01/11/2014
NEWS STORY
Having topped the timesheets in all three practice sessions the smart money has to be on Lewis Hamilton to take pole position this afternoon. Whilst he suffered a hydraulic leak in FP2 the car looked good enough earlier today as he posted a best time 0.883s quicker than anyone else, including his Mercedes teammate.
Nico Rosberg, who was only marginally slower than Lewis yesterday was hampered by a brake issue this morning, prompting fears that the German team's reliability woes are far from sorted.
Once again, Williams appears to be the biggest 'threat', Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas finishing third and fourth, just ahead of the very determined Fernando Alonso. However, will all of them at least a second off Hamilton's pace the Briton doesn't appear to have too much to worry about. That said, having had his own brake issue yesterday, one never knows.
With Sebastian Vettel scheduled to make a token appearance in F1, mainly for the benefit of the fans in the stands, the German doomed to start from the pitlane anyway after his team opted to change his entire power unit, Red Bull's hopes appear to rest firmly on the shoulders of Daniel Ricciardo.
Despite the support of thousands of countrymen who made the trip here, thus far Sergio Perez has been out-shone by his German teammate (Nico Hulkenberg), whilst a strong performance from Adrian Sutil (8th) put Esteban Gutierrez firmly in the shade.
McLaren was strong in the opening session but has struggled ever since, the silver cars not working with the option rubber. To add insult to injury, Jenson Button has incurred a five-place grid penalty after the team opted to change his gearbox.
Lotus is looking a little better here than in previous races, whilst, certainly this morning, the Toro Rossos have been uncharacteristically off the pace. Ahead of the session the Faenza crew has changed the engines on both cars, while Vergne has reverted to an old engine, hence no penalty, Kvyat takes a 10-place hit after using his seventh ICE of the year.
Due to the absence of Caterham and Marussia, the format today has been changed, with four cars being eliminated at the end of Q1 and another at the end of Q2. There is talk of a big name or two missing the cut in Q1, especially without the 'safety net' provided by Caterham and Marussia.
There are two DRS zones this weekend. The detection point of the first is 150 metres after Turn 10, with the activation point 320m after Turn 11, while the second zone's detection point is 65m after Turn 18, with the activation point 80m after Turn 20, on the start/finish straight.
Ahead of Q1, the air temperature is 16 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 32 degrees.
The lights go green and Perez leads the way followed by Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, Kvyat Magnussen and Rosberg.
It is only Saturday, but most of the stands are worryingly devoid of spectators.
Perez posts a 39.804 with Rosberg eclipsing it with a 38.848 moments later. The Mexican is already on options, as are Gutierrez, Sutil, Maldonado and Grosjean.
A 38.795 sees Hamilton go straight to the top of the sheets, albeit just 0.053s ahead of his teammate. Moments later Bottas splits the Mercedes duo with a 38.811.
On his first flying lap, Alonso goes fifth, behind Massa, as the camera cuts to Pamela Anderson in the Red Bull garage.
In the Mercedes garage... two genuine legends, Mario Andretti and Niki Lauda are seen chatting.
See what we did there?
Vettel heads down the pitlane on a set of options, he and his teammate the only drivers still to post a time.
A 38.599 sees Rosberg go quickest as Maldonado (softs) goes quickest in S1. Hamilton complains that he's flat-spotted his tyres.
Maldonado goes fourth (38.819) as Vettel goes tenth with a 39.621.
Rosberg is quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 38.303 to consolidate his top spot.
Of the top five - Rosberg, Hamilton, Bottas, Maldonado and Massa - only the Lotus driver posted his time of options.
Ricciardo (options) goes fifth with a 38.969 only to be demoted when Raikkonen (options) posts 38.909.
Hamilton is back on track, now on options, leaving Rosberg the only driver yet to run the softer rubber.
Alonso goes second (38.349) as Rosberg heads down the pitlane on a set of options, clearly the German not feeling 100% safe.
As Button posts 38.574 to go fourth, Hamilton, having gone quickest in the first two sectors, maintains the pace and bangs in a 37.196, eclipsing Bottas who had just posts a 38.249.
Rosberg heads back to the pits without posting a time, while Vettel appears to have settled for his 39.621 which currently puts him seventeenth.
The German is joined in the drop zone by Vergne, Gutierrez and Grosjean, the Frenchman not helping his chances when he locks-up and runs wide in T12.
Hamilton finishes Q1 quickest, ahead of Massa, Bottas, Rosberg, Alonso, Magnussen, Button, Maldonado, Raikkonen and Ricciardo.
We lose Vergne, Gutierrez, Vettel and Grosjean.
"I guess we're out," says the Frenchman. "Yes, by a country mile," comes the reply.
Kvyat heads down the pitlane to get Q2 underway, the Russian facing a ten-place grid penalty. He is followed by Maldonado and Hulkenberg.
As Kvyat begins his flying lap, all but Magnussen, Button and Sutil are on track.
The Russian posts 38.699.
Bottas posts 38.094 but this is instantly beaten by Alonso (38.010) and then Rosberg (37.099). Hamilton can 'only' manage 37.287, which puts him second.
"Quite a lot of understeer," complains Rosberg.
"I've got a vibration on these tyres already," moans Hamilton.
Button improves to fourth with a 38.024 as Hulkenberg remains in the drop zone along with Sutil, Maldonado and Perez.
With 5:00 remaining, only Massa, Hulkenberg and Perez are on track.
Frustration is getting the better of Hamilton; "this is getting ridiculous," he complains of his tyres.
Both Force India drivers posts PBs in S1, maintaining the pace in S2. Elsewhere, Massa goes quickest in S2.
Perez improves to tenth (39.200) as his teammate fails to improve.
Rosberg is back on track while his teammate is back in his garage.
A late charge sees Bottas improve to fourth (37.499), as Rosberg goes quickest in S1. He maintains the pace in S2, finally crossing the line at 36.290 as if to taunt his teammate.
Sutil goes ninth, dropping Raikkonen to tenth, but the Finn responds and drops the German down the standings. When Maldonado fails to improve, Sutil, to his obvious delight, is guaranteed a place in Q3.
Quickest is Rosberg, ahead of Hamilton, Massa, Bottas, Ricciardo, Alonso, Button, Magnussen, Raikkonen and Sutil.
We lose Maldonado, Perez, Hulkenberg and Kvyat.
The lights go green and Ricciardo heads down the pitlane. One by one the others emerge... Massa, Bottas, Button, Alonso. As Ricciardo is about to begin his flying lap, all bar Sutil are on track.
Ricciardo crosses the line at 38.120 as Bottas and Rosberg trade sector times.
Bottas posts 36.906 with Rosberg banging in a 36.282 moments later.
Hamilton goes second (36.443), ahead of Bottas, Massa, Button, Magnussen and Alonso.
"I'm still struggling with the fronts," reports Button.
"Check the front left and the front wing," says Rosberg as he heads in to the pitlane.
The clock counts down and with 3:25 remaining Ricciardo heads out of his garage.
One by one he joined on track, Rosberg heading his Mercedes teammate who is currently 0.161s adrift.
Sutil, who has yet to post a time, heads out of the Sauber garage.
It's only an out lap, but already there are traffic issues, Hamilton trying to create a gap behind Alonso.
Rosberg is quickest in S1, teammate Hamilton almost 0.2s slower.
The German maintains the pace in S2 as again Hamilton is around 0.2s off.
Rosberg crosses the line at 36.067 and while Hamilton is quickest in the final sector it isn't enough, he misses out by 0.376s.
Rosberg takes pole for the United States Grand Prix, ahead of Hamilton, Bottas, Massa, Ricciardo, Alonso, Button, Magnussen, Raikkonen and Sutil.
Maldonado starts eleventh, ahead of Perez, Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Vergne, Gutierrez, Vettel and Grosjean.
Now you know what they say about fat ladies singing... well, she might have been gargling, she might have even tried a couple of scales, but the fact is that she wasn't in full song, and though Hamilton might have dominated every single session he wasn't on top when it really mattered.
Other than those brake issues the Mercedes looks bulletproof, while Rosberg's performance sends out the clear message that he hasn't given up on the title.
Williams is clearly the best of the rest, though it remains to be seen what Alonso, Ricciardo and Vettel can pull out of the hat, whilst the McLarens cannot be entirely written off, certainly on the primes.
Let's just hope that the talk of a boycott is all that is, talk. Yes there are problems, big problems, but let's try to sort them out in private not publicly. The fans will only take so much.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.