12/05/2007
NEWS STORY
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Based on the form thus far this weekend, we should be seeing an all-silver front row tomorrow, however, in all reality it would be utter madness to start writing off Ferrari's chances just yet.
Furthermore, the BMWs have been looking good, while Red Bull has also shown a significant improvement since Bahrain.
Anyway, ahead of today's all-important session, the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 49 degrees. It is bright and sunny, as it has been for all three practice sessions.
The lights go green, but it is over two minutes before Jarno Trulli heads down the pitlane, getting the session underway. He is followed by Sutil, Albers, Liuzzi and Rosberg.
Trulli posts the benchmark (23.095), as Coulthard goes quickest in the first sector. The Scot is quickest in the second sector also, as Sato leapfrogs Liuzzi, who had momentarily taken the top spot. Sure enough, DC goes quickest, crossing the line at 22.491.
Anthony Davidson continues the form shown in previous sessions, going quickest with a 22.353, however, all eyes are on Alonso, who heads down the pitlane in the McLaren. The Spaniard is followed by Hamilton and Raikkonen. As Kubica leaves the BMW garage, Massa is the only driver who hasn't made an appearance.
Hamilton goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second. As Scott speed is pushed back to his garage, Hamilton goes quickest with a 21.120, the quickest lap of the weekend thus far.
Although Alonso is on a hot lap, Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector. Heidfeld goes second, but is instantly demoted by Alonso, and then Raikkonen, who go second and third.
With just over four minutes remaining, Massa begins his first flying lap. Elsewhere, Fisichella has a technical problem and, like Speed, has yet to post a time.
Massa posts 21.375 to go second, as Fisichella heads down the pitlane. The Italian, like Webber, Barrichello and Schumacher is still in danger of not making the cut.
Albers gets it all wrong, and takes to the 'old' piece of track in the final sector as Kubica goes sixth.
Webber is back in the pits, his session looks to be over before it's even begun. On track, Schumacher and Fisichella are pushing hard, desperate to survive into Q2.
Sato makes the cut comfortably, as Trulli improves, thus condemning his teammate and Alexander Wurz to the danger zone, from which, at this stage, there is no escape.
Therefore, we lose Speed, Albers, Sutil, Webber, Wurz and Schumacher.
Quickest was Hamilton, ahead of Massa, Alonso, Heidfeld, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Kubica, Rosberg, Fisichella and Sato.
The second session gets underway, but there is no rush to get out on track, as is often the case in Q2. It is over three minutes before an engine fires up and Jarno Trulli heads down the pitlane. The Italian is followed by Takuma Sato and David Coulthard.
Five minutes into the session, Trulli is the first driver to post a time, the Toyota driver crossing the line at 21.931. However, Coulthard is already on a hot lap, having gone quickest in the first two sector. Sure enough, the Scot posts 21.679 to go quickest.
As Raikkonen heads down the pitlane, Heikki Kovalainen goes quickest in the first two sectors. Elsewhere, Davidson gets it all wrong at Turn 3, at exactly the same moment as Takuma Sato grinds to a halt at the same corner, his session over.
Kovalainen goes quickest (21.623), but Hamilton is already quickest on in the first sector. However, one has to wonder whether any rules have been broken since Sato's car was still being removed from the track. Nonetheless, the Englishman crosses the line at 20.713, a new unofficial lap record.
Raikkonen goes second as Heidfeld goes third. However, Massa upsets the applecart, going quickest with a 20.597.
With just over four minutes remaining, Alonso heads down the pitlane, running the softer compound. The Spaniard, who has yet to post a time, is greeted by the crowd. Elsewhere, Button complains of understeer.
Alonso begins his flying lap, almost matching Massa in the first sector. He's slightly down in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 20.797 to go fourth.
Both Hondas are in trouble, as is Davidson, Rosberg. Meanwhile, Liuzzi has already given up the ghost, he won't be going out.
Kubica goes sixth, as Davidson gets it all wrong at Turn 9. Meanwhile, fellow-Briton Coulthard goes ninth, thereby making the cut.
Liuzzi, Davidson, Button, Sato, Barrichello and Rosberg all fall at the second hurdle, a bad day for Williams, while Honda couldn't really have hoped for much more.
Quickest was Massa, ahead of Hamilton, Raikkonen, Alonso, Heidfeld, Kubica, Coulthard, Trulli, Kovalainen and Fisichella.
There is a traffic jam at the end of the pitlane, headed by Lewis Hamilton, who waits patiently for over three minutes. The McLaren is followed by the Ferraris, with Raikkonen keen to pass the Englishman. The Finn shadows the championship leader, while Alonso runs near the back of the pack.
Hamilton and Raikkonen continue to play their game of cat and mouse, trading fastest sector times. However, Alonso outdoes them both, going quickest in all three sectors. Seeing as he's on old tyres and in race trim, that's impressive.
Raikkonen drops back, and consequently the two Ferraris are running together.
With just over eight minutes remaining, Jarno Trulli is the first driver to pit. Next time around Hamilton is the first of the big guns to stop. Massa and Kubica also pit. Interestingly, Kubica fits the harder compound, unlike Alonso.
The tension build as the drivers begin to post personal bests, however, nobody is really going for it, not yet anyway.
Then, with just over five minutes remaining, Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, very, very quick. However, Hamilton goes quickest in the second sector.
Hamilton posts 22.231, but Raikkonen posts 22.084, only for Alonso to do a 21.661, much to the delight of the partisan crowd.
With just over three minutes remaining, it's Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton and Heidfeld.
As the final wave gets underway, the tension is palpable.
"We need to find three-tenths," Lewis is told, "two of them are in the first sector". In response, Hamilton posts a personal best in the first sector.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, as Hamilton goes quickest in the third. The Englishman takes second but is demoted by Raikkonen, who is in turn demoted by Massa. However, Alonso is still on track.
The crowd rises to its feet as their hero heads towards the finish line, but despite the best second sector and a personal best in the third, it is not enough. The Spaniard crosses the line at 21.451 to go second.
Seemingly, from out of nowhere, Massa has produced a miracle lap, taking his third consecutive pole.
The dream of an all silver front row becomes the reality of 2 and 4 as Alonso takes second and teammate Hamilton slips to fourth.
Robert Kubica takes a convincing fifth, ahead of Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld, while Heikki Kovalainen qualifies eighth ahead of Coulthard and Fisichella.
We said at the beginning that it would be madness to write off the Ferraris, and that was clearly the case, with Massa and Raikkonen both looking very good in the final session, particularly the Brazilian.
Now we have the prospect of an interesting Grand Prix tomorrow, with Massa keen to re-establish the status quo in his team and Fernando Alonso eager to rewards the thousands of fans in the stands. With Raikkonen and Hamilton breathing down their necks, not to mention Robert Kubica -who will be keen to reassert himself, it should be a good one.
To check out our Barcelona qualifying gallery, click here