| 13:50:20
| Welcome to F1-Live.com and what we hope will be live coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session. At best we have a wet session ahead! |
| 13:52:01
| The one hour practice session this morning was abandoned after a series of delayed due to low cloud at Fuji Speedway. With the rain falling and poor visibility, the medical helicopter was unable to take off and the organisers had no choice but to halt proceedings. |
| 13:53:02
| After two 15 minute delays, there was however just under four minutes of track activity with all but Kimi Raikkonen heading out for an installation lap before the session was halted for the final time. Alex Wurz, Nico Rosberg and Jarno Trulli completed a slow timed lap, but the times were meaningless. |
| 13:54:02
| With no track time this morning, the drivers head into the all-important qualifying session with no real running today and critically, no information that is normally collected in the morning practice session. |
| 13:55:21
| We now wait to see if the session will start as scheduled. |
| 13:58:40
| Some engines are firing up, but this is just standard proceedure, as they have to prepare. |
| 13:59:32
| The drivers are in the cars and awaiting to see if the session will start as scheduled. |
| 14:00:13
| The cars are lining up at the end of the pitlane. |
| 14:00:34
| Qualifying is now under way! |
| 14:00:48
| As ever, qualifying is split into three 15-minute sessions, the slowest six being eliminated in Q1 and Q2, leaving the fastest ten to go for the pole with race fuel on board. |
| 14:01:18
| It's wet so qualifying will be very tricky and we are bound to get some surprises. |
| 14:01:54
| All but the Renault duo of Fisichella and Kovalainen on track. |
| 14:02:58
| There's a lot of spray as Sato slithers though one of the slower turns. This is all new to the drivers. |
| 14:03:45
| The cloud is still low, so I guess they are not too worried about the helecopter. |
| 14:04:09
| The first lap times are coming in with Alonso fastest at the moment from Kubica. |
| 14:04:22
| The Renault driver now head out. |
| 14:04:38
| Now Massa is fastest for Ferrari from Alonso. |
| 14:05:33
| Schumacher and Vettel have both had spins. |
| 14:05:45
| Trulli has pitted his Toyota. |
| 14:06:11
| Bettel; got a rear wheel on the kerbing and around the STR went. |
| 14:06:40
| They will all keep running and going for times as tyres are not the issue in the wet. |
| 14:07:09
| Remember, the fastest times do not matter a great deal. It is just the slowest six who are eliminated. |
| 14:07:25
| Schumacher has pitted after his spin and is currently slowest. |
| 14:07:42
| Alonso is now fastest from Massa and Hamilton. |
| 14:08:29
| Vettel pops up third fastest in his Toro Rosso ahead of Hamilton. |
| 14:09:14
| Trulli is now third fastest. |
| 14:10:10
| Quite a few now pitting to change from full wet to intermediate tyres. |
| 14:10:42
| Alonso is in the pits. He is still on full wets. |
| 14:11:10
| Massa fastest now from Alonso who remains in the pit. Raikkonen is third now from Button. |
| 14:12:04
| Kovalainen and Rosberg are the big names who need to gain time. |
| 14:12:45
| Webber and Sato go wheel to wheel, both trying to set a better time. |
| 14:12:59
| It seems Alonso (2nd) is happy to stay in the pits now. |
| 14:13:30
| Hamilton is currently just 14th. |
| 14:13:50
| Massa pits and is safe. |
| 14:14:17
| Hamilton is now on another lap and he need a clear run as he is now 18th. |
| 14:14:34
| Vettel back to third. Impressive wet run from him. |
| 14:14:55
| Hamilton now moves third and is safe. |
| 14:15:16
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 14:15:30
| Heidfeld needs to improve or he is out. |
| 14:15:47
| Heidfeld improves and is fifth. |
| 14:16:02
| Lots of people on fast laps. |
| 14:16:21
| Ralf Schumacher hits Yamamoto. |
| 14:16:37
| Rear end and side damage for Schumacher, so that is the end of his day. |
| 14:16:57
| Yamamoto closed the door, but it was a bit optimistic from Schumacher. |
| 14:17:39
| Schumacher actualy made it into Q2 with the 14th fastest time, but he will take no futher part as his Toyota is damaged. |
| 14:18:00
| So Massa fastest from Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton and Webber. |
| 14:18:43
| The slowest six are: Yamamoto, Sato, Sutil, Davidson, Wurz and Barrichello. There are no real surprises there at all. They are now eliminated. |
| 14:19:28
| A short pause before Q2 gets underway. |
| 14:21:59
| Not a great day for Japan. The two Japanese drivers are slowest. Both Super Aguris out, and one Toyota being craned away. |
| 14:22:18
| Q2 is now underway. |
| 14:22:36
| Trulli heads out in the remaining Toyota. |
| 14:23:23
| More cars now heading out. The slowest six will be eliminated from this session. |
| 14:24:34
| They are all on track now. Schumacher is out of the session of course, so 15 runners. |
| 14:25:43
| Trulli sets the first timed lap, the others are all no on their first laps. |
| 14:26:34
| Ralf Schumacher will start 16th, perhaps 15th depending on where Rosberg qualifies as he has an engine change penalty. |
| 14:26:57
| Alonso sets the initial pace from Hamilton and Massa. |
| 14:28:26
| A relatively slow first lap from Fisichella and Kovalainen in 13th and 14th. |
| 14:29:09
| Alonso does not improve next time around. |
| 14:29:35
| Button moves fifth in his Honda. He will be very happy in these conditions. |
| 14:30:20
| The circuit is not really drying. The humidity is high and the cloud is low. |
| 14:30:31
| Webber and Trulli have pitted. |
| 14:30:55
| Alonso gains a tenth on that lap and remains fastest. |
| 14:31:30
| Trulli, Vettel, Fisichella, Kovalainen, Liuzzi and Schumacher are the slowest six at the moment. |
| 14:32:12
| Rosberg has moved into the top ten. He will drop ten places after qualifying due to the engine change penalty. |
| 14:32:32
| Alonso, Heidfeld and Raikkonen pit. |
| 14:33:00
| Hamilton is now fastest from Alonso, Massa and Raikkonen. |
| 14:33:59
| A number of drivers pitting for new intermediate tyres for a final run. |
| 14:34:32
| Renault have it all to do as both will go out unless they improve. |
| 14:35:02
| Fisichella is in the pits. He is cutting it fine with 2 min left. |
| 14:35:11
| Fisichella is now back out. |
| 14:36:14
| Heidfeld moves third fastest. |
| 14:36:27
| Vettel remains tenth in his STR. |
| 14:37:02
| Kovalainen runs wide at turn three. |
| 14:37:06
| The chequered flag is out |
| 14:38:15
| Kovalainen improves to 11th but does not make it into Q3. |
| 14:39:11
| Ralf Schumacher, Liuzzi, Trulli, Coulthard, Kovalainen and Fisichella do not make the cut and are eliminated. |
| 14:39:41
| Experiemce doesn't pay it seems looking at those eliminated... |
| 14:40:03
| A good job from Button and Vettel. |
| 14:40:34
| For the record, Hamilton set the pace in that session on a 1:24.7s best, |
| 14:40:59
| A short pause now as race fuel is added to the cars. Q3 gets underway in a few minutes. |
| 14:45:16
| Q3 is now underway as Hamilton leads out of the pit lane. |
| 14:45:57
| Normally this is fuel burn, but each lap is crtical in the wet as the fuel load does not make such a difference. |
| 14:46:05
| All ten are on track. |
| 14:47:09
| Given the conditions, they will have more fuel than normal on board as it may well be wet tomorrow too. |
| 14:48:14
| Hamilton sets the first timed lap, nearly two seconds off the pace in Q2. |
| 14:48:39
| Alonso much faster on his first time lap. |
| 14:48:52
| Raikkonen runs off the circuit and then rejoins. |
| 14:49:38
| Massa and Hamilton trade positions behind Alonso. |
| 14:50:48
| Alonso looks super-smooth and is on another fast lap as Raikkonen vaults second fastest. |
| 14:51:14
| Hamilton pits his McLaren. |
| 14:51:38
| Button is currently tenth and has pitted. |
| 14:51:58
| Massa moves third, demoting Hamilton to fourth. |
| 14:53:31
| Massa pits his Ferrari. |
| 14:54:19
| Vettel moves sixth fastest in his Toro Rosso |
| 14:54:38
| Raikkonen and Heildfeld pit for new tyres. |
| 14:54:51
| Hamilton improves and is now third. |
| 14:55:22
| Button improves and is now sixth ahead of Vettel, Rosberg, Webber and Kubica. |
| 14:55:45
| Alonso pits the McLaren. |
| 14:56:14
| Massa catches Heidfeld and loses time. He backs off. |
| 14:57:01
| Vettel (7th) is on anther good lap. |
| 14:57:50
| Despite the wet conditions, they are olny seven seconds off the pace of the dry running yesterday. |
| 14:58:04
| Hamilton pits again and takes new tyres. |
| 14:58:45
| Raikkonen and Alonso on fast laps. |
| 14:59:02
| Alonso improves by a tenth. |
| 14:59:47
| Raikkonen gets close, but is still second. |
| 15:00:11
| Hamilton is on a fast lap. |
| 15:00:14
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 15:00:52
| Rosberg moves sixth in the Williams. |
| 15:01:30
| Lewis Hamilton improves and takes the Pole! |
| 15:02:16
| There was a scare at the end of the lap as he looked to get a tow off a Ferrari on the straight, but it was going very slowly and he had to jink left. |
| 15:02:56
| So pole position for Hamilton from Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Button, Webber, Vettel and Kubica. |
