16/04/2011
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's qualifying session, the air temperature is 16 degrees C, while the track temperature is 23 degrees. It remains unseasonably cool.
Ominously, Sebastian Vettel has been quickest in all three practice sessions. However, while the McLaren have been in close proximity there is an overwhelming feeling that the German and his team have more in reserve. That said, the Austrian outfit's KERS issue continues with Mark Webber losing vital track time this morning and failing to post a timed lap on soft rubber. Worryingly, his crew has been working furiously on his car since the end of this morning's session and with three minutes to go before the start of Q1 are still working on it.
While there is no doubting Lewis Hamilton's pace in the McLaren, there is concern that the Englishman is being too hard on his tyres, only able to get one hot lap out of his soft while rivals are able to get two or three.
Ferrari is looking a little better today, as is Mercedes, while Renault has seemed a little 'off colour'. Despite various problems, Force India is looking stronger this weekend, while Sauber hopes to benefit from its ability to go easy on its tyres. Williams continues to struggle.
Speaking ahead of the session, Christian Horner confirms that there remains a question mark as to the KERS on Webber's car however, there are no such issues for Vettel.
Perez is first out, followed by di Resta, who is celebrating his 25th birthday today. The Mexican crosses the line at 1:38.295 to get the session underway, with the Scot posting 38.921 moments later.
Heidfeld can only manage 38.501 to go second, however a 38.136 sees di Resta re-take the place. Five minutes into the phase, all but Kobayashi are on track.
Button goes quickest with a 36.778, Hamilton losing time in traffic and therefore only able to manage eighth (39.434). From out of nowhere, Alguersuari produces a 36.156 - aided by his soft Pirellis - to go quickest.
Massa goes third (37.500) but is demoted when Hamilton crosses the line at 36.091 to take the top spot. Vettel's first flying lap sees the German go third with a 36.744 while Buemi makes it a Toro Rosso 2-3 with a 36.355.
Vettel nails the top spot with a 35.891 as Button improves with a 35.924, Rosberg fifth and Webber seventh, the Australian crossing the line at 36.599.
As Vettel looks set to improve, so too does Hamilton, has the Englishman finally learned how to manage those Pirellis? Sure enough, Vettel posts a 35.694 while Hamilton stops the clock at 36.091.
Other than Kobayashi, who has yet to make an appearance, all the usual suspects - Lotus, Virgin and Hispania - are in the danger zone. The Williams, Renaults and di Resta are hovering.
On his first flying lap, Kobayashi goes fifth (36.147), as Heidfeld goes quickest in S1. The German posts a PB in S2 as Perez goes third overall with a 36.046. Moments later, Heidfeld takes second with a 35.910 despite getting it all wrong at Turn 14 and missing the apex.
Di Resta digs deep to produce a 35.702 which sees him go second. Petrov drops into the danger zone with 2:43 on the clock. Both Ferraris on track, both on softs. A sign of desperation from the Maranello outfit?
Alonso goes quickest with a 35.389, having gone quickest overall in the final two sectors. Massa improves from sixteenth (37.147) to second (35.478) to make it a Ferrari 1-2 but at the cost of a set of softs.
No sooner has Petrov taken the top spot with a 35.370 than Rosberg posts 35.272, thereby dropping his Mercedes teammate into the danger zone. Webber still down in sixteenth (36.468).
The Australian (on hards) crosses the line but remains sixteenth, moments later Schumacher takes fifth with a 35.508. Maldonado posts 36.121 to take fifteenth which drops Webber into the danger zone and with no further time remaining it's game over for the Red Bull driver.
Quickest was Rosberg, ahead of Petrov, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher, Vettel, di Resta, Heidfeld, Barrichello and Button.
We lose Webber, Kovalainen, Trulli, D'Ambrosio, Glock, Liuzzi and Karthikeyan.
As we look forward to Q2, Webber's climbs from his car, the Australian understandably looking very unhappy. It's the first time he has been eliminated at the first hurdle since Bahrain 2009.
The Toro Rossos are first out for Q2, though Vettel and Button are also keen to get to work.
Alguersuari posts 35.888 while teammate Buemi can only manage 36.599. Elsewhere, Vettel has gone quickest in the first two sectors. However, a poor final sector means the German can only manage 38.355 to go third.
Button goes straight to the top of the timesheets with a 34.662, the fastest lap of the weekend thus far. Moments later, di Resta goes second with a 35.858.
Hamilton crosses the line at 34.486 to make it a McLaren 1-2, as Alonso goes fourth and Massa fifth.
Schumacher can only manage thirteenth, the German crossing the line at 36.692. Rosberg (36.371) in tenth is told that his next lap will consist of a single flying lap on the soft rubber.
With 5:44 on the clock, both Williams, both Renaults, Schumacher, Buemi and Kobayashi are in the danger zone. Alguersuari, Perez and Rosberg are hovering.
Petrov goes quickest in S1 as Alguersuari improves to fifth with a 35.563. Buemi takes fifth from his teammate but all eyes are on Petrov who crosses the line at 35.149 to go fourth.
With 2:40 on the clock, Heidfeld leaves the garage for his one flying lap. Meanwhile his teammate has pulled off track in S1 thereby bringing out the red flag. Replay suggests the engine died at the end of the lap, thereby shutting down the hydraulics and all the involves, much to the Russian's obvious frustration.
With 2:02 on the clock those drivers that choose to run again will have time for one flying lap.
Barrichello says he hopes that Petrov gets a penalty for stopping in the middle of the track. Other than the fact that this is the guy who threw his steering wheel onto the track after crashing at Monaco last year, Petrov didn't have any choice about where he parked his car… it had died on him.
Those drivers keen to go out for a final run spend an inordinate amount of time at the end of the pitlane. While track position will be critical it is not good for the cars or tyres to be kept waiting for that long.
It's like a race, some of the drivers are wheel to wheel as they jostle for track position, Massa, in particular, scrapping with Perez. All but Hamilton, Button, Vettel and the Toro Rossos are on track.
All eleven drivers that are on track complete their out lap before the clock counts down to 0:00. All get that one flying lap.
Rosberg gets a tow from Perez but is unable to pass the Mexican. Heidfeld can only manage sixteenth, he misses the cut, while Rosberg improves to ninth - the only driver to improve.
We lose Sutil, Perez, Kobayashi, Schumacher, Barrichello, Heidfeld and Maldonado.
Quickest was Hamilton, ahead of Button, Vettel, Petrov, Alonso, Massa, Buemi, Alguersuari, Rosberg and di Resta. However, Petrov will play no further part in this session and will therefore start from tenth.
The lights go green for Q3 and Button is first out followed by Vettel. Alonso sits resolutely in his car, suggesting that the Ferrari driver is going for one hot lap.
As Vettel begins his first flying lap Buemi and Alguersuari head down the pitlane.
The German posts 24.8 in S1 while Button can only manage 24.9. The German is 0.2s quicker is S2, crossing the line at 1:33.706 compared to Button's 34.421. That over 0.7s.
Having had a nice tow from Vettel on the back straight, Alguersuari posts 36.158 to go third. Moments later, Buemi crosses the line at 36.203.
With 3:33 on the clock, the Toro Rosso drivers make their way back the pits as their eight rivals wait patiently.
Alonso leaves the pits, followed by Massa, Rosberg, di Resta and Hamilton. Shortly after, Vettel and Button are back on track. In true dramatic style, Vettel will be the last driver to cross the line.
Plenty of PBs on the out laps, and again on the flying laps, but nobody seems able to challenge Vettel.
Di Resta goes fourth with a 36.190 however, Rosberg goes quicker as does Alonso. Massa goes fifth but is demoted when Hamilton crosses the line at 34.463 to go third. With nobody able to challenge their times, Vettel and Button are told to abandon their final laps, thereby saving their tyres and their engines.
Vettel takes his third pole of the season, ahead of Button, Hamilton, Rosberg, Alonso, Massa, Alguersuari, di Resta, Buemi and Petrov.
With an advantage of 0.7s, who would really bet against Vettel tomorrow afternoon. Then again, it's going to be interesting to watch Webber carve his way through the field.
To check out our Shanghai qualifying gallery, click here.