10/07/2010
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's all important qualifying session, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, while the track temperature is 34 degrees. It remains bright, sunny and hot with strong winds continuing to blast various parts of the track.
The Red Bull drivers have been quickest in each of the practice sessions, however, an electrical problem for Webber yesterday afternoon and a loose nose for Vettel this morning signals that the Austrian outfit has still not nailed its reliability problem.
As for the championship leaders, McLaren, well to put it simply they are struggling. Having encountered problems with its upgrade package yesterday the team has reverted to its original package today, thereby meaning that the Woking outfit was starting from scratch. It's still early days but those hoping for a home win for Button or Hamilton are likely to be disappointed.
Ferrari upped its pace this morning while both the Renault drivers looked good. However, despite being well placed this morning, not too much should be read into the performances of the Mercedes duo, the Brackley outfit clearly struggling both on-track and back at the factory.
While most of the drivers are quite positive about the revisions to the Silverstone circuit, a number have expressed their doubts.
Over night the kerb at Turn 3 was removed as a precaution against a car going wide, or being forced very wide around turn 2; while the verge behind the apex kerb of turn 5 has been laid with asphalt in order to help prevent dirt and dust getting onto the track in case a driver clips the kerb.
And then there are the bumps. Throughout the weekend drivers have been running wide after losing it on the numerous bumps - particularly in the new complex - with Hamilton suffering in particular and some even citing a bump as the cause of Vettel's loose nose this morning.
This morning the Top 14 were covered by less than a second and this afternoon's pole time could well be in the low 1:29s, around 148 mph.
Other than those teams already mentioned, Sauber and Williams are both looking good on a track that has witnessed some magical moments in the history of the English team. Force India will continue to do battle with Toro Rosso while Lotus remains the best of the newbies.
In an innovative move, Virgin boss Richard Branson has hired out his old school at Stowe and is running it as a base not only for his team but also for fans. Indeed, Pitpass last week gave away two tickets in a competition. Sadly, however, it is unlikely that either Branson or his team will have much to cheer about this weekend as the Manor outfit continues to find its feet.
Just ten minutes before the session gets underway, Martin Whitmarsh admits that his team is on the "back foot" this present, not what his drivers or his team's millions of fans will want to hear.
The lights go green and Q1 is underway, however, it is over a minute before a car (Glock) heads down the pitlane. Over a minute later, Trulli, Kovalainen and di Grassi join him.
As Buemi heads down Hangar Straight he is warned about the high winds.
Glock posts the first time of the afternoon, the Virgin driver crossing the line at 1:39.951. We expect the pole time to be at least 10s quicker. Five minutes into the session all but Vettel and Sutil are on track.
Glock improves with a 35.088 as Kovalainen goes second and Rosberg third. All eyes on the McLaren duo.
As Petrov goes quickest (32.467), Button goes second (32.668) and Alguersuari third.
Alonso's first flying lap sees the Bahrain winner go quickest with a 31.795 only to be leapfrogged by Rosberg moments later.
All twenty-four drivers are on track as Schumacher, Hamilton and Webber look set to improve. Schumacher goes fifth (32.058) as Hamilton runs wide at Club, the McLaren driver continuing to have problems keeping the MP4-25 on the black stuff.
A 31.424 sees Barrichello go quickest, only to be leapfrogged by Webber (30.988) while Vettel goes third (31.591).
On his next flying lap, Webber goes quickest in the first sector while Hamilton also looks set to improve. Hamilton improves to second (31.297) as Vettel goes quickest in the first sector and again in the second. At the line the German posts 30.841 to go quickest. Alonso goes third ahead of Sutil and Hamilton. Button remains fifteenth, just outside the danger zone.
Replay shows Alonso running very wide at Woodcote, one of many drivers still struggling on various parts of this track.
With 3:46 on the clock, all but Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Hamilton and Barrichello are on track. Button, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg and de la Rosa remain just outside the danger zone.
Strangely, Alguersuari, currently seventeenth, heads back to the pits, his position far from secure.
de la Rosa improves to ninth and Button eighth, while Liuzzi goes sixteenth and thereby consigns Alguersuari to the bottom seven.
Q1 ends and we lose Alguersuari, Kovalainen, Glock, Trulli, di Grassi, Chandhok and Yamamoto.
Quickest was Vettel, ahead of Webber, Alonso, Sutil, Hamilton, Massa, Barrichello, Button, de la Rosa and Rosberg.
When the lights go green to signal the start of Q2, it is Alonso who is first out, followed by Massa and Button. Indeed, as Alonso comes up to complete his out lap there are already fifteen drivers on track.
The Spaniard crosses the line at 38.178 however, Massa leapfrogs his teammate with a 35.449. A 34.174 sees Button go quickest, both McLaren drivers on the soft (option) tyre, the only drivers using them at this stage.
Hamilton posts 31.286 as Schumacher goes second ahead of Vettel and Rosberg. Moments later, Alonso re-takes the top spot with a 31.019.
On the harder compound - bad news for the McLarens - Webber goes quickest with a 30.436. Button tells his crew that he's struggling for grip - and he's on the soft rubber.
Vettel goes second with a 30.586, and having gone quickest in the first sector of his next lap opts to back off and return to the pits.
The Renault crew run down the pitlane to greet Petrov who has slowed to a crawl. With 5:24 on the clock the Russian is still in the danger zone. Indeed, so is his teammate.
Buemi, Webber, Vettel and Alonso head down the pitlane for the final run in the phase of qualifying, Button, Liuzzi and Hulkenberg still in the danger zone.
Vettel goes quickest in S2 of his out-lap as Webber goes quickest in the first sector of his flying lap. The Australian crosses the line at 30.114 as Liuzzi cuts across Hulkenberg in a very dubious manoeuvre.
Schumacher, currently fifth, runs wide at Copse as Button (fourteenth) posts a personal best in S1. The Englishman improves his time but remains fourteenth and thereby misses the cut. Hamilton is seventh.
At the end of Q2 we lose Sutil, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Button, Liuzzi, Petrov and Buemi.
Quickest was Webber, ahead of Vettel, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher, Rosberg, Hamilton, Barrichello, de la Rosa and Kubica.
Having been quickest in all three practice sessions and the first two phases of this session who would bet against an all Red Bull front row and a 1-2 tomorrow afternoon?
Once again it is the Ferraris that lead the way as Q3 gets underway with Massa leading his Spanish teammate. Vettel leaves his garage almost a minute later, while Schumacher, de la Rosa and Kubica clearly intend going out at the end for one hot lap.
Alonso goes quickest with a 30.426 as Hamilton goes second and Barrichello third. However, Webber posts 29.758 to take provisional pole only to be leapfrogged by his teammate with a 29.695 moments later.
The final shoot-out gets underway, with Barrichello leading Massa down the pitlane. On his out lap Schumacher work hard, weaving all over the place as he attempts to generate as much heat into his tyres as possible. Everyone is on the soft tyres.
A mistake sees Barrichello fail to improve on sixth (31.175). However, Webber goes quickest in S1.
Alonso is clearly angry, at the start of his final flying lap he loses time behind Barrichello.
Webber fails to improve and there's no time for another lap. Vettel goes quickest in the final two sectors improving his time by 0.08s to take pole, even though he would have been well within his rights to abort the lap.
Consequently, Vettel takes pole, ahead of Webber, with Alonso third, ahead of Hamilton, Rosberg, Kubica, Massa, Barrichello, de la Rosa and Schumacher.
While McLaren will be highly disappointed, a situation not helped by Button describing his car as "undriveable", Hamilton did remarkably well to put his MP4-25 on fourth.
Alonso will be furious with Barrichello for ruining his final lap but in all honesty third is the best that the Spaniard can really have hoped for.
Strong performances from Rosberg and Kubica also but in all honesty the day belongs to the boys from Milton Keynes who go into tomorrow's race as red hot favourites.