Published by Christine
The rain finally made a huge impact on a session, and from the very start, we knew we were in for an interesting session. The big names fell early, and Q3 saw a red flag due to conditions. Read on for how qualifying unfolded, step by step.
Hello everyone! Welcome back to our second Factbyte Factbox session of the day. Qualifying gets underway in about 30 minutes. All looking forward to it, I hope.
My favourite tweet of the last twenty minutes or so. From @clubforce: Rain watch: it's not raining.
From @redbullf1spy: The crew say goodbye to three litres of sweat as they climb into their race overalls. They'll be beyond skinny come 5pm.
The BBC are streaming qualifying live for those in the UK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8600528.stm. Currently an interview with Senna and Chandhok.
Autosport Live will be providing text commentary: http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/202 (it hasn't started yet).
Some clouds... and a thumb: http://twitpic.com/1ctwup
Nathan is at the track and reports in the comments: "I can see rain falling in the distance now."
McLaren radio: Weather radar indicates this is the beginning of a larger band of rain sweeping over the circuit.
Live timing has reset. Track temp - 31. Air temp - 31.
From @clubforce: both drivers in cars now waiting to go out. plans changing rapidly depending on weather updates
Hulkenberg's radio: "This is the worst the weather will get, then it should get better. Run as long as we can, then we'll get dries on."
Session starts, cars lining up at the end of the pitlane to go out.
Lots of spray on this first lap.
11 cars out instantly. Vettel heads up the main runners after a moments wait.
From @InsideFerrari: with these conditions it will be crucial to choose the right time to run
From @luizrazia: Lucas Di Grassi has a problem in his car let's hope he can go out and qualify
Nathan's view from the grandstand: http://drop.io/sidepodcast/asset/photo-jpg-15
From @VirginRacing: Standard pose in the pitlane is to hold your arm out and look at the sky
Petrov has spun it, but continues onwards. 5live reporting the rain has stopped and things should dry up now.
Buemi has set the initial benchmark of the day, a 1:48.945. Vettel had a slow first lap, slotting into 5th place.
McLarens, Mercedes, Ferrari, Massa and di Grassi remain in the pitlane.
Buemi runs off track and into the gravel - follows the grass back to the track and continues.
McLaren are ready to leave the pits. Button heads out.
Rain coming out again. The remaining drivers head out of the pitlane sharpish. Only di Grassi remains in the garage.
Liuzzi spins but continues. Senna runs off into the gravel - looks like he's stuck.
Hamilton spun it, stays out of the gravel though, and continues.
Current order: KUB, DEL, VET, PET, KOB.
Drivers without a time: ROS, WEB, MAS, DIG.
Button spins off into the gravel, stuck. Petrov at the same corner avoids Button and manages to keep going.
Button aquaplaned off. For a moment, the marshals looked like they were trying to push him out but it was to no avail. The JCB arrived.
Schumacher has bolted on full wet tyres.
Di Grassi still hasn't left the garage. Hamilton is currently last. Button is 13th but out of the session.
The bottom seven: Di Grassi, Hamilton, Senna, Chandhok, Alonso, Massa, Trulli.
Hamilton slip slides his way back to the pitlane.
Schumacher instructed over the radio to be careful. The track may not be quick enough to improve, and "the last thing we want is to be in the gravel."
Lucas di Grassi out on track.
Potential big winners - Glock in 15th, Kovalainen 17th. Potential big losers - Both Ferrari's and Hamilton.
Fernando Alonso spins a 360 to continue onwards.
Alonso doubles his last spin and still manages to keep going.
Alonso moves up to 19th, Hamilton 20th.
Fastest three - KUB, DEL, VET. Dropping out: TRU, ALO, HAM, MAS, CHD, SEN, DIG
From @VirginRacing: Q2 !!! Yay!!!
From @NobleF1: Can't wait to hear why McLaren and Ferrari stayed in the pits when the track was at its best
Cars lining up at the end of the pitlane again.
Petrov the first man out on track.
Button won't be able to take part in this session, everyone else has come out bar Timo Glock.
Schumacher team radio: "Rain in the next two minutes."
Glock leaves the pitlane, 16 drivers out on track.
Schumacher puts in the fastest time of Q2 so far - 1:50.611. Almost two seconds up on his Q1 time.
Glock spins and continues onwards.
Vettel pits for intermediate tyres. Webber queues up behind for the same.
Buemi runs wide and off track, but steers clear of the gravel.
Everyone has set a time now, except Glock. top three - PET, MSC, KUB.
In the drop zone - SUT, BAR, LIU, KOV, BUE, GLO and BUT.
Vettel team radio - "Rain may be on the way, set a time NOW."
Schumacher regains P1.
Barrichello goes fastest, instantly beaten by Hulkenberg and then Vettel. Times down to 1:47.003.
Kubica up to P1. Rosberg improves to P3. The bottom seven now - KOB, DEL, GLO, ALG, KOV, BUE, BUT.
Kobayashi jumps up to P6.
Drops Webber into the drop zone.
Webber improves to 7th.
Top three - VET, KUB, SUT. Bottom seven - PET, DEL, BUE, ALG, KOV, GLO, BUT.
A top ten shoot out between: Vettel, Kubica, Sutil, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Kobayashi, Webber, Liuzzi, Barrichello and Schumacher.
5live are reporting sightings of lightning.
Liuzzi radio: "We're going full wets. We need you to be the first guy at the end of the pitlane."
Orderly queue at the end of the pitlane, Kubica pulls out beside them and gets in front of the Force India.
Full wets, plenty of spray, everyone out on track.
Red flag. No times set as yet.
A very happy @tonyfernandes: Unbelievable. Heikki 15th. making steps forward. Awesome. We know what to do in the future. Jarno and heikki ahead of Ferrari and mcclaren
All drivers back in the pit lane safely.
Race control: Indefinite Delay.
Track temp - 24. Air temp - 26.
From @lucasdigrassi: Difficult day. Lots of problems. We almost didn't run qualifying trying to fix the car. Good effort from the mechanics, really impressive.
Session to restart in five minutes.
Liuzzi heading down the pitlane, still putting his gloves on. Waits at the red light, followed by Sutil.
Sutil pulls alongside Liuzzi, to stop any Kubica cheekiness.
Liuzzi radio: "Adrian is allowed to pull alongside, but I'll give you advance warning and you will beat him to turn one."
Session is go. Liuzzi does get out ahead of Sutil.
All drivers out on track.
Ah-ha, we have laptimes! Sutil 1:51.238, Kubica second 1:51.326.
All drivers have now set a time. Six drivers with 1:51s. Rosberg 1:56 in 10th.
Vettel on full wets is 6th. Webber on intermediate tyres takes P1.
Vettel improves to 3rd.
Webber is going even quicker, whilst everyone else can't seem to improve.
Top three - Webber, Rosberg and Vettel.
Full qualifying results: https://sidepodcast.com/2010/04/03/malaysia-2010-qualifying-results/
Thanks to one and all for joining us for this rather exciting qualifying session. Let's hope for more of the same tomorrow!
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