02/09/2017
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's qualifying session the air temperature is 14 degrees C, while the track temperature is 17 degrees.
Due to the weather conditions, running in FP3 earlier was restricted to just 16 minutes and only seven cars posted times.
Unfortunately, while the rain eased off enough to all that running, in the final minutes of the session it picked up again and has barely stopped since.
While this session, unlike FP3, can be delayed - indeed, as Charlie Whiting confirmed earlier it could be postponed until tomorrow morning - the fact is that with tomorrow's race due to be run in the dry, the teams have a real dilemma in terms of set-up, a situation not helped by the lack of wet running so far this year.
If rain was expected tomorrow also, a number of teams, not least would be delighted, but currently that is not the case, and therefore teams will have to do some hard thinking ahead of today's session.
Either way, we can expect the usual 'rain men' to thrill and entertain us.
Since the first session, Renault have fitted new engine components to both cars meaning that Hulkenberg (10) and Palmer (15) both receive grid penalties for tomorrow.
Ten minutes before Q1 is due to begin, as the rain ease slightly, Race Control reveals that the chance of rain is 80%.
Shortly after, Race Control confirms that the session will start on time.
With work continuing on his car after Sauber opted to change his engine, there are doubts as to whether Wehrlein will play a part.
As the cars wait at the end of the pitlane for the green light... it begins raining again.
"No need to take risks," Hamilton is warned.
Conditions are bad, but Magnussen is advised that they will get worse.
Bottas misses the first chicane, as Grosjean admits: "I can't see where I'm going".
All are on track bar Alonso.
Bottas posts the first time of the session, crossing the line at 44.391, Ericsson subsequently posting 43.801 and Hamilton 40.128.
"I can't see where I'm going," says Grosjean again. "I want to stop the car". Moment later he loses control on the pit straight the Haas aquaplaning leaving the Frenchman a passenger.
"****, I told you it was too dangerous," he says as the session is red flagged.
While Grosjean was having his adventure, Vettel went second (42.394), ironically ahead of the Haas driver who had posted 43.355 to take third ahead of Ericsson and Bottas.
"It was stupid to start qualifying in these conditions," insists Grosjean.
At 14:15, Race Control reports that there will be a further update at 14:30.
Magnussen askes for a helmet with an air intake "facing the other way", as he was getting lots of rain water in his helmet.
Sadly, at 14:31 we are informed of another 15 minute delay.
Despite the fact that the rain has stopped and conditions have clearly improved, the session re-start is delayed for another 15 minutes, even though a number of drivers were in their cars ready to go out. The decision doesn't go down entirely well with the crowd.
"The weather is swirling around and we can't get a good idea of what might happen," explains Charlie Whiting. "The safety car driver still feels there might be aquaplaning on the straight and we don't want that."
On and on it goes... as the rain returns, there is yet another delay... and then another... and another. We are now at 14:30 looking at a further report at 14:45.
"Grosjean's car is back with us in the garage but it is under Parc Ferme conditions. Won't be back in qualifying," confirms Haas.
Even though the rain has stopped and it is brighter, aquaplaning is clearly the big fear as Race Control announces yet another delay.
The general opinion among the drivers is that the session could have resumed shortly after the Red Flag... almost two hours ago.
Amidst all the talk of this being the pinnacle of motorsport, the leading edge in terms of technology, we now have marshals clearing water from the track with brushes and leaf blowers.
At 16:15, despite it being brighter and the rain having stopped, Race Control announced a further delay.
At 16:28, Race Control confirms that the session will re-start at 16:40. The news is greeted with enthusiasm by the fans in the stands who have shown great patience.
Once again, Verstappen heads the queue at the end of the pitlane, ahead of Perez, the Mercedes and Ferraris.
There is 13:31 of Q1 remaining as the lights go green... the crowd cheers.
With Grosjean out, Ricciardo and Alonso are the last to appear.
"It's better now than when we started qualifying," reports Verstappen.
Raikkonen is told that there could be more rain coming.
Conditions clearly are better as Verstappen crosses the line at 38.557, with Vettel posting 38.285 moments later.
A 37.993 sees Bottas go quickest only to be demoted when Hamilton bangs in a 36.981.
Verstappen improves with a 37.344 to go second, as Ricciardo looks set to post a good time.
Understandably, drivers are missing the first and second chicanes, as Stroll goes third with a 37.653.
Asked about his tyres, Verstappen reports that it will soon be time for Inters.
Hamilton improves with a 36.009 as Bottas also improves (36.582) but remains second.
Vettel and Alonso switch to Inters, as does Magnussen.
Alonso struggles at the first chicane, as Vettel posts a PB in S1. The Mercedes duo switch to Inters.
Check out our Saturday gallery from Monza, here.
Vettel improves from 38.285 to 37.198 to go third, 1.189s off Hamilton's pace.
Smoke and flames billowing from his front brakes, Raikkonen is released early and nearly T-bones a Force India. The Finn isn't happy.
Now Vettel goes quickest in S1 but then gets it wrong at the second chicane.
Other than that one sector from Vettel, nobody appears to be improving on the Inters. The German subsequently misses the first chicane.
Bad news for Palmer who fails to get another lap by a second or so, the Briton eliminated at the outset. "Dammit," says the Renault driver.
A late improvement from Bottas sees the Finn go quickest (35.716) one of the few to really make the Inters work significantly.
Quickest is Bottas, ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen, Stroll, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Massa, Perez and Vandoorne.
We lose Magnussen, Palmer, Ericsson, Wehrlein and, of course, Grosjean.
"The full wets had a lot more grip," complains Ericsson. "No grip on the inters."
Again, Verstappen is warned of increasing rain, as he heads out for Q2. Most appear to be on the Inters, bar Verstappen, Perez, Ocon, Kvyat, Hulkenberg and Sainz.
A big, big slide for Vandoorne as he exits the Parabolica, with Massa also having a moment in the iconic corner.
Verstappen posts 37.344 with Vandoorne posting 38.767.
"These tyres are not working," complains Hamilton.
Vettel goes quickest with a 37.198 as Hamilton looks set to improve.
Hulkenberg goes fourth (38.357) ahead of Ocon, Stroll and Ricciardo.
Bottas, who aborted his previous lap, is struggling but nonetheless improves to third with a 36.787 moments after Vettel posted a 36.223.
With 6:00 remaining, Vandoorne, Kvyat, Sainz, Perez and Alonso comprise the drop zone.
The Red Bull crew want Verstappen on the Inters, but the teenager isn't convinced. "We just can't get temperature in them," he insists.
Raikkonen goes fourth with a 37.487 as Kvyat reports that it is raining "a lot more" in the Lesmos.
Ricciardo is on the Inters, the Australian consolidating eighth with a 38.109.
A 35.344 sees Hamilton go quickest, the Briton quickest of all in the final sector.
Changing to Inters, Verstappen improves to fourth with a 36.236.
As the chequered flag is waved, Ricciardo slips to tenth before posting a 37.313 which puts him seventh.
A late improvement also from Stroll who goes fourth with a 37.002.
Hamilton consolidates his top spot with a 34.660.
A 37.471 sees Vandoorne go ninth, ahead of Ocon.
Quickest was Hamilton, ahead of Bottas, Verstappen, Vettel, Stroll, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Massa, Vandoorne and Ocon.
We lose Perez, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Kvyat and Sainz.
Ahead of Q3 it is raining again, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Stroll, Massa, Vandoorne and Ocon opting for wets, the rest on Inters.
Verstappen and Vettel are side by side in the Curva Grande, the Red Bull driver almost forcing the Ferrari off track.
"Right hand side of the pit straight is driest," Ricciardo is told.
Verstappen posts 36.113 as Ocon goes second and Raikkonen third.
Ricciardo makes it a Red Bull 1-2 with a 37.313 as the Mercedes duo switch to full wets.
No sooner has Massa gone fourth than he is demoted by his teammate.
Hamilton takes provisional pole but moments later Ricciardo crosses the line at 37.143.
It's a disaster for Ferrari, with Raikkonen currently eighth and Raikkonen tenth. The Finn subsequently improves to ninth.
Ocon goes quickest in S1 but Verstappen go quicker, as Stroll posts 37.002 to go fifth.
"The track feels slower," says Hamilton.
Ocon improves to third, but all eyes are on Verstappen.
As Raikkonen improves to seventh, Verstappen crosses the line at 36.702 to take pole.
Late improvements sees Ricciardo go second and Stroll third, but Hamilton isn't finished, he responds with a 35.554 to snatch back the precious grid spot.
Hamilton takes pole and with it the record for the most poles ever secured by a driver, the Briton on 69 having equalled Michael Schumacher's previous record of 68 last week in Belgium.
Sadly, major issues with the timing system, not to mention the long delay in getting the session resumed, have taken the shine off what was a scintillating performance, not just by Hamilton, but Stroll, Ocon and the Red Bull duo.
On paper, Hamilton finishes the session quickest, ahead of Verstappen, Ricciardo, Stroll, Ocon, Bottas, Raikkonen, Vettel, Massa and Vandoorne.
Perez is eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, Alonso, Kvyat, Sainz, Magnussen, Palmer, Ericsson, Wehrlein and Grosjean.
However, the various grid penalties mean the grid will look quite different, with Stroll starting alongside Hamilton and Ocon just ahead of Bottas on the second row.