Well here we are the first grand prix of the season and qualifying is under way, De Grassi was the first car on track and 7 cars will be eliminated in the first session.

There will be 24 runners despite Chandhok in the unfortunately named HRT (Hispania Racing Team) having not turned a wheel in any of the practice sessions. There is likely to be a massive gap across the field highlighted by Alonso being 3 and a half seconds faster than Di Grassi in the first sector on his first lap and 5 seconds faster in the second sector and 6 seconds over the whole lap.

The first session should be fairly straight forward for the top 4 teams as 7 cars will go out and 6 of them are almost definitely going to be the 6 new cars. Schumacher's first lap was just under a second off the quickest time at that point but will be comfortably enough to get through. 7 and a half minutes left Chandok is 11 Seconds off the pace but is running, which is good.

Despite going wide Webber goes briefly first and then is beaten by his team mate Vettel with about 4 minutes to go. Qualifying 1 is finished and the 6 new cars are the bottom 6 and Alguersari has also gone: the bottom 7 rankings are:
18 J Alguersuari Toro Rosso
19 T Glock Virgin
20 J Trulli Lotus
21 H Kovalainen Lotus
22 L di Grassi Virgin
23 B Senna Hispania
24 K Chandhok Hispania

and the top 10 does not include the current world champion, although at this stage that doesn't really mean anything the top 10 are:
1F Alonso Ferrari
2 S Vettel Red Bull
3 A Sutil Force India
4 M Webber Red Bull
5 F Massa Ferrari
6 L Hamilton McLaren
7 N Rosberg Mercedes
8 R Kubica Renault
9 M Schumacher Mercedes
10 V Liuzzi Force India

Qualifying 2 is under way, just 15 minutes this time and Vettel and Buemi are first out onto the circuit and only 10 go through to Qualifying 3 and 7 more drivers will go out. the top 4 teams should make it through with 2 other drivers from the remaining teams. I have to say its fantastic to see Force India doing well and Rosberg comfortably beating Schumacher.

Not sure why they have made fuelling slower this season seems like a desperate plan to make qualifying a bit more difficult to do multiple runs. Three minutes to go all the big teams are out and there are a lot of cars close together and we will shortly know who the 10 are in the final session.

The Mclaren engineers do not look happy and may struggle to get through, Button is fighting the car but just inside the top 10 after sector 2. He makes the top 10….just. The 7 out are:
11 R Barrichello Williams
12 V Liuzzi Force India
13 N Hulkenberg Williams
14 P de la Rosa BMW Sauber
15 S Buem iToro Rosso
16 K Kobayashi BMW Sauber
17 V Petrov Renault

And everyone else will fight it out in the Last session but it looks like its between Vettel and Alonso so far.

Just 10 minutes in Qualifying three, the cars have to start the race on the tyres they do their fastest lap on. % and a half minutes left Alonso goes fastest. The Mclarens look slower than the other 6 top cars and may struggle to be near the sharp end.

1 minute 20 to go and all 10 cars are on the track, Sutil goes third but will almost definitely drop down as other finish their laps but he should get another timed lap. Time runs out so just those still on laps who can complete them.

Vettel goes fastest and Massa beats Alonso for second the top 10 are:
1 S Vettel Red Bull
2 F Massa Ferrari
3 F Alonso Ferrari
4 L Hamilton McLaren
5 N Rosberg Mercedes
6 M Webber Red Bull
7 M Schumacher Mercedes
8 J Button McLaren
9 R Kubica Renault
10 A Sutil Force India

So there you go 10 seconds between the first and 24th, it will be very interesting tomorrow.

Steve Jarvis