Ahead of today's sole free practice session, the air temperature is 18 degrees and the track temperature is 17 degrees. It is unseasonably cool.

The good news is that it is not raining… yet. However, there are dark clouds closing in and the teams are already taking it as read that this afternoon's qualifying session will be wet.

The saddest thing about it all is the thousands of anxious fans still trying to get into the circuit despite organisers warning them to stay away. Furthermore, to add to the chaos, someone, in their infinite wisdom, has closed one of the lanes leading into the circuit.

It is far too early to be apportioning blame, but this is not good. Fans, having paid to attend an event should not be told to stay away - even if they are being offered refunds - because of the weather.

Despite BRDC president Derek Warwick's claim yesterday that Silverstone is the home of the British Grand Prix and that London isn't needed, a lot of fans will feel be disagreeing with him right now.

Romain Grosjean was quickest in yesterday's opening session, while Lewis Hamilton was quickest in the second. However, such were the conditions there was little we could really read into the times other than the fact that the standing water and 'rivers' across certain parts of the track made it exceedingly treacherous.

The opening phase of this session is sure to be busy, not only because of the chance of rain later, but because the teams will want to try the various updates they've brought here.

Indeed, there is a traffic jam at the end of the pitlane, Raikkonen heading a queue of twenty-two cars. Only Rosberg and di Resta remain in their garages. In his eagerness to get to work, Kovalainen overtakes a couple of drivers who are performing practice starts at the end of the pitlane, he could be in trouble for that.

Ricciardo is warned that rain is expected in "around fifteen minutes".

As he comes on to the Hangar Straight, a patch that caught a number of drivers out yesterday, not least Senna who crashed heavily, Raikkonen has a nasty wobble. There are still plenty of damp patches around the track.

No time for installation laps today, not for some drivers, within moments there are seven names on the board, Schumacher heading Grosjean, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Maldonado and Raikkonen.

Those drivers that pitted after their sole lap are soon back on track, pit crews keeping a worried eye on the sky. Schumacher raises the bar with a 34.187.

A 33.733 sees Rosberg go quickest, Maldonado improves to third ahead of Hulkenberg and Grosjean. Most are on the hard (prime) tyres, though a few (the Lotus duo) are on softs.

Webber goes fifth with a 35.664, the Wings for Life livery looking superb. Ferrari are running different wings for its two drivers. Alonso has the new version (natch!) while Massa sticks with the old one.

Button posts 34.583 to go fourth as teammate Hamilton takes seventh with a 38.093. Next time around the 2009 champ goes second with a 33.802.

"We're expecting rain in the next three minutes to five," Schumacher is told, "but it should only be light rain." To prove the point Di Resta spins at the start of the Hangar Straight.

Perez posts .4.545 to go fifth, with teammate Kobayashi posting 34.738 to go sixth.

At 44:27 all but Massa have posted a time, teammate Alonso having just gone eighth with a 34.922.

"Is my KERS working or not," asks di Resta. "It has failed," the Scot is told.

Massa leapfrogs his teammate with a 34.901 to go ninth. That said, Alonso subsequently improves to third with a 33.821.

Hamilton goes quickest in S1, following it up with a PB in S2. No sooner has Alonso posted 33.606 to take the top spot than his former McLaren teammate bangs in a 33.084 to usurp him.

Maldonado, who has been looking good here this weekend - what we've seen of him - goes sixth (33.888) as Pic slows to a halt on the racing line after Copse. The session is red flagged.