Qualifying 3

An almost instant start to Q3 and Barrichello hastens to get on track alongside Webber and Rosberg. And all cars bar Adrian Sutil are out on track. Sebastian Buemi has made Q3 and has P1 as well. Well! Webber is P2 with Raikkonen, Nakajima, Rosberg, Trulli and Barrichello behind. Kubica goes P2 now and Webber is on track chasing from P3. Buemi retains P1.

And now Barrichello has P1. Where's Sutil? Kubica has fallen to P5 but is going quick enough for P1 at present. And Kubica has P1. Webber is also set for P1 but he manages only P2. Sutil is on track now and has P9 ahead of Rosberg. And Trulli has P1 now! Nakajima has P7 and Rosberg takes P1 now! So many P1s in the last few laps! The track is certainly improving. Kubica pits for tyres. And he could make it work better. Trulli is quickest now Raikkonen has P5 and Trulli takes P1 again and now Barrichello takes P1 from him moments later. Alonso is down to P10.

Webber has P1 for now and Barrichello is trying for P1 now. Sutil climbs to P8. Rosberg can only manage P3. Webber holding on to P1 ahead of home favourite Barrichello. And that makes you wonder what happened to Vettel? Webber retains P1 with the fastest lap till now. Sutil climbing consistently up to P5 now. But Barrichello takes P1 as the chequered flag comes out. Sutil still on track... and he takes P3! Superb lap!

Top 10 Qualifiers

P1: R Barrichello
P2: M Webber
P3: A Sutil
P4: J Trulli
P5: K Raikkonen
P6: S Buemi
P7: N Rosberg
P8: R Kubica
P9: K Nakajima
P10: F Alonso

Qualifying 2

Very heavy rain coming down now. What happens if it's called off?

Thankfully, it hasn't been called off and after a longish delay, the cars are back on track. All cars are on track now. Oh and a nasty crash for Tonio Liuzzi. Red Flags. Aquaplaning there and he is out of qualifying. Nakajima also having a spin on track. It is dangerous on track now and it would be surprising if Q2 continued right now.

Nobody managed to set a time in about two-and-a-half minute duration Q2 was out. Liuzzi's crash was actually felt by the Brawn team on the pit wall! It was a hard crash.

Mark Webber telling his crew that there are "rivers on the track" and that it was really hard to control the car.

The hold-up continues... drivers are ready to go... but the word from Race Central is that qualifying won't begin until conditions improve. And word from Force India's pit wall is that the rain is likely to continue for another hour!

The hourlong delay finally over and the cars are back on track. Tough conditions still, but much better than what it was like at the break. Rosberg is first on track and he was quickest in Q1. He is sure going for P1 and he has the pace to achieve that. 1:21.815 for Rosberg and that is a good lap. Barrichello out on track now and he has P4. Nakajima has pushed him lower now. Webber, Kubica and Nakajima completing the existing top 4. Rosberg still has P1. Sutil has moved into the top 10 at P9. And Raikkonen has P1.

And Kobayashi goes wide off track but he controls to return without crashing. Raikkonen and Webber getting involved in a dogfight for P1. And Rosberg is just as quick as well. Sutil has moved up to P6 and Jaime, Button, Alonso, Grosjean and of course Liuzzi in the relegation zone. If Button fails to move past P13, it will be a close fight considering Vettel is starting in P16!

Webber has P1 again and Nakajima does a great lap for P2. Button is now on track and is not looking very good... Rosberg is looking good, though moving back to P1. Button has fallen to P14 and it just gets worst for him. Sutil goes P2. Wow! Q2 is (finally) over! But cars are still on track. And Button is still out of the top 10. Trulli goes P2 now and Button fails to make Q3 and will start in P14. Alonso and Barrichello make it, though.

Drivers Eliminated:

P11: K Kobayashi
P12: J Alguersuari
P13: S Grosjean
P14: J Button
P15: V Liuzzi

Qualifying 1

Very wet conditions and there was an accident in Practice 3 for Romain Grosjean. And here are the cars... everyone out almost at the same time. Red Bull needs a good session and Vettel has done well in wet conditions. It's rather slow going for an F1 qualifying session! Aquaplaning the issue that drivers are trying to counter. Giancarlo Fisichella has lost his car and he's stranded across the track. And Q1 is red flagged. Second time in two races. And that's the end of qualifying for Fisi. So he starts at P20. Vettel has P1 for now. 15:53 still left in Q1.

Qualifying resumes again and Hamilton is first on track. It's still raining, but not as heavy and it's a light drizzle at best. Despite all the rain, Lewis Hamilton is comfortably ahead of Vette's time by 12 seconds! Wow. The track is drying up it would seem. Rosberg has P2 now. And Barrichello has P2 at home with Webber taking P4. Vettel is on track now and he is well out of Hamilton's time. Rosberg is doing very well on this second lap as well. The Williams were quickest in Saturday's practice session. And Rosberg has P1. Hamilton falls to P3 as Rubens goes quicker. The Brawn of Button is in some trouble. as is Barrichello's who is now 6 seconds behind P1. Mark Webber has P2, though. Alonso has P6. And Button takes P3. Kimi takes P2 now. And Nakajima has the fastest lap! Wow. So much for the rain!

Quite a drive by Rosberg here. He continues to take the P1 position easily. And more rain coming around in a couple of laps, says the McLaren team. Wet weather takes a toll on the drivers' times as Vettel in P15 and Hamilton in P16 are struggling to make Q2! Hamilton comes in for a change of tyres. Sutil and Heidfeld get too close for comfort! Sutil in P8 at present and Liuzzi in P11 for Force India. Both the McLarens in the relegation zone and Vettel has fallen to P16.

Yellow flags out as Hamilton goes off track but he is back on track! Well, that was a close call for McLaren. He did well to keep the car running and get it back on track. And Grosjean goes for a bit of a spin too! Vettel is not looking good at all. Time enough for just one lap for him. The rain just got heavier and Vettel seems set for a P18.

So it's official. Both McLaren, one Red Bull and BMW and of course, the Ferrari of Fisichella are not making it to Q2.

Drivers Eliminated:

P16: S Vettel
P17: H Kovalainen
P18: L Hamilton
P19: N Heidfeld
P20: G Fisichella