The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Qualifying Formula 1

odds dictate only two pairs remain. Out of sight of a trailing field.

Do you still think you have a chance for the championship?

Focused on the road ahead. A road that has turned the tide of

expectation once before. This title is drifting from Fernando Alonso.

Sebastian Vettel wins in Abu Dhabi to be drivers' champion fo' for

2010. Thank you boys. What a remarkable story it has been for

Fernando Alonso. Where has Sebastian Vettel found this

incredible pace from? Fernando Alonso has driven especially once

again. Sebastian Vettel has disappeared. Alonso staying in that

Championship hunt. The neon glare of the Championship looms large.

But for whom? Welcome to Abu Dhabi. You are getting a sense of deja vu?

We are been here before. Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, vying

for the title, round the Tarmac of Abu Dhabi. As the fans learned on

that occasion when these two are involved, you have to expect the

unexpected. Welcome to live coverage of qualifying for the Abu

Dhabi Grand Prix. It will be a special one. It is important, not

just because it is difficult to overtake round these streets, but

with three races left it is an important sefplgts every time you

head out on to the tar Mac, a dumb of our mates, and we have decided

to start outside Ferrari to see how exhausted the mechanics are looking.

They have done what we call breaking the curfew, explain that.

There is an agreement in place mainly to stop mechanics having to

work round-the-clock, that you must leave the circuit for six hours in

any given period, and their desire to compete for this Championship

has seen them work and break that curfew two nights in a row: There

is a very strong and strict gentleman's agreement, and I am

surprised that the FIA, well they are not taking any action at the

moment. But you are not supposed to have them back-to-back. You can

have a breach of the curfew rule once and maybe some other time in

the future. Two together is unheard of. We will see if there is any

ramifications later. It's a good message to the rest of the pit lane

these guys are doing everything they can, including possibly

bending the rules slightly to take this fight to Red Bull. Do you

blame them? They exist to win. Pat Fry the technical director was

having a conversation about some part of the body work which shows

the details they are looking at as they go into the qualifying session

which will start in a 45 minutes. We have had Red Bull coming here

with wonderful memories. You have working with -- worked with drivers

and understand the psychology, will it make a difference this is the

place he won his first title? Absolutely. He is walking on water

at the moment and every thing he does turns to gold. The streets are

paved with gold for him. He has alluded to. He can do no wrong. He

is part of the Hallowe'en party, he is doing everything right. Good

luck to him and Fernando Alonso, both of them going today. That is

the team with plenty of focus, you can see, once again the fans

turning out. They get a good treat here. They tend to be involved in a

Championship battle and we are making our way to Red Bull who this

weekend hope to wrap up that constructors title. It is difficult

to remember there are 24 men out on track in Formula One, because all

the talk has been about two, and we will talk to them before qualifying

gets going. Two years ago we won the championship here, one of the

first things I did was come back to the office, switch the computer on

and check whether it really happened P -- happened. I think it

is still very open and in this moment we will see the strongest

Ferrari and strongest Alonso of the year. And there it is. The car that

has won the last four grand pee in Formula One. This weekend it wants

to make it five on the spirpbgs after that domination in Delhi. We

have taken the Grand Prix, mated it about 90 seconds long, added

musicians, it still doesn't look like a classic but it is a bit

better. Mind you not that this team Mark Webber is going on the attack.

Vettel trying to cover it but Vettel gets into the first corner

ahead. Alonso is in the slip stream. The attack comes from McLaren on

both side. They both go round Alonso. He is a wily old fox. Is it

going to make it? There is Schumacher with the tyre shredded.

Onboard with Alonso. Look at the speed difference he has over the

McLaren, he sweeps past Button. Here comes Hamilton, he is going to

overtake Jensen Button. Perez clipped the front wing. Perez is

out of the Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen sweeps round the outside.

Tries to get the inside line. has handed the advantage back to

Massa. Felipe Massa gets in front of the Lotus. Maldonado has the

inside line, he touched his front wing. Oh puncture, puncture on

Maldonado. Vettel was caught out. Almost piling into the back of him.

Here is Hamilton in for his stop. He is in for his hard tyres. That

was superslick. Fernando Alonso has taken second place from Mark Webber.

Suddenly, where did that come from? Does Webber have a problem?

Sebastian Vettel is going to do it. He is going the win all four races

in Asia. Not great but I am sure you will agree a bit better, four

genuine overtakes all race and these are the headlines after that

race. The leader -- lead now extending to 13 points. Kimi

Raikkonen can win the title but he must start winning races. Lewis

you know, we have had such excitement, all the way through,

the season up to then, it was a disappointment. Particularly for

India, because they have embraced Formula One and they are making a

real effort to make it a very big race in the calendar, so let us

hope the future is bright for them, but you are right, it was a bit of

a yawn, most of the way through it. Did you manage to stay up for it?.

Some I did nod off, but you do that at my age. Of course you do, not

the answer we wanted. Bruno Senna is with us. Bruno, we would like to

say congratulationss for that drive in India, it was a race long battle

with Rosberg, but you won it. it was a good race, the mistake in

qualifying cost me a lot, which was upsetting, but the race was very

strong, and I got a point for that, so hopefully going to get some

points again. So that is eight points compared to your team-mate

who got three. Do you think that is enough to keep you in the sport for

next year. For sure having strong races gives people in the team a

good point of view, but you need to get everything together to be

Formula One World Champion, if you are content with less than that

there is no point in being here. You must be looking at alternatives

and other team, it is very finely poised. You don't have a contact

for next year at this time. How much encouragement does that give

you to find another team? Think you always have to have option, if you

are with one option you are in a difficult position, but, you know,

the important thing for a driver, is to focus on the work he has to

do, if I start to think about that sort of stuff too much, you start

struggling more on the track, so I keep it for my management to be on

the options, and I am cool there. Have they started the chat, asked

questions of Williams next year? think the question has been asked

from the first race. Two This is another Hermann Tilke designed

track. Can you talk us a bit about what it feels the drive here. There

isn't as many high speed challenges: It is more like

Valencia where you have low speed awkward corner, that I don't think

any car like, you have to kind of set your car up for them, but, you

know, it's the same change for anybody, and you have to develop

your kind of direction, try to make the car work as well as possible,

for sure, I am much more in favour of the old classics, even India, it

is a nice track, I hope we see more of those or street circuits on the

calendar. We can't avoid the question, we are heading for Brazil,

are you excited? Yes, on the home Grand Prix you have this extra

excitement on you, the first time I raced there, it was in 2010. I

never raced in Brazil before, and I think that was the first time I

felt this real push from the crowd, and last year was the same thing,

it was good, a good qualifying effort last year, so there is

always the little extra when you go home. Even though Brazilian

supporters are very demanding, you always want to deliver the best.

And briefly top ten nais the car, we saw in India, do you have it

here? I think so, Pastor has been good in the last few practise

session, had trouble with brakes and today, we are trying to soirt

out, so big time florsz me in terms of practise, but, well, we are

going to have to try and make the best we can. Keep asking questions

of the car and your management can keep asking questions of the team.

That is how it works. So three races left for Bruno in 2012. One

is in Brazil and the other is in North America. Austin tex a we are

going there next after Abu Dhabi. Despite a busy schedule, David

still found time to head to Austin Texas. It is hot here. I'm going to

take you on a tour of the circuit of Americas. It doesn't look like

we on a round about in Milton Keynes, does it? Howdy partner.

Here we go. Circuit of Americas. First drive. Well, we did it once

in dust. A new experience, crazy ride, great circuit. Let us do wit

a bit of Tarmac. This isn't some comet designed race track, it is

deintiend people who have raced round the circuits of the world.

You are in Austin Texas. Hold on to to your hat. Up into turn one, a

huge amount of elevation change. Dip down into the apex. This will

invite people to dive down the inside and create and overtaking

opportunity, through too this fast sec shurpbgs which has been built

to replicate this section of Silverstone, let us call it the

Silverstone connection with Texas, this is the Austin Powers part of

the Formula One track. It is groovy baby. Coner after beautiful corner.

The smile on the drivers' face, you will see the grin coming out

through the crash helmets by the time they get to the end of this

section. Up into turn eight, through nine and the flat out kink

which will be ten, into turn 11. They have increased the inside of

the circuit there, to promote and encourage people to go down the

inside. You come out of 11 on this long, almost a kilometre straight

into turn 12. You couldn't be in America without dianyland. I will

cut the kerb there. That is how I roll. Turn 1314, why even bother

laying that Tarmac, turn 15 doesn't exist and then you have another

first gear corner. Too tight really for a Grand Prix car but into the

long multiple apex. The Turkish delight. Braked too early. I have

been overtaken by the entire field, and the safety car, that is

worrying! Then it starts to open out into turn 19, just before the

pit lane and down into a straightforward 90 left, out on to

the start-finish straight. Look at that incredible Grandstand. It will

be full of Daisy Dukes and JR Ewing. Past the all you can eat buffet.

Very important in America. This is Austin baby. Formula One is so much

more difficult than when I used to do it. We used to have time for a

sandwich, wave to a crowd. Now they are a handful to drive. Don't panic,

and oh, I have spun. Austin, we this been been Bracher some unhappy

memories? -- Did the spin bring back some unhappy memories.

Absolutely. I don't think you should do to many auditions for a

Texan part in a movie. I can't really do an accent. There were so

many cliches. But this circuit, you can see the wonderful white tower,

this is the flag-bearer for modern Formula One tracks, but it doesn't

give us the buzz and excitement be like from the racing. Having driven

it on dust and Tarmac, what do you think of it? Will it work? I think

it will, it will have all of the flavour that we didn't -- we saw in

India, and a lot of people talk excitedly about the Indian track

and I think we will see that here, the opening section will put a

smile on your face. We love the buzz of Formula One and getting up

close and personal with the cast, the Updates and the battles for the

titles and it is not something that the Americans have yet been able to

grasp. We can't have another bad PR experience, can we? Way back in

time, when we decided to go back to Indianapolis, the criteria was that

if you want a global player, to be a global player, to be in that

exalted position, we need to be in America, and all of the sponsors

and tins requested. We are back there again. You are spot on, this

has to be 100% brilliant, and I think it will be. I think the new

emerging Formula One, people in America are beginning to say this

is exciting and this is what they want to see, Bring It On. To add to

that, they have got the Governor behind it. In Monza, he was doing

the rounds. Indianapolis was a great venue but we didn't really

get the local support. It is important to get the fans onside

but has also to get the teams. Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull,

three of the biggest global brands, they have a habit working for the

business side as much as racing? Behind all of these themes are a

whole squad of accountants and bean-counters and they want to see

value-for-money, and they will not allow budgets to be spent like this

and that it is justified, it is simple mathematics. -- unless it is

justified. Bernice said that after last race, there might be less

races in Europe, chasing the money -- Bernie. There is nobody who can

dispute anything like that with him, because in terms of a visionary, he

is the apse -- alter that crusader. What about the fans? The teams have

to be paid for and they will be watching it on television. You are

talking about a very select few who are able to come to Grand Prix like

this, most people enjoy it in their living room and those are the

people he is trying to look after. It is easier if the races are in

Germany, France and Belgium rather than China and ABBA that be. But he

is Ben Edwards at the latest news - - and Abu Dhabi, but he is Ben

Edwards are the latest news and why it is more expensive than ever to

at claiming the constructors' title. The team lit by 91 points and to be

absolutely sure, they need to be 87 ahead by the end of the weekend --

lead by. Mark Webber thinks it could be the most impressive win.

We have put a huge amount of work into it. Because we were rocked a

little bit earlier when we had the run of results we had, and that we

had the uncharted waters, it was choppy seas for a while and to come

back out of that is very good for the team. While the constructors'

title is the aim, it could prove expensive. FIA has notified the

teams of a hike in entry fees which will be proportional to success. To

masters of next season as he has been announced as a Sauber driver,

but as yet, no news on his potential team mate. Toro Rosso

have resigned Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, while Kimi

Raikkonen has been confirmed at Lotus for another year. Having

driven for McLaren and Ferrari in the past, he values the strength of

his current team. It is a good solid group of people and they have

a big passion about the racing and a little bit less of the politics

and the other stuff. It is just a good atmosphere and of course, it

helps when you have good results, or better than last year, so it

makes it a bit more fun. The Indian Grand Prix saw the

fastest lap set at the end of the race by Jenson Button, as the

McLaren flew on the harder tyre. Can the team bring that pace to

Guizhou ash tree Abu Dhabi? It is different in tents of degradation -

- in terms of degradation. Here, it is the rear. When it is a limited

circuit, we are a bit stronger, I hope.

Finally, Lewis Hamilton looks relaxed as he can stand his final

races with McLaren, but is he concerned that Mercedes hadn't

scored any point since his contract was announced -- is he concerned?

It doesn't bother me. I am really excited to go there. People are

always asking different questions about it but I feel fantastic about

the decision and I fell massively excited about working with new

people -- I feel massively excited. It is a fantastic team, they have

lost their way a little bit at the moment but I am going to go and try

and help them find their way. There you go, a fantastic team,

Lewis Hamilton describes Mercedes as. Ross Brawn is alongside us, why

have you not manage to find your way this season? We had a pretty

strong start at the beginning and when we took a step back last year

and had a look at the team, we felt it just wasn't strong enough. We

could always dip in, but we had to be consistent. We had a fade -- Mac

fairly major restructuring towards the end of last year and we have

everyone in place now. That included revamping some of the

facilities and some of the issues that other time -- that other teams

have had, like the wind tunnel, that has an impact. We know we have

a lot of extra responsibility now with Lewis joining us. Does that

the way it -- is that the way it feels when you lose Michael

Schumacher for Lewis Hamilton? have extra responsibility to

perform as we want to, so we are having a little bit of a quiet

smile -- quiet spell at the moment. Well done on getting Lewis, he is

excited about coming to the team. What did you say to him to convince

him to leave McLaren to come to you? We were very honest with him

about where we were and what we were doing and what our plans were.

Obviously, I spent some time with him, the senior engineers and

technical directors from the engine and chassis group spent time with

Lewis, and I think he was excited about the prospect. It is going to

be pretty challenging, but as a driver, I think you are... The

excitement of trying a different team and seeing how you fit in and

watch you could infants and how you can change things is compelling. --

and what you can influence?. will be working hard to get that

kind to the top 10, we look forward to seeing you in qualifying. Sir

Michael Schumacher's swapping places with Lewis Hamilton, Michael

Schumacher is looking at his final three races in Formula One and at

the same time, looking for a hat- trick of races, hat-trick of titles,

the man who was so inspired by him. We are celebrating your 90 Knight

Grand Prix, we know that is an important number for Germans. -- 99

for. You even have that special anthem.

MUSIC: "99 Red Balloons". It is a crazy number, it sounds a

lot. 90 nine-times that the lights went off, 99 times a chequered flag.

You don't realise how quickly time goes by, if I look back now and

think of the year I started going into racing, 2007, it doesn't feel

into racing, 2007, it doesn't feel into racing, 2007, it doesn't feel

champion. When you got that first

championship, it was like a role reversal, you were the one chasing.

When you came in today, did you have any memories of that and does

that emotion carry on when you revisit a track? It is so different

to when I won here. They have been so many races here, so many things

happening, that it is quite far away as well. When I wake up in the

morning now, all I think of is now, really, not what happened two years

ago, so I am not making sure I get the same room, etc. You are not

superstitious. From 2010, to that. Now, have you changed as a driver,

are you tougher as a person? think that have learned a lot. It

is the same for the team, I think it made a sort of fare in a way,

but I think we have not changed, the spirit hasn't changed. -- sort

of tougher. I have said it many times, when I was a young kid, I

was dreaming of Formula One and once I realise I am racing in

Formula One, the ultimate dream is to win the championship, and having

achieved that two years ago was, again, so far away that one of the

first things I actually did after the race, I remember, was come back

to the office, switch the computer arm and check whether it really

happened -- switch the computer on. For me, it has been the ultimate

goal, and probably the most important thing I wanted to achieve

in my life. Now, having proven that to mostly myself, I think that this

helping this year. Knowing you can do it, but equally knowing that it

takes a lot of small steps to achieve that. Success can build up

to race wins which builds up to Championships. We showed you a

video last year, when you joined the very exclusive club of back-to-

back winners and it put it here in your eye, it is fair to say. You

could be about to join an even more exclusive club of three that are

back with us, which only so far would be Michael Schumacher --

three back-to-back winners. How you feel about that? It is the dream,

but it is so far away that you don't even dare to dream about

those things, it is much healthier to live the moment.

I predict a few tears if he makes a hat-trick. You'd still of onto the

internet and check those glorious winners of the 90s -- be used to

log onto the Internet? I don't think so, it is a distant memory!

This is a driver who is showing his emotion. Not many drivers will come

out and say that because it might be interpreted as weakness, and the

reason I say that is because he should have had the inner

confidence that he knew he was going to be the champion and I

didn't necessarily like what he said. I think he is fantastically

aware of what he is achieving. We will talk to Lewis Hamilton Seun

and he -- in that chat, he reveals it does not see himself in that

category. You seem to get less plaudits were dominating qualifying

and disappearing in the race. He has not been exalted as much as

Fernando Alonso this season. hasn't been around as long as

Fernando Alonso, so he hasn't got that history and all the various

controversies, but also the fact that Lewis has been in the same

team as Fernando, he has been able to look at the date and understand

his weaknesses and he does not know that about Sebastian, which is why

he puts Fernando on a higher stage. And perhaps the match -- mental

strength of Fernando Alonso may be important. The man he would has the

car behind us may have the advantage, but it has not dented

the confidence of Alonso one bit, as he told Lee McKenzie.

Fernando Alonso takes the victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso is the first Grand Prix winner of 2012! Fernando

Alonso takes his third win of 2012! Fernando, at the bespoken India,

you said you were certain you would still win this championship. Is

that psychology or a true belief? It is a true belief. I think

Sebastian is on a very good run at the four consecutive wins, but we

have seen this year, it is open for everybody. He is continuing to go

up but I think things will change and we will get some extra speed

over these races and hopefully, he will not have such easy weekends in

the next races and we will put some pressure on and before too long, we

will get the win. You mentioned Adrian Newey last week, saying we

were racing against him as well. You feel at this stage of the

championship that Red Bull is stronger than Ferrari? It is not

that I think that, it is that fact. I am just thinking that, all free

practice, qualifying, races, Red Bull dominate, so it is something

that is may be similar to last year in a way, but in this year, we are

not 100 points behind, we are 13, so I think it is still very open

and in this moment, we will see the strongest Ferrara and -- Ferrari

and the strongest Alonso of the year. What do you think you have

that Vettel doesn't that will be new the Championship? At the moment,

the statistics should play in our favour. We had two zeroes in Spa

and one in Suzuka, we know the mistakes and we have recovered so

many points and before long, they will come back. You are but double

world champions, but do you feel you have been in more battles and

are a more experienced driver? think last year and this year, in a

way for me, have been the best years. It is the first time

everyone agrees that my performance as my own work, which I didn't

achieve when I was world champion. Everyone agrees on something, so I

am very proud of myself and hopefully I can win the

championship, but anyway, this year is quite amazing. We are in this

crazy fairground of Ferrari World, what would it mean to win a

championship for Ferrari? It means a lot when you drive for Ferrari,

because there are not many people able to achieve their dream and if

you even do a little bit more, like winning should -- the championship,

it will remain all of your life with you, so I hope I can achieve

this. Will you be world champion, 2012? I think so, but this is a

sport, so you never know. Sometimes your first, sometimes you are

second, or fifth, this is the duty of sport. But the battle will be

until the end and that is amazing for the people and for us. Banks,

drives that inspired the team back at base? There is always one that

crops up. Who was it for you? think initially, in the early days

was Johnny Herbert, then different people, when you came into Formula

One there was different people, and I think I would have to give cred

it to a driver in our first year. He finished fifth in the

Championship. They were heady days, so I would give a lot of credit to

the younger one, they believe in themselves, awe of those drives

know what they are doing. Saying I believe 100% we can win the title,

does that make a difference to the guys working until midnight or do

they do the extra half an hour instead of early lunch? It is way

he puts it across, he knows he is indirectly saying, guys you have to

deliver like I have done. He has been, in my opinion and wow have

heard Lewis talk about it, the reason he is revered by other

drives is he has made supersuch a good job out of an average car. I

think he has don proved, now he is asking even to back him up. He has

managed to get four podiums in the last five race, he hasn'tn't won

but that doesn't matter. He keeps notching up the points and the

points are there. He is still within touch. Who knows what is

going to happen. We all thought four races ago he was going to win,

but now he is struggling. But he points to the fact that he is going

on the average of luck and he is saying, this cannot continue. With

Vettel. It has to be my turn to get the up side soon, he is hoping

beyond hope it is here. I am sure they will dream of the fact that

Red Bull didn't score a point in Monza, but let us focus on Red Bull

for a moment. Hopefully Christian Horner will join us in a moment. I

can see him as they attack their fifth race win on the spin. But the

law of averages say can that he continue? If ever there was the

possibility of it to continue, you would say Red Bull are the team do

that, because they have made the change, the transformation from

where they were, I use the word floundering, they didn't know where

they were. I think... I have been spoking so badly about you! If you

will indulge us for a moment, we were discussing Fernando Alonso.

Within your team, who do you fear more Ferrari as a team or Fernando

Alonso as a individual? He is a remarkable bloke. He is a

remarkable bloke. But you have to have all the things round you, you

have to have a good car, a good engine, you have to have a group of

people in the factory doing their bit as well, because, you know, one

individual isn't enough, you know, otherwise he could drive a, you

know, a Marussia and be at the front. This isn't as easy as that.

I am not sure even he could do that! Was India a turning point?

You think you have turned a screw on Ferrari, don't you. It was

unimaginable to think after the summer break to think we would be

13 points ahead. We keep that momentum going and three to Gorkss

there is only 13 points between the two of them, but we need to keep

that momentum rolling. Has it been an issue free weekend? There was a

problem with Mark's car and today Seb went without four-and-a-half

minutes of the final practise. Still went third fastest. McLaren

looked quick, this lay out and, you know it seems to suit the

characteristics of their car, but I think Sebastian had an issue, he

had some air in the brake system which gives the driver a long pedal.

It is important we had that fixed. He had enough time to get a run on

the softer tyre which will be the kicker -- quicker tyre. Can you

take pole? It will be difficult. We will need something special.

priority is to make sure they are in front of Ferrari. If you are

wondering where David Coulthard is, he with another team boss. Less

than 15 minutes to qualifying. Looking to see if you have

bloodshot eyes because your guys have been working round-the-clock.

It sun usual. I don't think you have broken a curfew one, you have

done it twice. Is that one big effort for the Championship?

second one was a mistakes, one of our guys that came earlier, so

nothing, to create a fuss. It was a mistake. He was not able to sleep

and he came over earlier, 20 minutes, the other one is the first

time we did it as Red Bull did in the past. We tried to maximise the

time we have, it is, you know, it is a sporting challenge that we

need to take up to the maximum, and it seems that here for example for

what we have seen up to now, Red Bull is very strong and McLaren, it

was very fast, and, we were, I would say on the average side, so

let us hope we can put together a lap in qualifying. As always for us

that is the weakest point, and we will try, and that is the approach

we will have. It doesn't seem maybe you are really confident going into

qualifying. I know you don't like to look back, you have been round a

long time. If I can take you back to the beginning of the season,

when you were a second-and-a-half way from the pole position, do you

stand here going, we are close, we maybe we can still do it, maybe we

could have done it but what a relief we took this Championship

battle, or do ou just stand here disappointed because Ferrari are

all about winning? Yes, I think you summarised the situation, you never

look back and if I have to look back I look back in a shorter time

when we lost 50 points in two races where we didn't score anything

because we were out, but that is part of the game, we need to cons

trait on the future, and we are in a situation where our main

competitor is in front of us and we try to, you know, to be as smooth

as possible, in order to challenge their actual leadership, and this

is the thing what we have to do, today, tomorrow and the next races.

All the fans want this Championship to go to Brazil, so good luck.

too. Back to you. I am not sure that Christian is going to indulge

him in that way. I am living the life of a Formula One driver for a

couple of seconds. Lewis Hamilton will leave that room behind us,

these beautiful buildings. He will make his way down here and into the

back of the McLaren garage and into his car. This is as close as I can

get. There is a man who looking stronger and tougher than me

preventing me, my dream of driving in Formula One end now. Lewis

Hamilton will look for success, what are the secrets of this

circuit? He shared them with David Coulthard. I would rather do it

myself. Shall we take a wee wander. Where is our car? We don't want to

go down there. Here we are at first corner. This could be the scene of

World Championship deciders. Here comes Lewis Hamilton. You attack it

with such great speed, even though you a long straight you want to

keep your minimum speed up. This part of the track will be

spectacular. Get on DRS, ride as much of the kerb as possible. Try

do that section flat out. I aim to destroy the corner, you know, own

it. I have to tell you the Sheikh owns this corner, he has a lot more

money. Shall we check out the rest of the track. So we stop here in

the heart of turn three. Pit lane out, you can't see anything, in

terms of the other cars. No come back on the track, you are on the

dirty side of the circuit. It is tricky. Look at the head wind you

have here, the downforce you will have coming through this corner is

like the wind tunnel. I think here we are 280, 290. Can you see how

tight it is. It is megatight. are naturally directing the

cameraman. Have you ever thought about directing movies? You can see

down to turn ten seven, which is this natural am theatre, are you

aware of the crowd as you are going round the hairpin? Yes, you can see

all the crowd, as you come out of turn sense you see the screen and

you catch a glimpse and you can see lonseend where everyone is.

Interesting you mention Alonso and Vettel, is that because they are

the guys who are going wheel to wheel with you, in ters of how you

see natural talent? They are the ones at the top and they are the

ones I have to keep my eye on. Do I put interestian as the same

category as Alonso? I have been his tame mate. You might have to win

the World Championship. You equalled him in points and you

managed to scare him out of McLaren. A year early. That was a difficult

year. I got in by one point. Sorry, I thought you were all square.

Think it was one point. Was it one point? Because I had more wins. I

did, yes. Let us check out the rest of the track. This section here,

that goes under the hotel, which is a unique feature of this Grand Prix,

I guess this is as close as you get to Middle East meets Monaco in

terms of street circuit feeling. Yes, I guess it does. Last year you

could go on the inside of that kerb, now you can't do nothing. I swear I

probably had my car round here, last year. That is not going

anywhere. That is a car breaker if you cut your corner. I love driving

here. The atmosphere makes it what it is. We appreciate your time. We

saw you directing the cameraman, you can wrap it up telling people

why it is going to be a great Grand Prix. I am going to go here and

here. We are here in Abu Dhabi, have some great races here, lots of

Brits so I hope I can do them proud, and, I really hope that you enjoy,

keep following, keep supporting an I hope that the people who do

support me continue to support me in the future. Well done. You are a

natural! Very nice. There you go, said supporters on a boat out here

in the harbour. Fists in the air cheering on Lewis Hamilton. Loads

of British fans here, but Lewis Hamilton, he is not managed to get

a podium since Italy, but he looks like the happiest man in Formula

One the last four races: It is like he has been released from something.

McLaren. You could say McLaren but I don't want to go down that route.

Yes, because he has been there so long, he is probably looking like a

young boy growing up and leaving the home for the first time. They

are excited bit because they want to do it on their own. He probably

feels that Ron had his arm round him for so long and Martin and the

team, has been successful, but he wants to be his own man. He wants

to put his mark on his own career, just like Alonso when he left,

having won two World Championships. He wanted to go to Ferrari. I think

there is something like that, that is driving Lewis. I love you. I

don't want to go down that route, that is where you then choose to go.

Lewis Hamilton has looked fast in free -- practise but lots of people

looking at the speed of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. What

have we learned from free practise in Ben has learned a lot. Ferrari's

pace has so far not been impressive, despite new front and rear wins

Alonso has been round a second off the pace, but perhaps their

experiment taition has disguised their true potential. Red Bull

haven't had it all their own way. Brake problems for Vettel limited

his running and he was third fastest behind McLaren, he was

quickest in practise two, held in similar conditions to qualifying.

McLaren is the team that might disturb the contenders. Hamilton

has been rapid and Button has been close behind N the battle for pole

Vettel has his work cut out but the threat appears to be coming from

McLaren, not Ferrari. So what do you reckon? Ferrari, McLaren, Red

Bull? McLaren looks strong and Christian Horner puts them up so

four me McLaren pole. Now time for the first part of qualifying. 24

men on track, who will be the first to fall? It is time for Q1 in Abu

drive from Abu Dhabi city centre, goes into its fourth year as a

Grand Prix venue. And the track still looks as fresh and dynamic as

it did in 2009, when Lewis Hamilton took the first ever pole position

here. Formula One has returned to the United Arab Emirates for the

crucial leg of this 2012 Callander, and the Ferrari World theme park

next to the track that gives encouragement to the Ferrari team

that needs to pull something out of the back. The track is 3.4 miles.

It begins with fast corners in sector one, leading to a hairpin at

turn seven and then down to a tight, twisty section, and a further 11

corners in the last part of the lap, weaving past the marina, beneath

the hotel and back to the start- finish line. The sun is beginning

to set, the temperature is dropping. We had a track temperature of

around 40 degrees this morning but as we go through into evening, it

is dropping down to around 31 degrees and that affects how they

prepare. In terms of the weather, it is quite windy, it is gusting up

to 25 kilometres per hour, and it is sitting at around 17, so a

strong wind, a tail wind from your right hand side, a similar

direction to before but it is gusting, so watch out for that.

Sending information to Charles Pic. As we hear, that a -- the track

temperature is down nine degrees. Gary is in the pits, how much does

that temperature affect teams going into qualifying? It does affect the

balance of the tyre and how the tyres come into play. It is always

difficult with the front tyre working at the same time as the

rear. This sort of slow lap, lap to, that allows the temperature to

distribute around the tyres better. Then into turn one, I was watching

yesterday, it is getting the tyre to work their that is really

difficult and if you lose that corner, that is a problem. Every

corner has to count. As we have seen, Lewis Hamilton has been right

on the pace. His lap time this morning, 1: 42.1, so three-tenths

quicker than Jenson Button, who was second fastest. That is the Ferrari

a theme-park, it is such as an impressive facility. -- such an

impressive facility. DAVID COULTHARD: Issues to be just

an island, people used to come and pitch their tents and have weekend

excursions, but they have created this amazing facility, everything

around it. The hotels, Ferrari World, my four-year-old really

enjoyed it, he passed his driving test! That is the area down to

tents seven, the tightest corner. It is Abu Dhabi proudly displaying

what it can put on in terms of Formula One and visitors from all

over the world to catch up with the action. The point, as we see,

Sebastian Vettel leading by 13 from Fernando Alonso. It is a close

battle for third place in the championship now. Nico Rosberg has

failed to score, as has Michael Schumacher, in the last three Grand

Prix. It has been a tough time for Mercedes. Schumacher behind the

likes of di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg is on a bit

of a role this morning and he was quick this morning, the fifth

fastest in the morning practice session. In the Constructors'

Championship, Red Bull can wrap it up this weekend. They are ahead of

Ferrari and McLaren but Red Bull can wrap it up with a couple of

reasonable result. There the bottom of the list, the teams that have

been scored, Marussia, HRT and Caterham. Everybody is now looking

forward to the start of qualifying. Gary, we know there are a lot of

the parts of the Ferrari this weekend, just summarise what

Ferrari have brought to the track. Starting from the front of the car,

a new front wing, there are actually 29 weight then forced

reducing elements. Pass then forced reducing elements. The deck user

has changed, -- the diffuser has changed. Alonso is using all of

that. Massa hasn't got the front wing assembly. He is always playing

catch-up, to be honest, but at the end of the day, it is always

difficult to get the best out of the car when you keep changing it,

so Ferrari may suffer a bit here. One of the unique aspects of this

Abu Dhabi circuit in evidence there as they went through the tunnel to

join the circuit from the pit lane and the first few cars are out onto

the circuit, to give us a first indication of the pace. Gary, let's

quickly come to you for that. Obviously, the aim is to be in the

top 17 in Q1, what sort of pace should we be looking for? The 16th,

17th and 18th over the sessions, around 44.0 would be it, but this

track changes so much as it goes on. If I wanted to feel comfortable to

get into the top 17, it would have to be a 43.5, to make sure you

don't get sniggered at the end of the session with somebody pulling

out that lap -- snookered. We have the soft, medium and hard compounds

this weekend. In practice this morning, there wasn't a huge game

when they went from a harder compliant to the soft. -- compound.

When we looked on Friday, it depended on the car and whether the

driver got free air to complete his lap, we were looking at half a

second or more between the two optioned tyres. I think Lewis

Hamilton managed to find less than one-tenth, Jenson Button managed to

find a little bit of time but it didn't seem that there was much

difference in the tyre performance, but as you mentioned in the build-

up, we are down that track temperature of 31 degrees, 10

degrees cooler than we saw earlier, and that changes everything. We

have talked about the temperature sensitivity of these Pirelli tyres

all year. It is about who can switch them not only in this first

part of qualifying but into that last 15 minutes of the session,

when the sun is completed down behind the horizon, then suddenly

the opportunity to perform will increase and who will be best

placed? We are watching Kobayashi in the first part of a lap, he is

coming through the chicane and towards turn seven, the slowest

corner, with these huge grandstands all the way around and he is on to

the first of two Straits. This is absolutely straight all the way

down to the chicane and then the next section is effectively as

straight with a slight curve in it. Two very high-speed sections, 200

mph before getting on the brakes. The that is impressive, the

underbraking is the most a single impressive thing of the Grand Prix

car. That spike of six G when you hit the brakes, it can take your

head off your shoulders -- 6 G. You mentioned Kobayashi in the Sauber,

some of the other teams, notably Red Bull and McLaren, they have

been down on the top speed. Down to around 195 mph, there is a huge

amount of black-tied in that different. We saw the difference in

the team speak in India -- team speed. A bit of a lock-up for

Kobayashi. The Sauber cars have looked reasonably strong but it

doesn't look like one of those circuits that we saw in Spa and

Suzuka, when they took the cars up near the front. I don't think we

will see one of those startling performances. 1: 43.9, which

according to what Gary was talking about, should be reasonable. And

they could laugh straight away from Pastor Maldonado, 1: 42.5 -- a good

lap straight away. Earlier this afternoon, he was seventh quickest.

Yes, half a second quicker already than the heat of the afternoon, if

we see it like that, so we can see the effects of the increase in

performance. They will, of course, be running at the qualifying level

of fuel, 10 kilograms of fuel, just over three-tenths of a second per

lap. We are on board with Kimi Raikkonen, having to be quite

aggressive with the steering through the chicane, then into the

second of the number straits. The support pit lane is on the right-

hand side and then this messy Mickey Mouse chicane, these big

curves that they have to Benesova. That is one of the differences.

-- they have to bounce over. It is different to last year, they have

slightly short cut these tight corners in the past and they can't

do it this year. Not a very quick lap time as a result. Watch him

beneath the hotel here. So far, so good. Kimi Raikkonen keeping it all

together for the moment. It sounded like he was running slightly into

the softer limit of between in the shifts. That will cost him a little

bit of time. He go second to Maldonado, Sebastian Grosjean his

third at the moment, but he might improve on that. Williams by half a

second and then the Lotus cars, di Resta current before, Kobayashi

Fifth, then Vergne and Charles Pic. But we are still waiting for the

likes of Sebastian Vettel to come out but so vast -- Fernando Alonso

is on circuit, or what a crucial qualifying session this is for him.

The first aim, of course, like all of them, is to get out of Q1, get

into the top 70 and start again in Q2. You don't have to be fastest in

this session -- top 17. But it is nice to get the site and what the

fuel and car conditions and track conditions can give you. You are

not under pressure of not making the top 17, this is the busiest

time, 24 cars on track, you want to get a completely clear at lap.

has had a good middle sector, the fastest of anybody so far, so this

is going to put him right up at the top of the times. He goes faster

than Maldonado, 1: 42.5, that should see him safely through to

the next stage of qualifying. Let's see what McLaren are doing. They

have been setting good pace, but not as quick. Only third for Jenson

Button. There is Pastor Maldonado and he has gone quicker again on

the first sector. The middle sector, not quite as quick as the best of

all, but nonetheless, this is another impressive lap from the

Venezuelan, it every now and again does produce a scintillating

qualifying performance, like we saw in Singapore. He can pull out those

impressive laps from time to time. He has been inconsistent over the

year, Bruno Senna has been more consistent in his race results, but

it is fair to say that Maldonado has taken more out of the

qualifying performance of Rhys Williams. So he goes fastest again,

Maldonado. 1: 42.3, another very fast lap and it looks like that car

is in good shape. That is the test driver who drove the car of Bruno

Senna yesterday in practice watching from the sidelines. As we

speak, Kimi Raikkonen is also going quickly, so we will keep an eye on

that. Still no action from Hamilton, from Vettel and Webber, they are

leaving it late but there is plenty of time to go. Sergio Perez goes a

fastest. -- eighth fastest. We know that Nico Hulkenberg will be

joining this team next year, let's see what has been going on. Lewis

Hamilton and Rosberg will be teammates next year, they are out

on track and a bit of a lock-up from Lewis Hamilton. I think that

was down to was turn 11, but I didn't recognise the background, so

I will defer to the hardcore fans at home who can call which corner

that was. I can definitely tell you looking at the shots of the rather

impressive hotel, turneds 17, 18 and 19. -- turns. The fans enjoying

beside you have here, they have created is harder to give it a

Monte Carlo kind of feel. It doesn't work in Valencia but it

does work here. Raikkonen just a few hundred it's faster than Alonso.

That is the danger that Alonso has, he is not just fighting the Red

Bull and McLaren cars, we have some fast performances from Lotus Ann

Williams. Lewis Hamilton's first sector time is looking very rapid.

The reason he might be buzzing into the limit at in that part of the

track, they don't have DRS available in all places... And

another huge lock up. That is what you call the novelty line, and it

didn't involve any a X's whatsoever. That was right through the outside

of turn 12. He has had to back right out of it and will have to

try again to set a decent pace. Alonso is going quick again in the

middle sector. Another look at this. He has hit the brakes. As you see

them approach into turn 11, they have lateral load and it unload

that inside wheel. We have mentioned it many times, the

McLaren does seem more susceptible to lock up and some of its

competitors. A bit of a scrappy start to the practice session, but

as Hamilton finishes the lap, he has just over nine minutes and

that is quicker than anything we saw this morning. So all the work

they have done, all the bits that Gary was telling about they have

added to the car this weekend seem to be working, but let us wait and

see what trebs can do. Vettel and Welsh are out on circuit. A bit of

a mistake but not too bad. He still has a couple of corners to go.

Hampton is quick on the opening sector of the lap. -- Hamilton.

Massa goes third. Good lap for Massa so Ferrari first and third at

this stage. Gary, who are things looking? Do you think Ferrari are

making the most of the up dauts? Yes that was four tents quicker

than he did before, so it takes time and you get this stuff on car,

you have to make sure you dot the is and cross the ts, up to now it

has been about testing it and making sure you are the right parts

on the car, but you have to make them work together. Hamilton is

faster, he has been very good in this final sector. This is where he

tend to be faster than Button. They are evenly matched in sectors one

and two. This tight and twisty stuff Hamilton seems to revel in.

Let us see what the lap time is like. 1,41 .497. It is by seven

tenths of a second from Fernando Alonso. That is a big leap forward

and it is the Red Bulls that we will have to keep an eye on as we

watch Michael Schumacher. Trying to get in the top 17. At the moment

neither of the Red Bulls are in there. Schumacher gs eight. He is a

fraction ahead of Rosberg who is ninth: Mark Webber has just gone

across the line. Vettel has three coners to go in his lap. Looking a

bit slower in the middle section, unless he pulls out something

amazing we can expect him to be round that kind of position, so, he

will have to go again. TEAM RADIO: That is a fantastic lap. I think

Lewis will be delighted to hear that, he has been impressive so far

this weekend. Let us see whether that continue, and watch the Red

Bulls. Grosjean and Mark Webber locking at the timing sheets. He

glanced off the wall! Vettel, we haven't seen that happen very much.

That is coming out of turn 19. He gets on to the, they are painted on,

the green, whatever you want to call it, it is paint on the tarmac

to depine the race track. A fairly hefty blow with the right rear.

They will leave it to his judgment to see if he can feel anything

unusual with the car: He is up to 13th. He is in territory that is

safe. Right now Jean-Eric Vergne seems to be the one who will miss

out on the top 17 of those we might expect to be challenging in there.

The group we formally expect, Alonso really attacking this track

again. Not so much a prancing horse, it looks like a bucking Bronco the

way it was flicking itself outside ways coming out from under the

hotel. He is four tenths slower than Hamilton. 1,49.9. The Red

Bulls down in 12th and 139. The top teams are using the harder compound

tyre. Very few teams have switched on to the yellow, the soft tyre.

Some of the teams at the back of the field have, Bruno Senna has

switched on to the soft tyre buzz vet he is on the harder tyre. Let

us see where the lap looks like. Pretty good. He goes fourth fastest.

1, 4 3.3. He didn't have the best start to going into qualifying. He

only managed a few laps. Maybe paying the price for that as Felipe

Massa puts in a good lap there. Only, half a tenth slower than his

team-mate Alonso who was pushing that car to limit. You have to say

Massa's form since he was announced as continuing with Ferrari, he has

been a solid number two you wouldn't want him out there as Mark

Webber locks up, the same place we saw Hamilton locking up, so Mark in

139. He was in a better first sector. Just under five minutes

left. He does have time to get round and get another couple of

laps. TEAM RADIO: Traffic ahead Sebastian. Traffic ahead. They have

to be careful. Interesting that Maldonado has gone on the softer

tyre. We are seeing Paul di Resta on the softer tyre. Maldonado has

already been sixth quickest. Di Resta, who had some car related

problems the last couple of Grand Prix hasn't really felt happy with

his car, has he? Force India, they found an issue in Singapore where

he was nowhere on the Saturday morning, they changed the floor

back to the previous... TEAM RADIO: Intas wran the lap is good enough.

It is up to you whether you want to do another one. We think the lap is

good enough. A confidence message from his race engineer. It is up to

him as to whether he wants to have another lap. They had issues with

Aero quality in Singapore, they were able to find the issue and he

had a better qualifying on the Saturday. They have changed the

chassis, searching for the -- elusive balance. Hulkenberg has

found a sweet spot with his car that Paul has been missing. Look at

the oversteer when he went into the second last corner. So in these

soft option tyres, I wouldn't say that is a perfect balance. It has

moved him up to eighth but he has gone for the softer tyre, where

Hulkenberg has gone on to the softer tyre. Maldonado, look at

that. How snatched under braking and he has to get off the brake,

and that lost him any chance to do anything there. So really difficult.

Gary, it is a bit like this morning seeing the difference between the

harder and soft tyre. This soft tyre seems to be a bit of a

challenge to get it to work. In is what you call a traction critical

surface you are struggling with the rear end of the car to get off the

corners but when you have understeer it makes it worse. The

cars which have understeer don't gain anything. The cars that have a

nervous rear end will gain something. But Maldonado, there, he

doesn't have to be out on those tyres. Wie waste a set of tyres? I

don't understand that. It seems ill geological. Welsh coming out of the

final turn. Let us see what this does for Webber. Crosss the line.

He goes second. Now, there he is within half a second of Hamilton.

He has gone ahead of Alonso but six thousandths of a second. Look how

hard Vettel is trying. Should we be concern about how much track the

guys are using? As long a they keep some part of the car within the

white line, so that means the outer tyres can pass over the white line

that defines the race track. As long as they keep one part of the

tyre, part of the car inside the line it is OK, it is accepted. You

couldn't do that in Monte Carlo because you would hit a barrier,

one of the cross overs is when you create that people will exploited

it. Vergne is battling here, you are riding with the Frenchman. He

is battling to get into the top 17. He is currently 18th, along with

the Caterhams and the Marussias, he has missed out on the second part

of qualifying, some oh he has lost its. Jean-Eric Vergne has lost it

and every chance of getting into the top 17 has gone with that spin.

He is going to have to settle for being 18th, if not worse. Maybe

Kovalainen can improve. If he hasn't flat spotted the tyres. He

is station out. So he is going again. He was half a second quicker

so he was en route for a 42.5 that would have put him 11th, 12th 13th.

He might still make it through, presuming no damage. He has

Millennium Stadium it through. We have a few second, but the tirs

won't be at their best. Mind you it is not as abrasive this surface as

some. Maybe he was caught out by positions. The DRS would have been

open, and maybe he closed it too late. Unusual place to spin the car.

That is the team principle of Toro Rosso. Vergne knows he's is there

next year. He and Ricciardo have been confirmed. TEAM RADIO: I try

to push for one more lap. Trying to push for one more lap. They want

hem to go for another lap. Kobayashi. He is the one Vergne

could display. But it doesn't look as if it is any better this lap.

His individual sector teams don't seem to be improving on what he has

achieved during qualifying. Chequered flag is now out.

Hulkenberg has already seen that chequered flag, most of the front

runners are in the pits. Rosberg went second but that is on the

softer tyre. That is impressive for him to have gone second. Let us see

what Kobayashi? If Vergne can find half a second he could displace

Kobayashi. He has backed out of it Vergne. He has thrown in the towel.

This is not a better lap, and, well, he hasn't thrown in the towel. He

is going to finish. I don't know see how this is going to be quicker.

He is not quicker on any of his sectors. He stays 18th so no change,

he is in the drop zone, and sadly, for two Grand Prix in a row he

hasn't made it.. He should have thrown in the towel! We have a

display, we can see it, number seven tells us in seventh gear,

very simple. That display at the side it updates every few metres so

they know whether they are faster or slower. Pic has gone faster than

Kovalainen and Glock. They are are still to finish their laps. Let us

see where is going. Pic 19th. Peth is 209. He has seen -- Petrov.

Kovalainen has gone faster. Very close times down there, and Pic has

split the Caterham, he will be delighted about that. That is a

huge achievement for the young Frenchman. Timo Glock was waiting

for him to finish the lap, so I wonder if he can find anything on

this last bit of the lap. It's a long lap so it takes a while for

those, he is back in the pits. There is an incident being

investiagted between Perez and Senna. Presumably a blocking

incident: But Charles Pic has outqualified his team-mate and a

good time for him to do that. He is casting round a bit at the moment

for a drive next year, perhaps move up from Marussia to one of the

stronger teams. I think, well other teams will have looked at that and

been imprevioused. He was only pipped by Kovalainen by a few

hundreds of a second. Hamilton sets the pace. Vergne. Kovalainen.

Charles Pic, Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan. We will talk

Sebastian Vettel in a couple of minutes. William will be pleased to

get both cars through the second part of qualifying there is

Hamilton. I imagine he is the coolest guy on the serbgt at the

moment. That was sheer domination in that session. Well, first of all

I thought there was a problem with the car, because he has that

problem of the car locking up the front left and front right

depending on the corner. So Lewis Hamilton he delivered what we know

he can deliver an unbelievable lap. It will take a lot of to work get

him away from there. The car belonging to Vergne who is well

used to falling out in qualification, on a number of

occasion he has gone to being the first big name to the non-

qualifier. We were worried ability Sebastian Vettel. This is as bad as

a weekend gets for Sebastian Vettel when he has missed the final part

of free practise and clumps into the barriers in the first part of

qualifying. He was lucky. He tpwhranss it. He just touches it.

That just, what it does is knocks the siding off the rim, a because

the rim just comes out that bit further than the tyre itself. So he

was lucky to get away with that, it was the way he hit the wall. He

glanced it. His Big Ben fishery, he would have been lucky there.

team will take grfd the fact Mark Webber did show great pace. They

had a problem with Christian Horner was talking about long pedal. I

don't know, in the modern days, is that a problem when you have a

brake pedal with air getting in. But I think there might be

something more there and I think we have seen something, a glimmer of

hope for Ferrari, there maybe problems ahead for Vettel. Do you

want to grab hold of a driver you gave a chance to? Let us run down

here and grab hold of... We know you are going to the pen, so sorry

to be rude to take you away, we wanted to see you, the car seems to

be making good progress. Yes, we are closing the gap to the guys in

front, but for us it was a bit strange, and free practise it

looked OK but if qualification we had no grip. I couldn't get the lap,

the tyres up to temperature and I just lost through the whole lap, in

terms of lap time. But Caterham have brought a raft of up grated,

they say they this this could be a great step forward. They are on

pace: I didn't see the real gap to them, but we are definitely close

and we didn't have any updates here so it is not too bad. Is Father

Christmas going to bring you anything? It is my biggest dream.

We will let you doing what you are supposed to be doing, talking to

the world's media. Pic is showing real pace. He has money which is

valuable.. How many times have we seen this, when the door seems to

be closing on a driver's career, suddenly they find something from

nowhere and Pic is like that. Where does he go from here? He has good

options because he has budget, he has supporters and that is a huge

ingredient when you are at this end of the grid. I do believe Pic will

be round for next season, for sure. Is the sun setting on Timo Glock's

not that long ago we were in Singapore and he finished second.

It is a very distant past. You can see the sun setting, let's go up to

the commentary box with Ben Edwards and David. And one of the

interesting thing about something that starts in the day and ends at

night is the temperature drops and we know nothing about how it will

affect the cart in the second session -- the cars.

BEN EDWARDS: It shouldn't drop too much more. It yesterday, practice

was held at the same time that day and once it got to 30 degrees, it

stayed constant. The teams should have a handle on it. Some teams

have gone on to the softer tyre, notably Mercedes. They are one of

the few teams. The second part of qualifying is

under way but nobody is in a hurry. Gary, your figures were pretty good

in that session, 1: 44.8 was Jean- Eric Vergne and he didn't quite

make it, so what do we expect to get into the top 10? It is one of

those difficult things, some cost of running on the softer tyre but I

think 42.2, 42.1 will be safe. It will probably be slower than that

but if you are a top team going out there, you need to be in the low

42s. Let's keep an eye on the sort of lap times they are doing as they

cowered. Di Resta has gone out already, as has Sergio Perez. Both

of the Sauber cars already on circuit. Bruno Senna sporting a

different crash helmet design this weekend. I wonder if he will get

into the final part of qualifying? Maldonado has shown good pace from

the Williams. He has only got into Q3 once this year, Bruno Senna, in

Hungary. Let's see if he can get there this time. The first few cars

are on track, building up on this important out-lap where they have

got to try and get the temperature in these tyres and get the balance

from the front to the rear. That is the key thing, these tyres come out

of the blankets at a predetermined temperature, typically anything

over 90 degrees, and after, there is a very good cooler as she passed

the car through high-speed -- as you pass. You are trying to

generate the energy to braking, acceleration, to maintain the

pressure and get that compound balanced from front to rear. What

we did see in free practice was an imbalance when you went out in the

auction tyres, the yellow marked soft tyres -- option tyres. The

tyre has more physical grip available but it had less balance.

That is exactly what Gary was saying when he was watching the

cars out on circuit yesterday. Gary, you were down at turn one when you

were watching. Which of the cars in pressure? I have to say, these guys

do not have easy cars to drive. The way the Red Bull handles through

the corners and the way Sebastian Vettel works the throttle, it for

sure looks like the package works together. McLaren look good, a

little lazy, but their traction was very good. The Mercedes looked

terrible, Michael Schumacher's car especially. I have never seen so

much understeer in my life. Getting the steering will more and more and

more, everybody else was trying to back out of it but Michael was

planning the steering wheel into the understeer, which was horrible

to watch. He is an experienced driver in an experienced team, how

can that be at this stage of the season? It amazed me, it is the

last thing you expect to see. Some of the slower teams were going

through pretty badly but so were some of the top teams. The Lotus

cars looked neat and tidy, the Red Bull is great, but as I say, the

Mercedes, potentially a top team, is looking horrible. Nico Rosberg

was a little bit better but he was driving with a lot of work going on,

a lot of steering activity and a lot of driver activity. We will

keep a close eye on their lap times during this second part of

qualifying. The aim is to get into the top 10 and it is a shorter

session. Quite a few cars out on circuit, 16 on track with eight

still in the pits. We have lost the initial group, but who will make it

into that top part? His Sebastian Vettel going to have a real

challenge to get pole position, particularly from Lewis Hamilton

and Jenson Button? Hamilton and Button have always shared the front

row here in the previous three Grand Prix. And because Barking

going on from the front wing plates of Nico Rosberg -- a bit of

sparking. Coming towards the end of that first sector, I actually think

that was quite a good camera angle as the car was nicely set up,

rotated and just missed that inside orange kerb and as it bounced down

through the apex, the outside of the front wing of the Mercedes just

sense a nice little spark. Very pretty in the night! Let's see if

Gary identifying a well-balanced car pays off for Sebastian Grosjean.

Raikkonen we are watching, he goes fastest. 1: 41.6, a competitive lap

time. Grosjean has just done the same. Just two-tenths slower than

Lewis Hamilton achieved in the first part of qualifying. Both

Lotus cars doing that and doing it on the harder of the two compound

tyres... No, it is the softer tyre. Hamilton was on the harder tyre

when he did his but he is now on the softer, say you would expect

him to find more pace. Let's see what it is. 1: 41.3, so a little

quicker than earlier on, but again, like this morning, not a big chunk

quicker. That would suggest we might be in two, when we get to

tomorrow, a one-stop race. That prime the tyre is looking pretty

handy, but that is only just a tenth of a game. -- a tenth game.

Just listen to him spike that 6 G into turn one. He gained a little

bit of lap time. This is a replay of him doing the kerb jumping. A

handful of oversteer, that was his out-lap as he was preparing the

tyres. So it is not quite coming together for Red Bull at this stage.

Alonso is going it quickly, he has set the fastest first sector of

anybody. It is not against Hamilton's fastest time, he sets

in his first lap time, still a few corners to go. 21 turns on this

circuit, so when you get into this last section, it is constant. This

is the last corner, we will get an idea of the Ferrari pace. Can he

challenge Hamilton? Can he challenged Webber? He goes ahead of

Webber. He is not happy. He was waving to his buddy, Mark, up ahead.

He must feel that he must have cost him some time on the lap. It was

difficult to see as he came across the line, maybe he wanted to be

completely uninterrupted in his view down the race circuit.

Sebastian Vettel still pushing on after that earlier mistake that we

watch. He has got to keep it clean and tidy. Very little running this

morning, which has hurt his preparations, but this is good and

he goes second quickest to Hamilton. Fernando Alonso is third, Webber 4.

Michael Schumacher, Sergio Perez, Bruno Senna, Kobayashi, Daniel

Ricciardo, di Resta and Hulkenberg in the drop zone. Fernando is told

to stay calm. Every fraction of a second counts for Vettel and Alonso

in particular. Grosjean has raced here in the past, back in 2009,

when he was competing for Renault. He finished in 18, but he did win

in GT 1 in 2010, which was the relaunch of his career, in a way.

He won his first ever GT race -- GP race here. And the start of the

revival was in some ways at this circuit. Across the line he goes

and he is still fifth fastest, 1: 41.6, just a fraction quicker than

Raikkonen. I like this camera angle. Webber has gone fastest. I love

that camera angle because it shows how much work the suspension is

doing, the tyre, the side wall. is beaten straight away by Lewis

Hamilton once again, 1: 40.9, and fastest in the first sector, not in

the middle sector, but Hamilton, Vettel and Webber. There is a fight

on. It is still about the top 10 and not many people have put a fall

that be near. Paul di Resta has been told to work those tyres hard

and that is not something we are used to hearing, it is about

maintaining the surface temperature of these Pirellis. It is telling us

again that the compounds that Pirelli have brought this weekend

are going to be quite durable. We saw what he wanted to do with a

one-stop in India, said grid position is absolutely key if you

are in the same strategy. This is good for Hulkenberg. 10th, we

thought it might be more than that. He is in danger territory because

there are more people behind it will improve, including his team-

mate Paul di Resta. Can he go a little quicker? He is watching the

display on the steering wheel. is hard the 10th faster than he

managed earlier in the session. It is disappointing when you have done

eight towns and you have only managed to find a tenth -- 8 turns.

Look at the lap display, minus 0.01. He is only achieving what he did

earlier in terms of lap times, 42.5, and he will be outside the top 10

if he does not improve in the final sector. Perez, down in furtive, is

going reasonably well. -- down in 13. Let's watched di Resta in the

latter part of his lap. -- let's watch. The hotel has already

lighting up and provides an amazing display with all of the little

lights in the roof. A little lock- up in the final turn, gets it

turned in OK and he goes across in 11th, that is not safe, so

Hulkenberg and di Resta are definitely struggling to get into

the top 10. Hamilton looks comfortable. Then Webber, then

Vettel and Alonso. Some of them will definitely have to go again.

Did he lock-up badly here? As he hit the brakes, it did cost of

position and he had to turn on more steering. A couple of tenths slower.

We see Sergio Perez, Ralley style, through that white -- rally style,

through that twisty section. It was interesting talking to Lewis about

the track guide, he uses a dark rip-off on a clear visor, so when

the sun is then, he leaves it on and pulls it off and discarded when

he needs vision -- when the sun is up. Gary, I used to looking to the

times that these guys need to do? - - I used still sticking to the

times? This Chris Baird there has not changed the track too much but

it does make the engine work better -- this crisper air. It is probably

a couple of tenths quicker than I was predicting. This last little

room for these guys is going to be vitally important. Kobayashi is not

in the 41s, he is dead in 15th, not looking promising for the Japanese

driver Ashdown in 15. Again, Sergio Perez is quicker than Kobayashi

here. Knocking on the door of that vital top 10 position. We are

looking at Maldonado, again a little bit deep that he recovers it.

green sector on our timing veen, which means a personal best there.

He has gone white in the second sec store which mean he thatn't gone

better in the middle sector. A bit of traffic ahead. That is Perez,

who is also on a lap. It shouldn't affect him. This is a big

opportunity in this final section, all these low speed corners is time

over distance you can get lap time by being patient. You want to get a

nice early acceleration, it is looking reasonably tidy. Let us soo.

Where is this for Maldonado? He is ninth. He would like to be safer

than that. I doesn't make any difference. It is slower than his

previous lap, but only a few hundredths of of a second. It will

be worrying in ninth place. I would be rushing to get back to the pits

to see his fiancee there. Senna need to find something. This lap

doesn't look particularly quick. Maybe he will just ge get over the

line before the flag comes out and get one more lap in. Right now he

is down in 16th. I think that should have timed it about right,

for him to get across the line and get one more quick lap in. Rosberg,

who surprised us in Q1 with a lap that put him second is going fast

again. He has gone quicker than anybody in the middle sector. White

quite where the Mercedes pass has come from I don't know. Now, here

is Rosberg. Fastest in the middle sector, this will promote him up

the or order. He is up to seventh. TEAM RADIO: Negative, negative.

Shuem is not there at the moment. But, Rosberg is in the top ten. And

he is not going to make it round. Many Michael Schumacher, chequered

flag. He had failed to get in the top ten. Rosberg is fighting his

way back. Michael has been leading it for the last few Grand Prixs but

it is nine apiece, in terms of who has been fastest in qualifying.

Perez is 12th. He has not done it this time. We have seen already

that Hulkenberg now has been pushed down, out of the top ten, he is out,

in the pits so Maldonado is the one holding on. Mas sa, I think, is

finished. So he is not going to do any more he is in the top ten. It

depend on what Senna can do, in terms of whether he can push his

team-mate out. Button should be safe. I don't know anyone else is

going to threaten Button's position. Bruno Senna. He is only a tenth

quicker. This will put him round a 24.4. It isn't going to be good

enough unless he pulls out something from his magic kit in the

last two corners. Let us watch him. Senna trying to get in the top ten.

His team-mate clinging on in there at the moment. I don't think it is

going to be enough. No, it isn't. He stays down in 159, so a long way

behind Maldonado. I say a long way that, only means about three tenths

of a second. It is so competitive. Hulkenberg failed this time, 42.0.

He failed by less than a tenth oft a second. That means that neither

of the force Indias have made the top ten on this occasion. A replace

of Paul di Resta locking up, into the end of the first sector. The

chicane turns five and six, so a bit closer to Hulkenberg, so

presumably he is happier with the ambulance of the new chassis. A

lock up from Kobayashi. That is unusual to see something like that,

and that suggests BAA sickly too much pressure. He is six tenths

slower than Perez, but Rosberg dragging a time out of that and

impressiveer performance from Nico Rosberg. He will have to deliver

that every weekend next year. TEAM RADIO: Sorry Michael. P14.

wonder. TEAM RADIO: My mistake, I got confused with changing. Both

abol jiesing to each other Michael said he got confused about changing

harvest, which is the kerb changing mode. It's a shame they are busy

apologising rather than congratulating each other, but that

points to a very impressive lap there. You can see, Kobayashi, we

have lost both Saubers and Force Indias. It is getting tight. Of all

the people in that group who wanted a strong performance, it is this

boy. Kobayashi, he is in danger of losing his seat. That is word on

the grapevine. There is Paul di Resta. Slightly better performance.

Yes, a lot better but he will be disappointed at Hulkenberg yet

again at qualifying. They have given Paul a new shasy it is

difficult when you start falling behind a team-mate you were

confident of beating and that team- mate gets a move to a new team and

you don't. I think it was a move for no reasons in my prpbgs think

Force India have got the tooblt do what Sauber. So you are creating a

new sense of agreement for not a lot of gain, I say. Leaving that

aside Hulkenberg has been by far the stronger of the two, as the

season has gone by. OK. He had given me an eye as if to say don't

speak to me, he is either off to be told off or he is about to have a

discussion. Do you think you got a bit of a push there. I should send

you to do those things. You saw a nice shot of the harbour. The fans

are hoping for something special. At the moment Hamilton is the man

delivering. I am not sure I have seen so many mistakes from Seb in a

qualifier. Is he under pressure. This is the sort of thing you

expect. This is ridiculous, he loses the balance on the front and

it washes out and makes a mess of the lap. We haven't seen this stuff

from Sebastian, this is his favourite circuit, or one of his

favourites. And you would expect him to dominate at the front. You

wouldn't see him give pole position away to McLaren, despite the fact

they are strong. His team-mate has been quicker, so far, two tenths of

a second there. Mark was involved in something with flob. We are

trying to work out what Fernando Alonso was complaining about.

-- Fernando Alonso. I am at a loss, when you can see, all he can see is

red, as far as he is concerned, Ferrari, anything, even untoward

that is coming to him. Where is the problem here? I don't understand it.

Mark is minding his own business. Is he blocking him, I don't know.

Does he think Red Bull are being clever and spicking him in places

he shouldn't be. He knows Mark Webber is a fair man this is a form

of frustration, the upgrade they brought here aren't up to what

Fernando Alonso wanted. He wanted something to give him a clear

distance and clearly, that is not what happened. Let us head up to

the commentary box. Are McLaren on pole f is that what we will see

from Lewis? He has been impressive through the prepractise session, I

am not going to bet against that happening. It is possible. I think

we will see a tight tussle here at the top. Hamilton loves this track.

He has an opportunity. Let us not forget counting down the races with

McLaren, so it is an important one the take. Is this the most dominant

you have seen Lewis for some time. I think so. If you remember back to

India or a week ago he seemed in good form. I wonder if that is what

is allowing him to not only drive, if you look at the gap it is hoving

between eight to nine seconds. That is a huge amount of time difference.

Do you think that is because it is the dawn of a new horizon or do you

think he is glad to be out of McLarenment I don't want to be hard

on them. Why do you think he is that happy. I think you said it is

like he is leaving home. He is 26 but he has been in the system since

he was a kid. As you say this is a new beginning. I would like to

speak to you about what you expect from Sebastian Vettel. I asked

Eddie has he ever seen so many mistakes from him? Two mistakes as

the cars make their way out of the pit lane is a lot for lot for him.

We have seen it before, when it comes to the final part of

qualifying he can be imperious. He just gets it right, so many times,

and he could easily do it again on this occasion. He did so little

running in practise three it is perhaps taking him longer to find

his rhythm. So car at the end of the pit lane. It is that of Kimi

Raikkonen. Ready for the next part of qualifying. The Lotus leaves

this unique pit lane exit. Dips down into the tunnel. It worries me

a bit that exit n the race, not so much in qualifying as Michael

Schumacher sadly walks back, his day is done because he hadn't made

it into the top ten. That pit lane is a white elephant, I think, if we

remember back to when we were seeing the designs of this amazing

race track, they were saying it is going to be so incredible. We have

a pit lane that disappears under the track. I don't think anyone

considered that cars out of vision are not interesting to watch. That

is what happens when they disappear out and come to the outside or tin

side of the track as it is, as the cars come out of turn one. It's a

nothing pit lane out. Kimi Raikkonen was keen to get out on

circuit. Spun up the tiers as he headed out, so suggesting noot all

sensitive about overheating the roar tyres. Here we go. We are into

the last couple of stages of qualifying. Gary, what do we expect

here, what is your prediction, who do you think is going to end up

with pole? It It looks like Hamilton has a good handle. The

McLaren is good at a at that. I wouldn't count Sebastian Vettel out.

He is good at picking up the last bit, leaving it to the last minute.

I think pole won't be much less than a 40.9. Maybe they will

scratch a 40.7. It is going to be tough. There isn't much else to

come. Lewis is trying hard to make it. Unless there was fuel for that

extra lap, I am not sure we will see much difference. Watch that.

David, last year the pole position was 1:48.4. We are not seeing times

like that. Why is it? There is regulation range on the double

diffuser, the hot blowing, and the tires that Pirelli bring, they have

made aerodynamic changes to the shoulders of the fires, that maybe

that South Africa effecting the performance, this is a bigger gap

than we have seen of late. That is unusual. The sparking coming out of

the Lotus with the DRS wide-open. That will push the car forward, the

centre of pressure will go forward. It must be the leading edge of the

tea tray they call it, I don't know why they call it that. I have never

seen any mechanic putting a cup of tea, in fact he would get fired if

he put a cup of tea on a racing car. That is the point where the car is

travelling a maximum speed and is pushed down into the tarmac. It

comes up again through the sloer chicane and squeezed down on the

tarmac as he comes down the next long straight as he comes to turns

ten and 11. We are seeing the sparks coming auto. Kimi Raikkonen

comfortable in the balance of the car. Remember, though, in terms of

the champion shin, the only chance he has is to outscore Vettel, and

that doesn't seem terribly likely. Fernando Alonso was a tenth up in

the first straight. He has lost a bit of time with oversteer coming

off that turn. He is marginally quicker than his previous best, a

41.5. Depending how he does, this is going to be some way short of

the 40.9 we saw of Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen will set the

benchmark. 41.7. It won't be enough. We will see faster times as behind

imthe likes of Vettel, Alonso are on quick laps. Let us see where

Alonso goes here. His derlt showing up on the steering wheel. He goes

faster. 1:41.5. Here comes Hamilton. He is fastest. He surely will go

quickest. It's a 1:40.6. He is nearly a second faster than Alonso

was. Let us see what Jensen Button does, he is in the 41s. Not a

particularly quick lap. Webber, he goes second, he is still eight

tenths of what Hamilton has done. Six tenths what Hamilton has done

and Vettel is on a lap. Let us see whether he request do anything. It

is not looking quicker than Hamilton. Will it put him up to the

front row. He goes second. Impressive stuff but what it does

highlight is what a unique position, he is totally in a class of his own,

Hamilton. A second faster. More than a second faster than Jensen

Button who was able to shade him by a tenth, round this track last year

in qualifying, so, Hamilton, what a performance. Maldonado not doing

anything, of course he went out on the soft tyre earlier on, so I

guess he has less tees available to him in terms of trying to do two

runs on the soft tyre to finish Ofqal fiing. Hamilton, as you say,

that is startling pace from Hamilton, of course top qualifier,

it is only the last few races where things haven't gone cockrd --

cording to plan. Vettel took his sixth pole last time out. They have

been together, the to top qualifiers this year, no doubt

about it. We still have a bit of time to go and you may see a bit

more of a challenge from Red Bull in particular, and Jensen Button,

you may think he can deliver a know that Jenson is capable of some

very fast driving. Massa straightening for the last corner

to get his best acceleration, deploy his KERS and over his DRS.

This is his first attempt this afternoon, can he get close to

Alonso? Maldonado has come out of the pits, so it looks as though he

is going to put a lap in. They are the only truly fast corners on this

track. They are blind as well, you come up over the rise and you don't

know what is waiting for you, a bit like a fashion Eau Rouge, without

the elevation. A slight dog-leg towards the end as you approach

turn eight. The director thinking that Perez and a young boy flapping

a flag is more interesting a ban on car action! Meanwhile, back for the

battle for pole position. Gary, a lot of teams are switching to their

final engine of the year. They are allowed eight over the course of a

season and a lot of them have gone for top-end horsepower. It is

important everywhere I go -- but in Brazil, because of the altitude, it

doesn't push the cars, so if you have an engine that is fairly high

in mileage, Brazil would be the place. But Sebastian Vettel and

Fernando Alonso, fighting for the championship, you wouldn't trust

the engine that has high mileage. Here, you need horsepower. Massa

sliding as he comes through the final section. He is striving with

much Augusto then he was in the early part of the season and this

lap will push him into the top 10 - - he is the driving with much more

gusto. He is the sixth quickest, not as fast as Alonso but less than

a tenth of a second away, so a fine job again. It was good but a bit

too messy through turn a 17. You can see in the lock-up, that was

then into turn seven. I don't think it cost him too much time but as he

came down into this section, look at that, too early on the throttle,

you have to lift out of it and that takes away positioning for the next

corner. Nico Rosberg walks away from his one attempt, currently in

fifth place. That is it for the day for Nico Rosberg. I think that is

an outstanding effort, looking at where they were in practice. Nico

Rosberg has delivered a good lap time but he may well be pushed down

further. The likes of Maldonado could do it. Keep an eye on this,

it could push Rosberg them, it might even put in somewhere near

the front. Remember, he was sent -- on the front row in Singapore a few

races ago. A pretty impressive Middlesex are, 42.7, that is just

under one-tenth of -- a pretty impressive middle sector, 42.7,

just under one-tenth slower than Lewis Hamilton. Has he kept it

together in the last sector? goes third, so he is only behind

Hamilton and Vettel, that is a great performance once again. Now

he waits to see whether he will be beaten by Webber, who is a couple

of 1,000 of a second slower. But for Fernando Alonso, it is a

nightmare, another car between himself and the main championship

challenger, the leader of the championship, Sebastian Vettel. We

will see him trying to move himself up the order, I am sure. Webber out

there to do a job for Red Bull. This is building up beautifully,

the clock ticking away and they are going on to their final runs any

moment. Mark Webber's first sector not a green, he hasn't improved,

but getting into the second and their final sector is where all of

the technical things happen. Still over one-tenth slower than Hamilton

over the first sector, Hamilton has just gone fastest of all, but a

tenth quicker than Vettel, so it does like their -- look like there

is a battle for pole. Hamilton and Vettel are a lack further back but

they are battling out for who will be fastest. On board with Kimi

Raikkonen, E improves up to fifth from ninth -- he improves. Mark

Webber is in fourth place, can he get the Red Bull on the front row,

where they have been for the last few events? They have had such a

gun recently. -- good run recently. He is up to second, 1: 40.9. Vettel

is going faster, Alonso is not. I am not sure this lap is going to be

any improvement at all for the Ferrari driver. It is not looking