feeling his fitness was good enough for the race. He is replaced by Ferrari's reserve, 2016 GP2 runner-up, Antonio Giovinazzi.
A sad indictment of the state of contemporary F1 being that the official F1 timing app didn't have the Italian flag alongside his name, the nation synonymous with motor racing so woefully unrepresented in the sport these days, certainly in terms of drivers.
Minutes ahead of the green light, the mechanics are still working frantically in the Williams garage on Stroll's car.
Indeed, the lights go green, and Vandoorne gets proceedings underway, followed by his McLaren teammate.
Ericsson, Giovinazzi and Grosjean are the other early risers, no doubt with an eye on the rain warning.
As more drivers head out, all are on ultras bar the Ferrari duo who are on the supersofts.
As Alonso posts 27.745, teammate Vandoorne is told to "box", the Belgian thought to have a fuel flow problem.
Giovinazzi goes second with a 28.204, only to be demoted when Grosjean, Ericsson and then Vettel go quicker, the German posting 25.733.
A mistake in S3 sees Raikkonen abort his lap having been quickest in the first two sectors.
Bottas goes quickest in all three sectors, despite a mistake in the final corner, the Finn crossing the line at 24.514. Moments later Hamilton posts 24.535 to go second.
"You've got new front brakes so be positive," Ricciardo is told.
Vettel improves (25.210) but remains third, 0.514s off Bottas' pace, but on harder tyres. Raikkonen also improves, the Finn posting 26.203 to go seventh.
As Stroll heads out, with eight minutes remaining, Ricciardo posts 25.754 to go fifth.
"I locked the outside rear, I've got a bit of a flat spot" admits Verstappen as he runs wide, meanwhile Hamilton posts 24.191 to go quickest.
Bottas improves with a 24.514 to go second as Raikkonen slips down to tenth. Indeed, the Ferrari driver heads out for another run - on ultras.
On his first flying lap Stroll can only manage 27.143 which puts him 18th of the 18 drivers still to post a time. Still no times from Vandoorne or Palmer.
A 25.868 sees Verstappen go eighth, 1.677s off the pace.
A great lap from Perez sees the Mexican driver go fifth (25.702). However, teammate Ocon is still down in 16th (26.515) and in the drop zone.
Raikkonen goes quickest in S2, finally crossing the line at 24.464 to go second by 0.273s.
A vicious excursion for Magnussen in T12 as Giovinazzi looks set to make it to Q2. The Italian is currently 15th.
Raikkonen is unhappy with the rear of his car.
A mistake sees Giovinazzi fail to improve, while a strong lap from teammate Ericsson drops him into the danger zone. A poor final sector from Palmer sees the Briton also miss the cut.
Q1 ends, and we lose Giovinazzi, Magnussen, Vandoorne, Stroll and Palmer.
Quickest is Hamilton, ahead of Raikkonen, Verstappen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Perez, Massa, Vettel, Ricciardo and Grosjean.
All times posted on ultrasofts bar Vettel's.
The green light signals the start of Q2, the Mercedes duo first out, both on the ultras. Vettel follows, the German now on the purple-banded rubber also.
The helicopter camera picks up on some very large rain clouds moving in.
With an eye on those clouds, soon there are nine drivers on track.
Bottas posts 23.215 while Hamilton can only manage 23.251, the pair separated by just 0.036s.
Vettel posts 23.458, to go third, albeit 0.243s off Bottas' pace. Moments later, Ferrari teammate Raikkonen goes third with a 23.376, closing to within 0.161s of countryman Bottas.
"Anyone else on used tyres," asks Alonso. He is told that Hamilton was on used rubber - though there is a question mark over that.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Melbourne, here.
Ricciardo goes fifth, breaking into the 1:23 barrier for the first time, with teammate Verstappen taking sixth with a 24.789.
A 24.895 sees Massa go seventh as former teammate Alonso goes fourteenth with a 26.517.
Grosjean complains that he was blocked by Ericsson as Kvyat posts 25.094 to go ninth, just behind his Toro Rosso teammate.
"I got massively blocked by the Sauber, I lost so much time!" says the Haas driver.
Alonso complains of a loss of power after running wide over the kerbs, he subsequently pits.
Vettel is back out, the German immediately posting a PB in S1. He goes quickest in S2, but loses time - or eases off - in the final sector, consequently failing to improve.
Meanwhile, PBs in all three sectors mean that Verstappen improves to 24.092 but remains sixth, 0.877s off the pace.
With less than a minute remaining, Hulkenberg is in the drop zone, as are Grosjean and Ocon.
Ocon fails to improve, while Hulkenberg goes ninth, thereby demoting former teammate Perez.
Grosjean goes seventh and Kvyat ninth, which is bad news for Perez and Hulkenberg.
"I gave it all" says Grosjean.
Another driver who gave his best - as ever - is Alonso. "I cannot do more than this," he says. "It looked good from here, nice work," comes the reply.
We lose Perez, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Ocon and Ericsson, not the start to the season Force India was expecting.
Quickest was Bottas, ahead of Hamilton, Raikkonen, Vettel, Ricciardo, Verstappen, Massa, Grosjean, Kvyat and Sainz.
Replay shows that Massa appeared to hold up Perez on his flying lap, Force India assures its driver that the complaint is in.
As the lights go green for Q3, fans in the stands at T13 raise umbrellas and slip their macs on.
Nonetheless, the drivers head out on ultras. A mistake at this stage could be crucial.
Raikkonen is assured the rain is a few drops and nothing to worry about.
Massa, Grosjean and the Toro Rossos appear to be going for just one run.
Lots of purples ass Bottas, Hamilton, Vettel and Verstappen trade fastest sectors.
Bottas posts 22.798 but Vettel responds with a 22.796. However, Hamilton crosses the line at 22.496, eclipsing the Ferrari by 0.300s.
As Raikkonen goes fourth (23.435), Ricciardo spins off and backwards into the barriers at T14. Out comes the red flag.
Judging by the damage that could mean a grid penalty for the local hero. Indeed, even without a penalty he'll start tenth.
"I'm alright," he says. "Sorry guys." The Red Bull driver lost the rear of the car and then went backwards into the gravel and finally the barrier. At the same time he compromised his teammate's flying lap.
The red flag allows us to catch our breath and reflect on that 0.300s advantage Hamilton has over Vettel and indeed Bottas., while Raikkonen is almost a second down.
With the clock stopped at 8 minutes remaining, these are the only times on the board.
Replay reveals that Raikkonen "****** up" at T3, hence his poor time. "******", of course, being Finnish for "I made a slight mistake, silly me"
As is always the case following such incidents, Ricciardo arrives back in the paddock, his helmet still firmly in place.
The session re-starts at 18:00. Grosjean is first to head out.
A massive lock-up at the penultimate corner sees the Haas driver post 24.074 to go fifth. A good lap from the Frenchman.
"Nice lap, nice Turn 3," he is told. "Woo-hoo!" he replies.
As the Toro Rossos and Massa head out, so too do the pace-setters, the final shoot-out now underway.
Hamilton and Bottas trade fastest sectors (again). The Finn posts 22.481 but almost instantly Hamilton displaces him with a 22.188.
Verstappen can only manage fifth (23.485) as attention turns to the Ferraris.
Raikkonen improves with a 23.033 but remains fourth, while despite his best efforts, and the best S3, Vettel can only manage 22.456, finishing second but 0.268s off pole-winner Hamilton's pace.
So, despite Ferrari and Vettel's fun and games, Mercedes and Hamilton still has the edge, though Vettel insists that a mistake in S1 cost him. "I lost a bit in T1 and T9, I tried too hard, but not sure it would have been enough," he admits.
While Hamilton waves to the crowd, Vettel, ever the opportunist, checks out the Red Bull and Mercedes at close quarters.
Hamilton takes pole, ahead of Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Grosjean, Massa, Sainz, Kvyat and Ricciardo.
With Perez starting eleventh, ahead of Perez, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Ocon, Ericsson, Giovinazzi, Magnussen, Vandoorne, Stroll and. Palmer.
However, while Stroll takes a 5-place grid penalty, we wait to see if Ricciardo receives one also, not to mention sanctions against Massa for the incident involving Perez.
All in all however, a good session which sets us up perfectly for tomorrow.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Melbourne, here.