Ahead of today's all-important qualifying session, the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees.

It was clear this morning that the big players are keeping their cards very close to their chest, with Piquet topping the timesheets from Webber and Vettel. Over the course of the next hour we should get a much better idea of the true running order here.

What has been noticeable, particularly this morning, is that the softer option tyre hasn't significantly increased lap speeds, thus far. In fact, we have seen little of the softer option thus far this weekend. The other option is medium, which we will refer to as hard or harder.

The red light go green, which is as good a time as any to remind ourselves that both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will forfeit ten grid places here following their silliness in Montreal.

Bourdais, Vettel and Fisichella are first out. Appropriately, the Frenchman posts the first time of the session, crossing the line at 1:17.101. Moments later, his Toro Rosso teammate posts 16.303.

Six minutes into the session, Massa head down the pitlane, as do Raikkonen and Kovalainen.

The Brazilian goes quickest with a 16.107, with teammate Raikkonen going second moments later. As Kovalainen begins his flying lap, Lewis Hamilton is halfway round the track on his out lap.

The Finn goes quickest (15.965), only to be leapfrogged by his teammate who posts 15.634. Raikkonen and Massa improve to second and third.

A 16.020 sees Mark Webber go fifth, as Heidfeld and Kubica leave the pits.

Alonso goes quickest in the first sector, finally crossing the line at 15.939 to go fourth.

Vettel is sixth (16.014), the German really 'hot' this weekend.

Kubica's first flying lap is only good enough for fourteenth, while Heidfeld has yet to post a time. Next time around the Pole improves to ninth, as Heidfeld can only manage eighteenth. Disappointingly, and somewhat surprisingly, the German fails to improve on his next lap.

As the mechanics work furiously on Barrichello's car, Button returns from the weighbridge. Both Honda drivers in the danger zone.

Heidfeld fails to improve, and with just under four minutes remaining it's not looking good for the German. That said, Kubica remains ninth.

Massa goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the third, crossing the line at 15.024 to go quickest. Raikkonen improves to second with a 15.133, Ferrari concerned that the Finn might losing his previous best time for gaining an advantage by cutting the chicane.