17/03/2013
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session, as opposed to yesterday's, the air temperature is 15 degrees C and the track temperature is 13 degrees. While rain was always predicted for Saturday, Sunday was meant to be dry. It isn't.
It has been raining for much of the night and morning, much of it torrential courtesy of the strong winds. We could be in for a very long day.
Though overall conditions have barely changed since yesterday it does appear that Q2 will begin on time which means we could be in for some major surprises. It has stopped raining but more is expected indeed, as if proof were needed with three minutes to go there is already a queue at the end of the pitlane headed by the Toro Rosso duo. All are shod with Inters.
The lights go green, with not a hint of interference from Charlie Whiting. Within moments there are ten cars on track. Gutierrez watches from the warmth of the Sauber garage - the Mexican one of six eliminated in Q1 yesterday.
On his first flying lap Rosberg goes too deep into T1, as Webber is told that he can use DRS.
Vergne crosses the line at 1:44.573 to get the session underway but this is instantly beaten by Ricciardo and then Rosberg (40.423). Webber goes second and Alonso third, ahead of Raikkonen and Grosjean. Vettel can only manage tenth (43.361).
Bottas posts 55.769 having taken a long, bumpy ride across the gravel. Rosberg ups the ante with a 38.930.
On his second flying lap Vettel posts 38.647 as Alonso goers third and Perez fourth, these conditions a great help to McLaren. Massa, Button and Sutil still in the danger zone.
Vergne continues to impress, the Frenchman posting 39.279 to go fourth, only to be demoted when both Lotus driver improve. Vettel improves yet again, this time posting a 37.640.
Button goes second with a 38.498 as Rosberg looks set to improves again, the German going quickest in Q1. Hamilton eleventh (39.474) with 5:51 on the clock.
Perez is the first driver to switch to drys, the Mexican opting for the super-soft. Two-time world champion pits for another set of Inters.
As Button also switches to the option dry rubber his teammate is really struggling, the car all over the place. At the end of the lap Perez dives straight back into the pits… unbelievably for another set of supersofts. Back on track (or not) Button runs wide at T3. Meanwhile Ricciardo is told that Inters remain the best choice.
Hamilton improves to second with a 37.254 only to be demoted when Rosberg bangs in a 36.194.
Perez is told that he must make the options work and that there is no more rain coming. With 1:16 on the clock the Mexican is in the midst of the danger zone. The McLaren driver has no confidence, almost 2s off the pace in the first sector alone.
Rosberg and Vettel both on hot laps as Bottas, also on slicks, misses the cut.
Rosberg goers quickest in S3 but fails to improve his overall time, nonetheless he remains quickest. A late charge sees Webber go second.
As expected, Perez fails to make the cut, as do Vergne and Bottas, who similarly switched to dry tyres. Along with them we lose Hulkenberg, Sutil and Ricciardo.
Rosberg is quickest, ahead of Webber, Hamilton, Button, Massa, Alonso, Vettel, di Resta, Raikkonen and Grosjean.
McLaren apologises to Button for the decision to change to slicks - he made the cut on Inters - but the Englishman is clearly happy to have finished fourth.
Sensing a serious result here, Rosberg is first out for Q3, the German keen to lay down an early marker in terms of his old friend and new teammate. Within moments all but Button, Grosjean and di Resta are on track. It wouldn't be too big a surprise to see Button opt not to run and thereby save tyres. Then again the race is just a few hours away. Everyone is on Inters.
Rosberg crosses the line at 33.684 but this is quickly beaten by his teammate (33.623). Webber goes third ahead of Alonso and Raikkonen.
Vettel posts 32.604 despite a major wobble in the final corner that saw the rear end snap right out.
Button leaves the pits on slicks (supersofts) as the Mercedes duo queue outside their pit slot. Both switch to options as do their rivals.
Raikkonen is pushed back into his garage, the Finn thought to have a problem with the underside of his car.
On slicks Button posts a PB in S1 but not an overall best however, this changes in S2 where he does go quickest. At the line the McLaren driver posts 32.485 to go quickest but his time is sure to be hammered by the oppositions. At Lotus, Raikkonen is back on track.
Having gone quickest in the first two sectors, Hamilton crosses the line at 29.184 however, Vettel is also on a hot lap, as is Webber.
Rosberg can only manage sixth as Massa improves to second (29.589). Vettel however, takes provisional pole with a 27.407. A mistake in T15 means Webber fails to take pole for his home race however, he does take second.
Raikkonen takes fourth but is quickly demoted by Alonso and then Massa while Rosberg fails to improve on sixth. Button, who clearly went too early, can only manage tenth.
Consequently, Vettel starts from pole, ahead of Webber, Hamilton, Massa, Alonso, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Grosjean, di Resta and Button.