The British Grand Prix - Qualifying Formula 1

Silverstone. A landmark. A cause for celebration. A slice of the space

age which still honours what has gone before, making this the classic

of the British sporting summer. It was not always such a classic. There

is a bit of prehistory. 1947, Terra Way laps of the deserted airfield, a

mates' race, during which one of them ran over a sheep. The precursor

to this, the latest generation of Formula One, and yet cherishing the

past. The great Fangio, who won here just the once, Stirling boss, who

won twice, but never hear. Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, David

Coulthard. The charges, Graham Hill, and Nigel Mansell, to glory in

1987. There were the pilots and the Turbos, the first and last years,

but above all, the glory years. High-stakes, high-speed rivalries,

and moments of kindness. A slice of the space age, anchored firmly to

the earth of England. Welcome to Silverstone. The home of Formula

One. It is a rather wet home today, but

despite the lacklustre weather, more than 95,000 fans have congregated on

this hallowed ground to watch qualifying today. The campsites are

packed, all of the viewing area is loaded with an expectant crowd, who

have been treated to concerts, vintage parades, Spitfire displays

and, hopefully, we will all the this an epic qualifying session. Hello,

welcome. Eddie and David are taking us through the weekend. This is a

four-day extravaganza, and David, you were part of the vintage parade,

it looked like great fun. Yes, some of the greats from the past, Jackie

Stewart, a real fantastic celebration of forming one.

Silverstone has the ability to do this time after time, and it

embraces everything the fans want. It is a friendship Grand Prix. It

allows everybody to be part of the scene. It has got a hands-on feel.

allows everybody to be part of the scene. It has got a hands-on You got

your hands on a pair of drumsticks! The Kaiser Chiefs were playing.

Amazing, what a fantastic band, and to hear them live, they have so many

big hit records, and they said, come and play with us. It is difficult to

fake playing the drums! It is more difficult than you think! Looking

good, not bad for 66! I do not want to be called 66! It was such great

fun, I loved every minute of it. Before we really get into it, let's

look back to a fortnight ago, when we made a Formula One returned to

Austria, and it was a cracking weekend for Williams.

Lights out, away we go, Felipe Massa getting away well, but an excellent

start from Nico Rosberg, head of Valtteri Bottas. Look at Valtteri

Bottas, he has got past Nico Rosberg. Lewis Hamilton charging up

into fifth place. RADIO: Tell me what to do, please. A miserable

weekend. Lewis Hamilton takes the place, what a lunch, racy stuff.

Where is Valtteri Bottas? A fabulous stop. Where will he come out? In

front of Lewis Hamilton, but behind Nico Rosberg. Daniil Kvyat has come

off. RADIO: I have no breaks. It is fairly straightforward. Sergio Perez

gives him space and loses momentum. That gives the opportunity for

Valtteri Bottas to sweep past. Here comes Lewis Hamilton on Sergio

Perez. Sergio Perez gives him plenty of space, no moving on the line.

RADIO: Box, we are retiring the car. It has been a miserable weekend for

Sebastian Vettel. Very unlucky with the reliability of his car. RADIO:

Push hard now. It is Hammer time. The battle between Nico Hulkenberg

and Daniel Ricciardo still going on. It is going to be victory for Nico

Rosberg in Austria. He wins the Austrian Grand Prix by 1.9 seconds,

from Lewis Hamilton. Third place goes to Valtteri Bottas, his first

podium. Nico Rosberg's perfect array, he

extends his lead over Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton has now had

to technical failures this season. It is a long way back down to third

place. Daniel Ricciardo is the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race

this season. Already at the halfway point, Mercedes seem to have the

construct is' championship in their grasp. They have a whopping margin

over Red Bull, who have been the Kings for the last four years.

Ferrari are way off the pace, would arguably punching above their

weight. It was a really intriguing weekend in Austria, a great event

again, Williams did really well, but some speculation they could have

done better. They will feel there was a missed opportunity. But it is

easy to be clear in hindsight. But it represents a positive step

forward for the team ahead of this home Grand Prix. All those people

there, about to go the pit lane wall, this is the hands-on

experience that we are talking about. Wrapping up the William

story, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Yes, they have

had a tidy car, and they feel that the season has been one of missed

opportunities. They need to be able to think like winners again. If they

had the previous year's experience, they would have done really well.

They would have capitalised more on the product that they have. They

have a sensational car, sensational drivers and a sensational engine,

and they should have won a couple of races by now. It was a great weekend

for Mercedes. I do believe the rest of the grid is catching up with them

ever so slightly. We will see how close they are getting, especially

in this changeable weather. Plenty of news, that catch up.

Jenson Button has been stealing the headlines, but not for the right

reasons. Ron Dennis has accused him of not trying hard enough this

season, but that is an accusation that Jenson Button believes applies

to the whole team. We need to try harder, every day you have got to do

a better job, or else you will not catch the leading guys. We have all

got to look at ourselves and give it our all, that is the only way we can

get back to the front. With the Mercedes cars dominating, the latest

rumours are that voters will switch from Renault to the three pointed

star next year. Everybody is looking at the best option possible. So far,

we have no strength in a straight line. I would love to have a

Mercedes next year. One change that is on the cards next year is a

change to the safety car rules. There will be standing restarts,

something that the drivers have not welcomed with open arms. The leader

suffers a massive deficit, a potential big disadvantage. But the

FIA maintains it is to spice up the show. This supposition is that the

start is the most exciting part, and if you can have a second one, it

might introduce more on credibility and excitement and likelihood of

places changing. That was the reason it was done. It is all change at

Caterham, days after announcing that his team is not for sale, Tony

Fernandez has sold it to a consortium of investors. One man

involved is Colin Collins. I have been asked to help and turn it

around. The company made more progress in the last three days than

in the last two years. I am convinced about this. It is crucial

to be successful of the track to be successful on the track. Without off

the track success, you will never reach any success on the track. The

target is clear, this team is to reach the 10th position in the

championship. We thought that what the latest, but

it has been confirmed that Lotus will run a Mercedes engine next

year, big news, and not great for Red Bull. Red Bull were never in the

running to get the Mercedes engine, they are looking at bolstering the

strength of the Renault and developing the engine when the

freeze is opened up. But it is a clear statement of intent from

Lotus, they have been struggling. They have had a terrible start to

the year, and an indication they are taking this seriously, it will help

focus the minds of the engineers and bring investment. Quite a lot of

loud noise, it is these guys that you can hear, these beautiful old

cars, another parade for the fans. We concede Jackie Stewart, Damon

Hill, that is the Lotus his father used to drive, Paul Stewart, a great

opportunity for Formula One and the fans here to celebrate the history

of the last 50 years of racing here. It is beautiful, watching those

cars. There was some talk about the safety car, the new rules. It has

not been popular with drivers or fans. We have heard the view from

the FIA, what is the downside? You have another incident immediately

after a safety car, there could be another shunt. When the drivers

start, they are fresh, sharp, ready, and if the safety car came after 60

laps at Monaco and you have another restart, they are dehydrated,

fatigued and you lose performance. The fact we are talking about it is

helping to keep Formula One in the news. If it gives a controversial

result, in that the leader does not get the result, we will talk about

it even more. And the tyre temperatures as well. The other

thing was Caterham. Eddie Jordan is with the new team principal.

thing was Caterham. Eddie Jordan is Indeed. Welcome to the club, we know

you as a driver, tell us, what will you do to turn this team around? It

is a big job. The most important thing is we have to make the team as

efficient as possible. I have been here a couple of days and looked at

the factory, it is amazing what they have in resources, equipment and

machinery. They need to turn it around, it is not going to be easy,

but I am ready. You are, but have you identified anything that you

feel can be an instant fix? I have something in my mind, but it is too

early. What is your target? IG targeting eighth in the

championship, 10th in the championship? The most important

thing is to try to get in the championship and fight. To get all

the upgrades done and hopefully we can find some upgrades. Also the

aerodynamics. It is a big challenge. A lot of surprises every day. You

would have to beat Sauber or Marussia. What do you have on your

sites. We will try just to do the most we can do. It is not easy. We

have seen the performance of the car and we have to work very hard. I

will try everything possible to change something.

So changes at the back of the grid. They do have some work to do.

Marussia do have work to do. Colin Collins is an experienced man in

Formula one and motor racing so he does have that business experience.

It will be interesting to see how he translates his experience to help in

that team. The key thing that the team needs is not just a restructure

in terms of their efficiency but they need a faster car. So I do not

know if the designers have not been given the resources or if they do

not have the people. Let us have a look at what is going

on at Silverstone as we speak. The Williams there, Rubens Barrichello

getting the chance to drive. Resetting the crowd. You get the

sense if he had the chance to race a current Formula one car, he would

take it. He has not quite come to terms with the fact that he is not a

grand prix driver any more! Friday was to be a very special day for

Susie Wolff, the first female to take part in a Grand Prix for 22

years. And there was a lot of anticipation.

Good morning. Nice to see you. This is a nice place you have got.

I have known you a long time. It is strange that evolution from us

running around as young girls wanting to be in motorsport to you

driving at Silverstone. You seem measured. It has been a fantastic

journey. We had a passion for motorsport and we have taken the

journey this far. For me the best part is putting that helmet on and

trying to get the quickest lap time you can. That is what I look forward

to. The grandstands are going to be packed, does that affect you? It was

in a positive way. I had so many messages of support. It is something

I think is positive as opposed to extra pressure. No one puts more

pressure on me than I do myself. People think Formula one is quite a

chauvinistic face. When you're dealing with Sir Frank Williams,

such a historic name, and you have spoken to Bernie Ecclestone as

well. Do you feel that these people are backing you fully? They

certainly do not make my life difficult. They remake funny

comments in the media that they realise it is positive for the sport

to have a female out there. I always say I'm not out to prove a point

about women drivers but I'm just out there for me. It is a great

opportunity for me as a driver to take the next step on my Formula one

driver -- Formula one journey. The main thing that we need is that

she just does a sensible job, does not try to go to quickly and is just

consistent with top and able to give us feedback as to what each of the

new components is doing. Williams is leading the way, to have

women involved in all areas of the business. Including the very sharp

end, driving the car. It gives a better balance to the sport in

general. Every thing OK with the car?

Susie Wolff has come to stop out track... As soon as I saw oil

pressure coming up I knew that was it. That was the toughest moment.

The adrenaline is running and it is certainly over.

The toughest thing for me was that it was just so much fun out there. I

still read a lot from today in spite of it being just a short run. We

will bounce back and I need to start focusing on doing the same thing

again. Heartbreaking scenes for Susie Wolff

on Friday. It is just started raining here. As if the gods knew

that it was so disappointing and not her fault at all. She had put in a

lot of hard work to get to the session yesterday. There was

pressure on her and it was just disappointing for everybody and most

of all for Susie Wolff. But she handled it with good grace and

dignity and she took the positives from it. She said she had a great

time and is looking ahead to the next race. I'm so pleased that she

just has a short time to wait. With hindsight that is good. I have raced

against Susie Wolff in German touring cards and she has great

speed. Women can multitask she be better placed than the male

representatives to handle all the new technology! I will not make any

comments on gender issues! She is a professional racing driver. And she

can manage the steering wheel as well as anyone else. You mentioned

Hockenheim. Are there any other opportunities for her to get in a

car? Unfortunately not. That was the arrangement. We have Felipe Nasr as

well who is our test driver. He is in five P1 sessions this year.

Well good luck this weekend. And thank you for talking to us. We look

forward to seeing Susie Wolff in Hockenheim. And of course it is

difficult. To get any chance, any time in a Formula one car. And that

begs the question were to the next crop of British drivers come from.

Here is Tom. Well Jonathan Palmer and Alex Lynn

are here and they both dominated their respective championships in

the junior races. How do you convert this success into a Formula one

drive next year? I have to keep doing what I'm doing. The season has

gone well so far. We just have to keep it up. And I will go to speak

to some Formula one teams and the aim is for me to be on the grid next

year. And Alex, what about you? You can make the jump straight to

Formula one. That is what I'm looking to do next year. Hopefully

get Red Bull to help me get the Formula one seat. And how much

interest to they take in new? Do you get Christian Horner on the

telephone? They sponsor me all the way and it is in their interest to

help me. It is a big thing for you to have that Red Bull backing? It

is. It takes away the uncertainty. If you can win on the junior

programme you are guaranteed to get a seat. The Palmer family, people

say racing royalty. Does that help or hinder? A bit of both. I just do

my own thing. On the weekend my dad does not really get involved, he

just enjoys it and let me be my own person.

The pit lane very busy with a lot of fans waiting and anticipating this

qualifying session. Those boys need everything they can get. We know

that the Red Bull programme works. That is great backing for Alex. But

it is so difficult to get a driver in Formula one. It is difficult. But

nevertheless you still have to keep pushing. You get nothing for just

sitting still. These boys are all determined and also talented. There

is such a great level of professionalism just underneath

Formula one which I am excited about. We need to see them make the

move. We have seen what so many young drivers are able to do.

Normally you have natural wastage with the older drivers retiring. But

there are are already a great crop of younger drivers and there's just

not space for everyone. Absolutely. Max did not run in the previous free

practice session this morning because of a gearbox problem. We may

be able to catch up with him later. It has been a difficult year for

Ferrari. The team principal has had a few months now to bed in. So we

went along to pick his brains. The Ferrari just looked terrible...

It has not looked good for Kimi Raikkonen and his return to

Ferrari... Three months into the job Marco,

what are your initial conclusions? Well it has been the most

challenging three months of my life. It is an extraordinary job for an

ordinary person. As a profession it is one of the most interesting

challenges that the manager can have. There is no compromise. We

need to bring Ferrari back to the top.

There is a saying, first to build a great car you have to identify the

problems with the existing car. Happy now pinpointed the problem

is? First you need to pick up the right people and identify the

problems and then build a performing car. We have identified the

problems, the most important one. We are already working very hard.

Adrian, were you disappointed he was not involved in talking with you? I

do not want to comment on a saga that is becoming a soap opera. I

need to focus on my team and the car and the championship.

There is talk of a rift between Alonso and Ferrari. He's not winning

championships and he wants to do that more. Can he do that with you?

Everyone wants to win more championships and Ferrari do. I

understand the frustration. But we are also frustrated. So we should

not read anything into the fact that Fernando has said he is not doing

the test here next week? The analysis is wrong. I'm not going to

comment. Is there any hope that you can give

the fans for this season or do we have to wait for next year? We will

fight every race. We need to improve. Whatever we will do this

year is going to be something useful and support for next year?s car. We

will only be happy when we are at the top.

So maybe the first time we've had the chance to talk to Marco. Quite

defiant, but a strong character. Very strong. He was hugely

successful as a company man in the states. So I can see what he has

been brought here. Ferrari has been floundering for the last few years.

They have not done a good enough job and they have too many fans all over

the world, particularly in Britain, I might add. He is charged with the

job of getting back up their ad is this going to be a difficult task.

Looking at shots there, Kimi Raikkonen, he has pretty much been

invisible this season. He is one of those drivers that you cannot ever

criticise or the fans make it clear they are not happy. In his career he

has had exceptional speed. I think he has blown a bit hot and cold and

this is not one of his peak moments. He is looking a bit out of sorts and

not happy with the new braking systems. I think he is very seat of

the pants and this modern technology does not play to his strengths. Do

you see him staying? I do believe that Fernando Alonso is not happy.

He wants to win more championships. He would like to do it with

Ferrari, but he does not have to. It is a possibility that he might move

to a top team next year. I have alluded to it, is there a chance

that Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso could swap faces? I think it

is a possibility. We would expect you to find out before anybody

else! It has been a disappointing weekend so far for Williams, and how

have the rest of the paddock been getting on?

A dry start saw the fans out in force to support Lewis Hamilton,

Jenson Button, Max Chilton and the Williams development driver, but she

had development -- engine problems. Her team-mate lost it at a corner.

Felipe Massa was hurt, but the team looked dejected. Daniil Kvyat had a

go at copying him, but he just hung on to it. Romain Grosjean was ill at

ease. Lewis Hamilton was fast with the medium tyres and set the

outright pace, but he then suffered an oil pressure problem which put

him out for the rest of the session, leaving Nico Rosberg to complete a

race simulation on his own. Overnight rain for the third

practice meant teams did minimal running. I'll caveat demonstrated

how slippery it was, as did Romain Grosjean. Jules Bianchi was the only

ones to make contact with the barrier. Lewis Hamilton checked out

the limit button. Despite a grassy moment of his own, Sebastian Vettel

headed the timesheets for the first time this year, Red Bull first and

second, but with Mercedes and rape -- with Mercedes keeping their

powder dry, it remains to be seen. Jules Bianchi is having a new nose

put on his car. Your car has got a new gearbox going on. Just as I was

pulling out of the pit lane, it gave up the ghost as soon as I went for

the first gear shift. I did not go for any more, with these cars, it

takes a while to get a gearbox change them, but we are looking OK.

Your first laps in the wet are going to be in qualifying. Silverstone is

a daring track in the dry, but in the wet, it is very high-speed, low

grip, and I have had no sighting laps, so I will have to push as hard

as I can and get a good lap time. We have just done a piece looking at

young guys trying to break through, how difficult is it to get up here,

into the top echelon? How difficult to stay here? It is very hard, there

are so many youngsters around, you have to defend your position. I am

23, but there are already people coming behind me. It is not an easy

sport, but at the end of the day, there are only 22 seat. In

football, there are thousands of players. It is hard to get into, you

have to do your best to stay in. Good luck this afternoon.

It is a tough school. We are interested in your views and

opinions, you can tweet us. Or you can send your comments to Facebook.

Let's go next door and turn our attention is to Mercedes. Everybody

is talking about Lewis Hamilton, it was not his weekend last year, but

is this a must win race for him this season? Does he need this one

psychologically? Not for the points, he does want to claw back the

deficit, but there is a long way to go. But psychologically, he would

like to nail this, there is no question the crowd would be

delighted, this team is based just down the road in Brackley. But it is

important for Lewis Hamilton, at the moment, despite the opinion being

that he has got the speed, Nico Rosberg has had an answer for

everything, he has been on the podium for every Grand Prix, so it

will be difficult for him. The psychological games have not worked.

The last three qualifying sessions have not gone well, it has gone

wrong every time, he has put so much pressure on himself, so what does he

need to do today? I see a similarity, Nico Rosberg's position

in Monaco, and Lewis Hamilton here. Nico Rosberg responded brilliantly

by winning, a big psychological boost. I disagree with David, I

believe that Lewis Hamilton has to win here, because it is his home

territory, despite the fact that Nico Rosberg won last year. It is a

mouthwatering opportunity for us. From Lewis Hamilton's point of view,

he must get the points, because he cannot let Nico Rosberg get too far

away. He has been relaxed all weekend, but we can find out what is

going through his mind. Last year on the Saturday, you

0.4 ahead Last year on the Saturday, you

love it to be the same? I thought it was 0.5! I am going to argue over

that, it is a big difference! Last year was spectacular. I remember the

reception I got from the crowd, and it was crushing when we had the tyre

blow out. It is Lewis Hamilton!

It was more disappointing because I had it therefore the fans, we are

going to do this. No chance for Adrian Sutil.

Equally, an amazing feeling when I could get back up to fourth place.

Lewis Hamilton takes fourth place. Coming from an exploded tyre, this

is a tremendous drive. It is another opportunity, who knows

how it will go? How much would you like to win here for the fans and to

get momentum back on your side and fight for those points in the

championship? So many aspects of what would make it even more

special, trying to get the momentum back, I had it for a while. I did it

before, there is no reason why I cannot catch up again. There was a

lot of talk after Monaco, a lot of emotions running high.

Yes! Do you think that has been a turning

point? Undoubtedly. Nico Rosberg was talking about trying to change the

order, making sure he broke down the momentum, and he did so. Would you

rather be in a battle with your team-mate with somebody else? What

is easier? I would imagine it is easier battling with somebody else.

Because then you and your team-mate can help. But when it is you and

your team-mate, you almost need somebody to be in between you to

take points away from the other. Lewis Hamilton has lost it! That is

the end of that lap. We do not often see mistakes from

you, but what about qualifying in Austria? You are constantly under

pressure. If any driver says there is no pressure, they are talking

rubbish. There is pressure there, from yourself, from the team. We are

racing for 18, some teams have almost 1000 people. You want to win

the championship more than anything. There is pressure, but I cannot

pinpoint exactly why mistakes come along.

Lewis Hamilton comes through to win the Chinese Grand Prix! He takes his

hat-trick of victories in 2014! We know that you have got the speed,

but do you have the psychological toughness for what it is going to

take this season? It is going to need both. It is going to be a

combination of different things. From where I am, staying focused,

not losing energy, keeping the spirit up, utilising the

opportunity, because we have the chance to win the championship this

year, it is just which one of us will do it.

That is the million-dollar question, which one direct? Will it be Lewis

Hamilton or Nico Rosberg? Nico Rosberg is currently leading the

championship. What did you think of him in that interview? He was

talking about the momentum that Nico Rosberg stole from him, but it was

like he had moved on, he seemed cool, calm and collected. He comes

across as a great ambassador for the sport. What he is doing, how he goes

about it, he seems content. He has made a huge difference to this team.

His inclusion made this team at test today. Well done to him, I am glad

he is relaxed and calm, because a relaxed Lewis Hamilton, in this

frame of mind, I would not want to fight against him, he is in very

good shape. He looks sharp, but he is more susceptible to emotional

roller-coaster is down Nico Rosberg. It is not necessarily linked to how

it is going on the track, it is what is going on in his life. It will be

a tricky qualifying. Do you render the interview when he said he wanted

to break him down mentally, and Nico Rosberg said, good luck? They are

different, we know that, they look at things differently. Because Lewis

Hamilton is emotional, if he gets the pole position and a victory this

weekend, would it must be more than a race injury? Yes, I think it would

be an emotional victory, not just because it is Britain, but because

he would eat into the 29 point deficit. But to break Nico Rosberg

down mentally, he is to articulate and intelligent and knowledgeable,

because they have known each other for so long, he has picked the wrong

person. Does he need to concentrate on his own game? Of course, he knows

he has the ultimate speed, but doing what he did, that was a mistake.

Another mistake was one he put his hand on him and Nico Rosberg moved

it away. There were a couple of things that we looked for. I think

it would be better concentrating on himself, he can win, there is no

doubt. The pressure is on Nico Rosberg, because he is not a world

champion. That might be his saving grace. I think the pressure is

mounting on Lewis Hamilton, I do not think this weekend is the decider,

but Nico Rosberg has the comfort zone of more than one victory. He

cannot finish this race and still be leading the championship. I do not

think the pressure is more on Nico Rosberg. The double points at the

end could play into Lewis Hamilton's hands. It is double

points in the last race, which would make it hugely exciting. The racing

on the track is exciting, and the psychology is just as exciting. We

will see if Lewis Hamilton will win. We have heard from Lewis Hamilton

and Max Chilton, there is one British Trident we have not heard

from yet. Gentlemen, start your engines. Can I have a mirror to see

how good I look? Look at us! I might even hit second gear. We are

coming through! When did you love affair start with

bikes? I had a little bike to play around with on the weekends. He

watched me around with on the weekends. He

said that is enough, let us go on four wheels. He made a wise

decision! How do you feel about the British Grand Prix? You have

travelled the world. I love it. When I was a kid the race that you dream

of is the British Grand Prix. I had one chance, in 2010. Both wheel fell

off. Yes. This year for me will be a very special race, emotional, after

the old boy passed away in January. Walking out of the hotel in the

morning, he was always late. Always the last one. I really miss that.

I hope you do not mind, I have booked some tea with her Majesty the

Queen. She is in, the flag is up! I have never been to Buckingham

Palace. I met her at one time and she said I'd do not know how you do

it, racing at breakneck speeds! You cannot help but feel a chartered,

all these union Jack flags. -- feel patriotic. Keep your eyes on the

road! The one that you are riding sounds a

bit like a modern Formula one car. Mine sounds old school.

How does Silverstone rate in terms of physical demands? It is nonstop,

there are not many slow sections. Ourselves! Riding Harleys. It is

Jensen Button, Formula one megastar! The back know who he is.

There is Big Ben. It makes you proud! To be British! Come on! # God

save our gracious queen... You do not even get me into any

trouble. Here come the police! I apologise for any attempts at

singing. Jensen was in good form. He is in a good place with his driving.

His position in the team. There has been speculation in the media about

his future. But he knows that he does have the skills and these

conditions could be made for him. We spoke about Ron saying that he

needed to pull his socks up. Is that just his way of motivating people? I

never heard him publicly say anything and I gave him plenty of

opportunity with some of the mistakes I made! Perhaps just now he

needs to feel that people should get a hurry on. And really get results.

Everyone talking about the situation with Jensen Button and what Ron came

out with, outwardly criticising him and saying he needs to try more. Can

you add any light to this? Just to put it in perspective, a lot of

people do no wrong. An extremely successful team principal and

chairman and group executive. He is a pushy guy, that is the nature of

the beast. He did exactly the same thing to Ayrton Senna. He has made

comments about Jensen. And he would say the same thing to Eric and to

me. That is the nature of the beast. But you have lost Alonso and Lewis

Hamilton all through the same kind of things. These drivers saying that

Ron was too pushy. Is there a message there? I think the drivers

had successful times with us but no team stands still. The drivers want

to move around. Lewis and Adrian had been with us for a long time.

Nothing stands still. I do not look at it with that perspective at all

but I like your loaded question! US sixth in the constructors

championship. 1.8 seconds behind the fastest car in qualifying yesterday.

That is not McLaren style? It is not and it is not good enough. A lot of

us are working very hard behind the scenes. I was asked about these

regulations and if it clamps down on levels of innovation. Mercedes had

given a masterclass in how that can be done so there is plenty of

opportunity. And it is not easy otherwise everyone else would be

doing the same thing. If you look at the last four or five races the grid

is moving forwards. And Mercedes will have to watch carefully if they

are to hold onto that lead. But the grid is going to catch them. Whether

this year or next, it is coming. And if you do not establish what is

wrong with the car, how are you going to change it next year? The

Honda thing, it is fantastic news for Formula one and for us that

whatever the changes in the regulation, it has been good enough

to introduce Honda back into motorsport. Fiercely competitive in

Moto GP. It runs through their blood so we are delighted to be racing

with them. In terms of the work that we have to do, the product in a

garage, the issue is not the product but how we improve our organisation.

We are working really hard and going through a lot of internal

restructuring. We are going to make some changes and make no bones about

it, we are coming back. I am with Alan now as we can talk

about what is going to happen on track today. A little bit of light

rain. It was a bad session this morning and looks like it could be

the same thing again. The cloud is higher but it does have that damp

feeling and the rain will be on and off for the rest of the afternoon.

It will be between the intermediate and perhaps the full wet tyres. The

moment on track is going to be critical. If you're the last to

cross the line. There could be some scalps in this one. We always say it

could be a more level playing field. But the wet weather could help some

people? I think it can but it is more opportunistic, making the right

decisions, not making mistakes. We have had the situation where this

morning there were a lot of mistakes on track. People running wide comic

even Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were in that situation. And

that was something that most of them got out of, but not everyone did.

Sebastian Vettel coming through brackets, he got onto the wetter

part of the circuit. It is not porous, the water does not drain

away. And even in the last corner Romain Grosjean as soon as he

touched the paintwork it snapped sideways on him. That was a critical

moment. He did very well to save that. Right now he was very quick

with his reaction. And at the same time he was going down the years. So

very quick reactions. Adrian Sutil coming down. He did quite a lot of

laps this morning going wide and then coming straight through the

gravel. He was good to get out of the gravel. He had to keep up some

momentum. This is a guy fighting to get out of the last part of

qualifying as is Jules Bianchi. For these guys they are fighting for the

opportunity to get out of Q1 and into Q2. This could be at scalp for

them. Once you knock a break you lose 25%

of your braking efficiency. You have got to come off the brake. But round

here it is so slippery. The crossover point between the

intermediate tyres and the wet tyres, it is difficult to say. So

you're going to see people being very careful not to make mistakes.

We can have a closer look at the track. One of the Silverstone

masters, the brilliant Mark Webber. Silverstone is like a second home to

me. I have been racing here for almost 20 years. And I have had a

bit of success along the way. Mark Webber takes victory for the

second time... Just a stunning lap.

The alp lap is crucial. By the direction of that flag I know

whether I have the wind on the nose of the car. Then I can break

extremely late. When you have got the wind behind you have to be very

careful. This is one of the fastest corners

in Formula one. The first corner at Silverstone. You need to be brave

and trust in the car. The turning point is roundabout

here. You can see the byline, how low we are. Opens up a little bit on

the exit. You have got to get this corner right.

Still in the first set. The first big heavy stock on the lap. You need

to be deep on the brakes. You do not have two prioritise too far on that.

You can use the camera on the apex for positioning. It is an important

part of the lap to get everything right.

In my opinion this is the heart of Formula one. Maggots, very fast.

Super rewarding for the drivers. On the left you can see the bank. One

of the best places in the world to watch the cars come through. It is

all about positioning, getting yourself ready. And probably the

most important corner on track. You've got to do so many things

right to get the lap time in your favour. Then the last right-hander.

If you get all that right then and lap time will be very important for

you. Those are some of the key ingredients for a fast qualifying

time at Silverstone. Be brave, understand the wind and trust in the

car. This is a track that we love driving on. They do not make them

like this any more. The guys love it and I do as well.

Please to have you with us at this one pre-, Mark Webber. There will

need to be quick decisions today. 20 minute sessions. Probably five or

six time-lapse for the teams to get the feel of it. Q3 could be

difficult conditions. They're under pressure. Who is going to be in pole

position? Daniel Ricciardo. Q1 coming up. Here it is.

Straddling the borders of Northamptonshire and Bucks,

Silverstone puts cars and drivers through their paces with some of the

most challenging corners in the world. Qualifying brings us to the

former airfield where thousands upon thousands of fans have gathered to

CPD generation of cars compete on UK soil for the first time. Both the

power unit and chassis is will get a work-out on this 3.6 mile layout.

The first sector, introduced in 2010, the second sector, the fast

corner. And the final sector, culminating in the long

right-hander, where the clock stops at the end of the lap. Lewis

Hamilton took pole position last year by nearly half a second over

his Mercedes team-mate, Nico Rosberg, and he could do with that

again today to begin the process of narrowing the gap in the

championship. Conditions are going to make life difficult, and it could

change the way we see cars running throughout the session. They will

want to get out there quickly, there is still a fairly high risk of rain

throughout the remaining part of the next hour. That is the thing about

this open airfield, you can get local weather patterns that are not

even showing up on the radar. Nobody will want to take a risk in setting

their too long. It can help drive the line in the first session when

all the cars are on the track, but do you take the risk? I would not.

Sebastian Vettel was fastest this morning, but Nico Rosberg and

Fernando Alonso did not bother to do a timed lap. Daniel Ricciardo is

above Sebastian Vettel in the championship and has beaten him in

qualifying this year, so Sebastian Vettel is trying to reclaim some

ground. Nico Hulkenberg up in the points, but Force India are not

going so quickly this weekend. Others to watch, Kimi Raikkonen, he

has been some way off the pace of Fernando Alonso this year, but

rarely has he been out qualified here, so we will see how he gets on

today. The helmet of Jenson Button, the pink helmet, which is to pay

respects to his father, who passed away earlier this year. Coming back

to these damp conditions and who away earlier this year. Coming back

they favour... Some of the fans showing their support. The

conditions might help teams like Sauber, who have qualified to get

both cars through the first part of qualifying's who have struggled to

get both cars through. Taking big risks this morning. Nico Rosberg

scrolling through some of the settings on the steering wheel.

Mercedes leading the constructors' point very confidently over Red

Bull. Ferrari third, Force India fourth, but Williams are bearing

down on them. Williams have had a difficult start to this weekend, can

they put that behind them and try to challenge near different? We are

expecting Red Bull to be the nearest challengers to Mercedes. The

conditions may change that, but Red Bull like these past, flowing

circuit. They were pretty strong in Barcelona, attract similar to this.

Max Chilton's car is fired up. He is on the intermediate tyre. He is

heading out pretty quickly. We still have a queue seconds before the

green light comes on. That is his goal, as well as doing an

installation lap, knowing that you have got a five place penalty, it is

a sobering thought, but normally Marussia have been towards the back

of the grid anyway. Fans are getting a better view by leaning over. This

is something that I think sets Silverstone apart, the campsite. I

felt for them when the rain was bucketing down last night, I

thought, I would not want to be in a tent! There were some dumb people

around, but they do not care, they are here for Formula One -- there

were some damp people around. The first session is underway, 18

minutes. To get into the top 16, you progress into the next stage of

qualifying. Marussia, Caterham and Sauber are the main teams who could

get dropped. You have got to get the timing right, especially when track

conditions are changing like this. Tom, you have been talking to some

of the engineers, they have an eye on the weather, trying to plan a

different approach to qualifying today. Yes, to quote a couple of the

engineers, it is situation awareness. The conditions have

changed quite a lot since the final practice session this morning, the

wind has changed direction, it is now a tailwind going into the first

corner, and it is harder, and it will bring in some rain. It is

raining in Bicester, 20 miles away. As Mark Webber said, they will be

looking at the flag on top of the clubhouse to see what the wind is

doing, because it makes such a difference. So many of the teams

live around here, Mercedes down the road, Red Bull, Lotus, I would

suspect they have family members sending messages, I am bringing

suspect they have family members washing in, it is getting a bit

wet! I am sure they can keep an eye on it! Kamui Kobayashi out on the

Caterham. All of those out so far are on the intermediate tyres, there

is no need for the full wet tyres, because there is no standing water.

It will be interesting to see the lap times. 1:52 was the fastest this

morning, but the track could be in better shape at the moment. You

mentioned Adrian Sutil was going well this morning, the fifth

fastest, he said that time at one of the worst times in terms of the

conditions. Let's try to get an idea of how much grip there is.

RADIO: The track is very dry. Lewis Hamilton reporting it is pretty dry.

I would have thought it was not so much of an issue. It is more a

question of having the tyre in its operating window. Inevitably, there

will be some damp areas, some cooling water, which will affect the

slick tyres. They are taking a fairly conventional line. If it were

wet, they would be taking a karting line. Going wide off the rubber as

you enter the corner and cutting back to get the best acceleration. I

would be surprised if anybody goes out on the slick tyres. But let's

see what happens. A puff of water as they enter Beckett. You have got to

be watchful of the collecting points and the curbs, because they will

retain the water a little longer. The curbs can stay slippery. Around

a track like this, it is so high speed in so many areas, you get used

to running out onto the wide line. That can be lethal in damp

conditions if you are on a slick tyre. We saw Felipe Massa had a

crash yesterday, doing extensive damage to his Williams. That was

through running wide on the artificial grass. The rain may be

coming down more heavily. We are already four seconds faster than the

pace this morning. Jules Bianchi a bit quicker. Let's go back to Tom.

One of the things we need to bear in mind, the rain is starting to come

down, do you set the car up for the wet or dry? It looks as though the

wet -- the race tomorrow will be dry, but qualifying is important,

because it is difficult to overtake in the race. Do you maximise your

performance for the wet conditions, compromising before the race, or do

you put all of your eggs in the race basket? The teams are not doing a

completely dry setup, they are trying to get performance this

afternoon. Lewis Hamilton is already going quickly, the fastest first

afternoon. Lewis Hamilton is already sector. A pretty long first sector.

Pretty high G loading. He is well up on the fastest time at the moment.

Impressive stuff so far. He is taking a wider line. A tricky

corner, because you are carrying so much momentum into a tight

left-hander. Then, the reed profiled exit, out onto the finish straight.

One second quicker than Daniel Ricciardo. Yes, and Nico Rosberg is

one second down. He has gone through in third place. Kimi Raikkonen got

out of shape in the last corner. He just about recovered. He will not be

allowed to keep that time, because if all four wheels go over the white

line, they will lose big-time. A couple of potential stars for the

future there. RADIO: We have more rain on the pit wall. Very light,

but it is raining again. In other words, get on with it, we cannot

waste any opportunities! It took him a while to make his point! Do not

hang around! Lewis Hamilton fastest, one second faster than Nico

Rosberg on the opening run. The drivers are sensitive to any small

spots of rain. Your visor is exposed to the air flow. There is a small

deflector on different the chassis to take some of the turbulence over

the top of the helmet, to keep some of the flies from hitting the

helmet. But any spray at all from cars in front, any light rain, you

will see that, and you are so sensitive to how much grip that may

give or take away in certain areas. A big Formula One fan, watching from

the pits. RADIO: We can go to slick tyres if we get the temperatures up.

It is interesting to see that Lewis Hamilton says that slick tyres may

be a prospect. Percentage-wise, that could indicate we will see some cars

coming out on slick tyres soon. Kimi Raikkonen still on the

intermediate. They may have some of the slick tyres with the blankets

turned up higher. The risk is you start curing the rubber. You know

you are going to give up that set, the teams might go out with the

blankets around 85, 90 degrees, but you can put more temperature into

them. They need to make sure they are in the racing line, or else they

will lose temperature very quickly. Kimi Raikkonen trying to pull

himself out of the drop zone. He needs to finish this lap. There is

some more rain falling. It depends on how much rain we get. All four

wheels inside, just about. That is quite a competitive group, he could

do with more speed. Significantly slower than Fernando Alonso. Not at

all comfortable. These are almost dry conditions. With it being a

softer compound, it raises the car up 2.5 millimetres, which affects

performance. You start to overheat the blogs, and in the first phase,

you lose grip. As you can wear the block down, you can start benefiting

from the softer compound. But I do not think anybody will run them down

that far in this session, if it remains as is. A big oversteer. He

must have had a moment of remembering yesterday morning. He

has got the 200 mark on his helmet, it is his 200th Grand Prix. It will

be in his mind, the incident yesterday. Extensive damage done to

the Williams. He will get through into the top 16. Let's see how far

up the order he goes. That is a good effort from Felipe Massa. Just a

federal Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton at the top. RADIO: What is

the downside of going option? If it does not rain, we will not have a

new set for the race. All concerned about how many tyres they have for

the race itself. With seven minutes to go there is a

chance that the track will get quicker. But Mercedes I think can

afford to just react to that. If you know you're comfortable in these

conditions to be true to the next of qualifying, there is no point

scrubbing off any further tyres. Felipe Massa there but that massive

slide. Another view from on-board. Fourth gear. The straight drops down

slightly towards the corner. The Chancellor of the Exchequer on

the right there. Some important visitors here. George Osborne

getting a guided tour from Ron Dennis. Jensen Button putting on the

medium tyres. Hoping that the track conditions... That reminds me of

last year. Russia timed that change to the slick tyres perfectly. --

Marussia. Here we are with Kobayashi. Can he keep the heat in

the tyres? Trying to work the front tyres. You can just lose confidence

on the slick tyres. But if you can build the heat you can really push

on. Anywhere with damp patches than the tyres will lose surface

temperature. This is occurring at theme. He's tyres are so sensitive.

-- these tyres. Apparently there is a problem. He

should have kept going there. But there is some kind of technical

issue causing a problem for the Caterham. Not the tyres, something

else wrong with the car, they have been reporting. Mercedes sitting

ready to react if anyone heads out on the slick tyres. If you miss the

window now, one fly lap could be enough. It has happened before. They

cannot afford to be too complacent. The lap times can change so rapidly

once the slick tyres, to temperature. Seven or eight cars now

heading out on the medium tyres. Gutierrez is almost tyres and he has

done a pretty good set. Mercedes now sending Rosberg out on the medium

compound tyres. Ferrari, quick change of tyres down. McLaren going

out on the option tyres. Button is on the slick tyres as well and has

just had the fastest sector of anyone. We're watching Gutierrez now

on those slick tyres. Looking pretty fast at this stage. Fastest in the

middle sector of anybody. So definitely time for the slick tyres.

And anyone who has set the time has got to go back out there. You have

got to start again from scratch. Button on his way to being the

fastest man. Then the question is how many lap you can get out of the

tyres. A good lap from Max Chilton. Just a hint slower than Gutierrez.

Jensen Button, he has lost a lap! All four wheels over, he will lose

that lap! Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel in the pit. They have got to

get a move on. Sebastian Vettel has just gone out. Alonso is out. Coming

through the last corner. All four wheels beyond the white line. That

time will be disallowed. Caterham having another issue. We briefly had

a yellow flag on one section of the track. It could have been on that

sector. That has been cleared away. There we go, Marek Stech backed --

Ericsson. He goes through the gravel and onto

the grass. A bit of gravel rash, as they like to call it in the

industry. But no real damage. Nothing coming up on the screen yet

about Button and his time being taken away. It has now. So his time

has been deleted. So Jules Bianchi is currently fastest. On-board now

with Kabila. ) in the drop zone with just over a minute to go. --

Raikkonen. Hamilton starting to set the pace in the first sector. Is

going to get through and who will fail to make it? Jules Verne on a

lap and should be able to make it. It is all going to come down to the

last few seconds. Alonso! He is in the drop zone. Does he have another

issue? I wonder if there's something connecting those incidents. A lot of

people go faster in that zone of course. What is Raikkonen doing? He

has just come over the line. He could still get a lap in. But Alonso

is out. He's not going to make it back. Sutil getting out of the car

and all change here. That is also where we saw Alonso off track.

Felipe Massa fighting the car all the way. There is Alonso. The

session is over. Both of the Williams in the drop zone at the

moment. So these are crucial wraps. And they had the yellow as well

which will make it incredibly difficult. Reacting to that yellow

flag. Everyone pouring back into the pits. And both Williams, they will

not be into the second part of qualifying. What a turnaround. The

true front row men from Austria. What has happened here. Both

Williams failing to get through the first part of qualifying as both of

the cars. Alonso and Raikkonen have failed to get through to the second

part of qualifying. That is astonishing. A complete turnaround

for Williams. Both out. And Ferrari as well. It shows a strategic error

for Williams and Ferrari. Not getting the drivers out at the right

time. The driver has to make sure he takes responsibility for making the

call I would say. You need the information from the team of course.

But bad decisions, bad day in the office. Marco Mattiacci, is he going

to find someone to blame? Because that is chaotic it really should not

have happened. Adrian Sutil walks back, he would have made it through

but of course he has abandoned his car so will not take any further

part in the qualifying. We saw those cars ahead backing up. Certainly

nothing to do with Alonso. He was on his own. The gravel just about does

its job. It looks as if the rain has started to fall so he corrects and

goes wide. Then does he have a spin? They were caught out with rain

at the back of the circuit in the closing moments. Definitely got more

slippery just about section. Just caught out Alonso and several

others. You had to be out of it earlier than that. And I think

Williams were in the same trouble. RADIO: We are out.

Unbelievable. The front row cars from Austria are out. Marussia into

Q2 for the first time since Ultram. -- since Ultram. -- Belgium.

Those conditions can throw it up. If you just missed that William -- that

window where you need to be on the slicks. It is your worst nightmare

because you cannot get the temperature of the tyres up. You're

getting desperate but there is no grip on the track. It is always

tricky when you have these wet conditions and then tomorrow looks

like it is going to be dry. Many people will still go for dry. It is

all about timing today. Getting the car out on the track at the right

time. You have to focus on being on the track at the right time today. A

real cat and mouse qualifying session. A shocker for some and

elation for others. Marussia in particular have done remarkably

well. They were on the track when the track is coming to you and take

advantage of that because you will never make up the time when it is

wet. It is all about timing. If they can do well in the second session

who knows what would happen. But such an achievement to get through

to Q2. When you have these shop changing conditions when the track

was dry up pretty quickly, these guys have nothing to lose. When

conditions are unstable, roll the dice a bit, but on the slick tyres.

And it just rained at the right time. In that session, Q2 is a

different ball game. And of course Max has a quick penalty so good news

for him. He's not thinking about the gearbox at the minute! He's thinking

about what it would be like to make the final qualifying. They have

surprised people to get the point that they have. They are ninth in

the championship and things are looking up for Russia. -- Belgium.

-- Marussia. It is intermediate tyres now, the track is stable. So

probably a couple of runs now on the intermediate tyres to try to get a

feel for the conditions. And for Q3 they might get that little drying

window again. I just had that feeling, I love

Daniel Ricciardo. He is young and ambitious, he has brought a new

level in my opinion to rebel. -- to Red Bull. He is a joy to watch. The

cars are tricky to drive in these conditions. Toro Rosso have had a

lot of friendly fire in their own team. Here is Q2. The track has

become more slippery. Not all of them are on the intermediate tyres.

The more Russia cars making sure that they are early out, what an

opportunity for them, but it might be tough for them to get any

further. It is a question of how far up the top 16 they can get. They

have confidence in the car, making the option slick tyres work. But

now, everybody is out on intermediates. If the rain remains

constant, the drivers will be able to deliver what their potential is.

It has just been updated, all of the lead group has gone out on the

intermediate tyres. Lewis Hamilton not yet out, just looking at what

everybody else is doing. It looks as though intermediates are the choice.

It is about getting into the top ten, you will not win pole position

from this session, but you will get into the top ten, and then you are

in the battle for pole position. That is what Lewis Hamilton has got

his mind set on. He took it last year, Nico Rosberg has had the edge

in qualifying over the last couple of events. Jules Bianchi was fourth

fastest overall in that first session, and Max Chilton was sixth

fastest. Ferrari, both cars are out, both Williams are out, definite

opportunities for the other teams to score useful points. Ferrari, third

in the constructors' score useful points. Ferrari, third

but not that far ahead of Force India. RADIO: Everybody is on a new

intermediate. Daniel Ricciardo being chased by Max Chilton. He has got

enough of a gap to watch the Red Bull. I do not know that he can stay

on terms with him for very long. Daniel Ricciardo sneaking it

through. The quick left-hander, named after another venue of the

British Grand Prix in the 1950s. RADIO: A little bit wet. Nico

Rosberg confirming the track is correct for intermediate tyres. A

wide line on the first part of Luffield, then comes inside.

He was quickest in the first sector, until a moment ago, and nuclear has

gone faster. until a moment ago, and nuclear has

not using too much of the curb. until a moment ago, and nuclear has

Cruising through the entry to that corner, not taking any risks. The

flashing red light is a standard part of wet conditions. Once the

intermediate tyres go on, it triggers the rear light. The DRS

snapping shut, that can be operated manually by the driver. Some traffic

ahead. It is Esteban Gutierrez. This is where it has been slippery

through practice, trying to put the power down here. That was very tidy

and careful. The initial market is set. We are some way off what we

were doing at the end of the first session, many macro for 2.3. Daniil

Kvyat is on a good lap here. Jean-Eric Vergne is going well. Toro

Rosso have a good setup. Pastor Maldonado has done a good lap on the

Lotus. Beaten by Jean-Eric Vergne. Motivated by the fact that he has a

Mercedes engine, presuming he has a Lotus ride next year. Renault should

be very happy with the initial stages! The press officer will

quickly be getting out a press release! It has changed already,

Nico Rosberg and Kevin Magnussen likely to go well. Nico Rosberg is

quickest of all in the middle sector, but faster than him is Lewis

Hamilton. Nico Rosberg is quickest. Five seconds slower than his pace

that he set earlier on. Lewis Hamilton is already quicker than his

team-mate. Be careful not to use the curb. It rises up and then drops

slightly. Listen to him as he feeds the power in. Short shifting. He

goes fastest, a big margin, too. We had several wet sessions in

qualifying earlier this year, Lewis Hamilton always have the edge. You

can see him flicking the engine dial, once you have completed your

lap and you want to save as much of the ending -- engine as possible.

Daniel Ricciardo has reported it is drying up quickly. Maybe you can get

onto slick tyres. It was five minutes to go in the previous

session when the first team headed out, just before, actually. They

need to keep their wits about them. The call has to come from the

driver. Then, they need to hope they do not get any rain. No change in

position for Daniil Kvyat. Sebastian Vettel has gone fastest in the first

sector. He goes fastest, an excellent lap from the four-time

world champion. We will see the conditions, if it is not raining...

Going quite here. Once you get out, you know you will have to get the

laptop anyway. All four wheels over, the lap time would have been

disallowed. Tom. There is no rain in the pit lane. Max Chilton has been

into the pits and has put a new set of intermediates on. He has nothing

to lose, he thinks it is not yet ready for slick tyres. Sebastian

Vettel is within four seconds of the slick tyre time. They are getting

into the zone out. Slick tyres going onto the Mercedes. Still seven and a

half minutes to go. Timing is everything. You can leave it too

late. Sometimes, you can put them onto early. Yes, if they are too

early, you lose temperature. Sebastian Vettel's time has been

deleted, he went beyond the track limit. It is not only applying at

the end of the race -- at the end of the lap. It puts Sebastian Vettel

into the drop zone once more. Jenson Button had a time disallowed, would

it still enabled him to get through to this part of qualifying. A

reasonable lap, or not anything that will chased Lewis Hamilton. They

could do with some quick assistant to tell us when a driver has made a

mistake around the track. They could be touchpads. RADIO: Hit this lap,

your fastest lap has been deleted. That is recently good for the moment

for Jenson Button, but once we see cars on slick tyres, it could be a

different story. This is the replay. Quite clear, four wheels over. There

should be something over, a pressure pad, it was pretty close, and it is

unacceptable that we are in this situation where if you give the

drivers the opportunity to take the gamble, if they get it right, they

can get away with it, and half a tyre which would have kept him in.

They need a way of persuading the drivers from taking that risk. It

cost Lewis Hamilton dearly in Austria. He was very wide and he

lost his lap time. It is affecting some of the other drivers as well. A

pause before we see what people will do on their slick tyres. Nico

Rosberg is waiting to go out on the slick tyres. A change for the Red

Bull as well. Let's get an opportunity to see how quickly Nico

Rosberg is going. 30.2 is the fastest first sector we have seen,

from Lewis Hamilton. Tom. The wettest bit of this racetrack is

here, in the pit lane. It is not getting any cars going over it. When

you see the cars on their new tyres, they are getting a film of

water, losing surface temperature, so the car is going to be a handful

as it accelerates in the arena section. Nico Rosberg's first

sector, not as quick as the intermediate. The fast corners might

be different. But it is green, a personal best for him. A pretty good

indication that the track is getting there. We also have Jules Bianchi,

one second faster than Nico Rosberg in the first sector. The Marussia in

these conditions is giving the driver is confident. That is a very

good sector from Jules Bianchi. This is looking encouraging. We have

Adrian Sutil, who has no chance of getting out of the drop zone,

because his car was reached. Sebastian Vettel with the fastest

first sector. RADIO: Nico Rosberg has found 0.1 in the first sector.

Nico Rosberg, fastest. That is a big chunk of time over Lewis Hamilton,

who set the time on the intermediate. You have got to be on

the slick tyres. Everybody is on them. Esteban Gutierrez has gone

quicker, a good lap. We will find out whether he gets to keep it,

hopefully he does not get the time deleted. Jules Bianchi goes fastest

of all. But I think he went a bit wide out of the last corner. Let's

see what happened to Lewis Hamilton. He realises he is going to run wide,

so he takes the car wide. A massive oversteer. All the time, losing

temperature in these tyres. Tricky conditions. Lewis Hamilton getting

caught out, in seventh place at the moment. Jean-Eric Vergne is now

fastest, in the Toro Rosso. Sebastian Vettel is second, Jules

Bianchi third, Max Chilton fourth, this is a real turnaround. Lewis

Hamilton is now putting it together a bit more accurately and cleanly,

although Nico Rosberg is faster than anybody in the first and second

sectors. Jenson Button has got some work to

do. All of them will be going out on the slick tyres. Nico Rosberg has

gone quickest by a huge margin, 1:30 5.1, huge chunks taken out of the

lap time, as long as you keep it on the island. Getting the benefit of a

toe. Yes, from Jules Bianchi. He is the fastest man of all in this

session in the middle sector. If he keeps it altogether,

session in the middle sector. If he from the crowd. That is one thing,

you can hear the crowd, which is pretty unique. A lot of energy,

people getting together and showing their appreciation. It is in the top

ten, that is the main thing. The other Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez

has gone off. Both of them will not other Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez

make any further other Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez

hit the barrier with the back of the car. Double yellows in that sector,

although they have been withdrawn already... No, we still have one

yellow. The time is still ticking away. Esteban Gutierrez clambers

out. Both of away. Esteban Gutierrez clambers

pushing the limits this morning. They looked like they were

pushing the limits this morning. spot. I am not sure where that is on

pushing the limits this morning. the track. Hitting an exposed

pushing the limits this morning. he has been creative in crushing the

car. Jules Bianchi is in the drop zone,

car. Jules Bianchi is in the drop Lewis Hamilton is going even faster

on this lap. Looking Lewis Hamilton is going even faster

quicker time, getting the psychological edge. He is stamping

his authority on this part of qualifying. 12th place is still a

very good result if he qualifying. 12th place is still a

in there. We will see if Pastor Maldonado improves. He might move

up. Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil the not improve. Jules Bianchi

and Max Chilton are on for some tremendous positions. It does not

look as if Grojean will be able to do much although he is on a lap.

Middle sector not great. It is not enough. He only missed out by less

than a 10th of a second. He has seen the chequered flag. We will wait to

see if terrorists improves. He goes seven. -- if Peres improves. So that

is it. We have the top ten. This is the Gutierrez incident. He runs wide

into the first part there. A very unusual place for a car to go off. A

very small correction as he comes off the kerb. Runs wide a little

gets on the white line. He was doing off the kerb. Runs wide a little

that in morning practice. I do not see the point in risking getting on

the white line in damp conditions. That is the second Sauber out. Max

Chilton does have a five place penalty. But it is the best ever

start for Marussia. A brilliant effort by the team. You have to feel

for Chilton who had a gearbox change this morning so he will

for Chilton who had a gearbox change down the order after his best ever

qualifying effort. RADIO: We have lost fuel pressure.

Stop the car. And once again it RADIO: We have lost fuel pressure.

gone wrong for Pastor Maldonado. That seems to happen every week. So

Grojean, Bianchi, Chilton, Gutierrez, Maldonado and suitable

not taking any further part. Well-known huge surprises that

session. What a shameful Gutierrez who was looking good in qualifying.

And another disappointing weekend for Maldonado. Any driver who allows

the card to go onto the paintwork, you're just asking for trouble

because they are so slippery here. It

because they are so slippery here. not drying out. And that is what

happens. Gutierrez miscalculated and paid

happens. Gutierrez miscalculated and of course is Ferrari not making it

through to Q2. These shots now of Alonso. Well Ferrari

through to Q2. These shots now of The car is so difficult to drive.

This guy is an ace. Most people think he is the best and he

This guy is an ace. Most people able to control this car.

That did not go well for Ferrari. Is able to control this car.

it the weather or did the team not read things correctly? It happens

sometimes in this weather. You put in the right tyres and you can have

a mistake. It is something we did wrong compared with the other teams.

We need to study what happened. But I think there was nothing we could

do differently. And what can you do out there tomorrow? Enjoy it. We

will start at the back. We have some overtaking to do. And we

will start at the back. We have some enjoy it. We have no points on the

grid so it is nothing to us. So he will start from 19th. Just taking it

all in. But he is devastated. He is the ultimate professional. I came up

with a little bit of the story, which has not been confirmed,

with a little bit of the story, think he may leave Ferrari. That

will hurt him but I think sooner think he may leave Ferrari. That

later he has to make that decision. I think things are getting worse for

him and that compound I think things are getting worse for

Raikkonen on track. He goes from 20th tomorrow. We can

Raikkonen on track. He goes from anyone but should Ferrari have read

Raikkonen on track. He goes from that better? Hard

Raikkonen on track. He goes from to rain halfway through the lap. It

got too wet. Something to rain halfway through the lap. It

lot of the other big teams got it right, so why did Ferrari not get it

right? Hard to tell right now. Terribly informative as always! He

is revered. People at home should realise there are groups of fans of

his. He arguably has the biggest fan base here in Britain. They love him

and yet he says nothing! base here in Britain. They love him

Williams did not make it through to Q2. What a disappointing

Williams did not make it through to and as result of the last

Williams did not make it through to Ben Susie Wolff doing the first

Williams did not make it through to practice. It is a big blow for them.

Frank is the ultimate practice. It is a big blow for them.

back to commentary now for Q3. The all important top-10 shoot out.

Lewis Hamilton going for The all important top-10 shoot out.

Silverton as he looks for his second win here. He does

Silverton as he looks for his second we have got one of those sessions

again today were judging it correctly

again today were judging it is the mark look -- left by

Gutierrez. He pretty much went gearbox first. That will go back for

analysis. Nico Rosberg checking through

settings. Sebastian Vettel just visualising the lap. A bit of mental

rehearsal going on. We always see that from Sebastian Vettel. He is a

fair way of getting pole position so far this year. It has been a tough

fair way of getting pole position so season for him. He has qualified

fair way of getting pole position so second on the grid in Alesia. But

bearing in mind the kind of success he's had in recent years,

bearing in mind the kind of success been a disappointing season. -- in

Malaysia. A few more cars heading out onto the

Malaysia. track. Jensen Button is out as well.

So is Daniel Kyvat. Brickyard is on circuit. And those who have gone

So is Daniel Kyvat. Brickyard is on have gone out on the medium

compounds. -- Brickyard. The drivers will take

compounds. -- Brickyard. thrown at them. Silverstone is

somewhere to really enjoy being a Grand Prix driver on slick tyres.

You're on fresh tyres so it is really good time to push.

RADIO: Stay away from the limiter on the third to fourth gear shifts.

A bit of useful advice there. Of course the drivers are talks to all

the way through. So little bit of information going into the lap but

after that it is up to the drivers to get on with it. Daniel Kyvat just

starting his lap now. And look at how differently the car responds now

on that basically dry track. It is a joy to watch. That

high-speed corner. It rises up slightly and then drops down into

the braking zone. You bring the car in and that was a beautiful apex.

Faster than his team-mate in the in and that was a beautiful apex.

first set. Jules Verne just up the road. And Peres has just gone a

fraction faster. You can really begin to see the car

fraction faster. take an attitude through markets.

Nico Rosberg reporting some drizzle and that could make things

interesting. Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are on track. You can see

the rain on the camera. Could be a huge chance for those who

have gone out and done this first flying lap. Jules Verne goes

fastest. Daniel Kyvat fighting the flying lap. Jules Verne goes

team-mate by just over a 10th of a second. What about everyone else

team-mate by just over a 10th of a met Will they have left it a bit

team-mate by just over a 10th of a late? Struggling

team-mate by just over a 10th of a rain like this. Jensen Button having

to tiptoe his way through rain like this. Jensen Button having

This could be a real bonus for him. Daniel

This could be a real bonus for him. could be interesting. Not quite

outpacing the Force could be interesting. Not quite

Hulkenberg out late as well. What about Hamilton? It is the

fastest at the moment. Mercedes getting the car out perhaps just in

time. Nico Rosberg comes through getting the car out perhaps just in

well, second quickest. There is an getting the car out perhaps just in

incident involving Maldonado and Peres from earlier on in qualifying

incident involving Maldonado and which will be investigated.

Jensen Button reporting that rain as well. It will be telling to see what

Jensen Button reporting that rain as Peres stars in this last set your.

-- does in this last sector. I think it is getting worse rather than

better. Rosberg gingerly making his way through that corner. Hamilton

has just gone through. They're just a cooling lap. Sebastian Vettel has

bailed out. He was on a lap that would have put him on there

bailed out. He was on a lap that somewhere but he has bailed out.

Quite difficult to tell from the camera angle...

RADIO: We are going to go to the garage.

If Sebastian Vettel does not set a lap time it would give

If Sebastian Vettel does not set a chance to choose between the

different kinds of slick tyres. But they may sit and wait

different kinds of slick tyres. But going around it is not going to dry

up very quickly. They are not under pressure from the

teams behind if conditions They are not under pressure from the

the same. Well done to Toro Rosso getting their cars out early.

the same. Well done to Toro Rosso are fifth and sixth at the minute.

Daniel Ricciardo mollified well for Toro Rosso here last year. --

qualified well. The smaller teams have to take advantage of this, they

have to think smarter and get the cars out on track. Not much sign of

anything happening. Tom, most of the cars out on track. Not much sign of

of the circuit. It is drizzling in the pit

when the radios were talking about rain, but it is now spitting.

McLaren have just aborted what was going to

McLaren have just aborted what was of medium tyres to go on the car,

McLaren have just aborted what was Vettel may have to settle for 10th

place, Vettel may have to settle for 10th

time out. Things are looking good for you, first and second. Yes, it

looks good. Would you worried? At one stage, it looked like Toro Rosso

might have the edge, because they have their cars out first. We heard

it was starting to rain, and we knew it could be tight. Can you give us

an insight as to how much interaction there is with your

engineers and drivers is to making a decision on the tyres? Obviously,

there is more you can do wrong than right. It is about extracting not

the maximum but making sure you go into the next session. We have done

that today. It is the interaction between our strategy guys and the

drivers and the engineers. There is a permanent exchange, this is

important. The drivers do not see who is improving, and it is

important for the pit wall to see what the drivers seat. We will see

if your car stays first and second, and Jenson Button emerges in the

McLaren. It is definitely worth a go for him, to see if he can improve.

McLaren might feel it is a missed opportunity, they might be able to

pull out one golden lap. If you look at what Sergio Perez and Toro Rosso

have done, this is what you would expect from McLaren. Interestingly,

the Toro Rosso cars and Daniel Ricciardo are in the pits, they are

not going to get back out now. You would not get around in enough time

to start a lap. No change on the lap times there. We will have to wait

and see. RADIO: It is pretty slippery. That is what he wants,

because it means nobody can improve on the time he has set. He did not

sound disappointed! It is not looking likely that anybody will

improve, but this has been one of looking likely that anybody will

those topsy-turvy sessions. But now, it is what was expected, Mercedes

first and second. Lewis Hamilton could control this. He could afford

to watch the conditions. If he feels it might be marginal, he could run

wide and have a yellow flag. Getting a feel for the level of grip out

there. RADIO: Tell Lewis Hamilton he needs to speed up. That is the

benefit of him being ahead of his team-mate. Lewis Hamilton and his

engineer have learned from their mistakes earlier in the year, going

out behind Nico Rosberg. They are about to see the chequered flag. Did

they crossed the line? They did. Sergio Perez did not. We do not

think the sector times are going to improve. It is Sebastian Vettel's

best, although he had not set a time. It is quite some way off the

fastest from the earlier part of the session. Sergio Perez only missed

the flag by a couple of seconds, so I think that was a mistake. Was that

because Lewis Hamilton was slowing things down? Yes. The session is

coming to an end, there will not be any major changes. Third place would

be outstanding from Sergio Perez. He qualified fourth in Bahrain earlier

this year, but that would still be a stunning result for Force India, the

local team. They are based literally over the road. Sebastian Vettel will

set a time. He might be able to move up a little bit. Nico Hulkenberg has

gone fastest! The times are coming down! Sebastian Vettel has gone

quickest! In the last part of the lap, it is really dry! Nico Rosberg

is fastest! Where is Lewis Hamilton? He is in the pit! He is in

sixth place! What a complete turnaround on the last part of the

lap! The last sector was the dry bit! It was slippery elsewhere! We

were all caught out! The last sector made all of the difference, and Nico

Rosberg, last year's winner, has taken pole position. Sebastian

Vettel will be on the front row, and Jenson Button has qualified in third

place. Who would have thought that? McClellan are having a difficult

season. Lewis Hamilton is down in sixth place. Nico Hulkenberg in

fourth place, pushing his team-mate down to seventh place. Sergio Perez

had been in third place, he is now down in seventh place. The Toro

Rosso cars, they are now in ninth and 10th. McLaren told Jenson Button

to keep pushing, because there might be time. RADIO: That is pole

position, well done! The fourth of the year for Nico Rosberg, he

matches Lewis Hamilton. His first at Silverstone, where his father set a

remarkable lap to take pole position in 1985. It is a 25th pole position

for Mercedes, and his eighth career pole position. What a surprise.

Lewis Hamilton, why did he not finish the lap? We do not know. That

is the story, he is still to emerge. He was not quicker in the first two

sectors. Let's presume that he then decided, that is it, I am on pole

position. We saw Nico Hulkenberg pull out an amazing final sector,

and then Sebastian Vettel, and then Nico Rosberg continued. Absolutely

phenomenal. Nico Rosberg takes pole position, from Sebastian Vettel and

Jenson Button. The only British driver amongst the German drivers.

Jenson Button just getting in between the German drivers, Lewis

Hamilton will start in sixth place. My goodness, if he is going to win,

it will be an amazing race. Both Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo

the big losers, because Daniel Ricciardo has finished in eighth

place. He lost out hugely, when he had been looking competitive all the

way through. One of those bizarre sessions. It was not a question of

what the lap was the liver in, it is just one sector of 26.5 seconds that

changed everything. The crowd cannot quite believe it, Nico Rosberg is

getting some applause from the British brands, always generous, but

they were thinking that Lewis Hamilton had it in the bag. We all

did. But then Nico Hulkenberg popped up that lap that

did. But then Nico Hulkenberg popped final sector was so much quicker

did. But then Nico Hulkenberg popped than it had been earlier. Nico

Rosberg has taken pole position. Jenson Button has ended up with his

first top three start at Silverstone since 2005. He has never had much

luck here, but it came to him today. That is lovely to see. Fantastic.

The contrasting fortunes of the British writers, Jenson Button is

delighted with third place, I would expect Lewis Hamilton to keep his

helmet on for a while. Both of the McLaren 's car -- the

McLaren cars have done well. Toro Rosso have lost out, but they are

still in the top ten. An outstanding 12 place for Marussia. They might be

able to scrape some point again, as they did in Monaco. Max Chilton has

the penalty. A remarkable qualifying session,

Mercedes on pole position, sixth place with Lewis Hamilton.

What a sensational session. Why did Lewis Hamilton not finish his lap?

He felt the lap was worse, he bailed out. It was unfortunate, because

there was a lot of time found at the end. A huge surprise. Yes, these

conditions are always very tricky. In the first run, the third sector

was a lot slower, because there was fresh rain coming in, so in the

second run, the first two sectors were down, so it did not look like a

better lap, but the third sector was up quite a bit, because it had dried

out. What was your radar telling you about the weather? We could see it

coming in, but you cannot predict the drying.

What an absolutely incredible qualifying session, we wondered

whether it would be epic, it certainly was. Looking at Sebastian

Vettel there, he will be absolutely thrilled to be on the front row.

Nico Rosberg taking pole position, he will be more than delighted with

that. The crowd were pretty dumbstruck with that, as were all of

us. Me for one, that is for sure. The reality is, that was so exciting

and unpredictable, and I am trying to pinch myself, is this the way the

grid is going to set up? No Ferrari up the front, no Williams, and those

are the three people. The big loss for us is Lewis Hamilton, bailing

out, you could hear what Paddy had to say. He made the mistake, he did

not realise there was so much time to be gained in the third sector. He

had been the man, he thought he had it in the can. He has the speed to

do this, it played into everyone else's hands. They were delighted to

see him bail out. Nico Rosberg did not. Nico Hulkenberg made the big

jump forward, he found where the time was, and he jumped and opened

the door for everybody else. Force India, a very good start for them,

but there are other sad tales, every driver would have told you why they

should have improved. Let's hear from Christian Horner.

One of your drivers gained and one lost out. The conditions are so

tricky and isolated. We missed the window with Sebastian Vettel at the

beginning and at the end with Daniel Ricciardo. But Sebastian did a great

job. In hindsight, we should have run with Daniel, we did not think

the track would be better. It just goes to show, with British weather

you can never tell. It is not down to Daniel, he does what he is told,

so between the train spotters, the pit wall, as a team we made the

wrong call. But other teams have made worse course today. We got it

right with Sebastian. At the end of the day, that was going to be damage

limitation, and he ended up getting on the front row. Quite a boost for

him. Absolutely. Just what he needed. Hopefully, he can have a

good race. Daniel will be coming through as well. It is immensely

difficult, we saw Ferrari and Williams go out, and whatever has

happened with Lewis Hamilton. It is tricky, but we are in good positions

for tomorrow. Do you think that you can win this race? Nico Rosberg is

going to be to put in reality and Lewis Hamilton will be coming

through. But we will do our best to give them a hard time. We can speak

now to Toto Wolff. Is the cap in order of the Tour de France in

Yorkshire as Mac I thought it was English! Being in Silverstone. What

a day this has turned out to be. You sounded surprised when Nico Rosberg

got pole position. Disappointment with Lewis Hamilton. Very

disappointing. So many errors you can have in such a session. You have

seen with Ferrari, sometimes it is just important to get into the next

session. It was a misjudgement for sure. The second section seem to be

much wetter than before for Lewis Hamilton. But the last sector was

dry and there you go, you lose your point. Do you feel the grid is

catching you a little bit now as Mac we have seen in the last sessions

yesterday and today that we still had a solid margin. But it is a

matter of time that they're going to come near, that is clear. You cannot

keep such an advantage through the whole season. But we do not want to

be complacent and we keep pushing. We can hear now from Lewis Hamilton.

Was that a missed opportunity today? Yes. Why did you come in at

the end? I do not know. I do not have much of an answer for you. Did

you make that decision, or was it just wait a lap went? Just decided

not to do a lap. You're obviously incredibly disappointed. Did you

expect the circuit to dry out so fast? Obviously not, no. I do not

really have anything to say to you at the minute.

Absolutely lost for words. He so wanted that pole position and he

thought he had it in the can. You just cannot speak. He is an

emotional man. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He gives people

ammunition to ask questions and analyse where he is in his own mind

actually by being so lost for words. The easy thing would be to give an

answer and say we will bounce back tomorrow. But he is so bitterly

disappointed. He thought he had it in the bag. None of us expected that

last sector to deliver that change in qualifying. It is a good reminder

that it is not over until the chequered flag. He literally sounded

as if he physically could not speak. It was a body punch that really blew

him away. It was a mass of shock to him and just took him by surprise.

He is the person in their and he should know what the surface is like

and whether it can be quick enough or not. And to bail out with one lap

to go in final qualifying is a huge error. And I'm afraid to say, Lewis

Hamilton, you are to blame. The sun just coming out and certainly was

shining on the top three. Nico Rosberg, a very dramatic

conclusion to that qualifying session. You took pole position

right at the end. Were you surprised by how much the track improved right

at the end? It was quite crazy qualifying, just changing all the

time which makes it difficult. Then in the end on the first lap with the

soft tyres it started to rain quite a lot. We lost a lot of time there

and then everywhere else it was also quite wet. I told the guys, that is

it. Then we just came to a general conclusion, might as well go out and

have a look at the track. If you do not have a look there is no chance.

So at least go and have a look. Then it seemed like we should give it a

go. But even then I still did not really believe that the track would

be better. What made it was the last sector. I knew I had lost four

seconds on the previous lap so even if I was slower than that lap I

still have the chance of going a lot quicker in those last three quarters

if it was halfway dry. And that is how it turned out. It's just worked

out perfectly. But even across the line, I had to be there. I had to be

as fast as possible to be able to do that last lap. As I crossed the line

it went red instantly. It was a very close call. All in all it was just a

good team effort with everyone working together, my engineers

together with me. It is fantastic to have such a qualifying where

everything goes well in the end. Very well done. And Sebastian Vettel

comic you actually had to do a lap. What was going through your mind

driving around the circuit? At the start of Q3 we went out as

one of the last cars. And just preparing the flying lap it started

to rain. So I had that last sector and then there was no point and we

aborted the lap. At that time it was impossible to set a decent time on

the slick tyres. Then we were back in the garage waiting. And we said

OK we might as well go out. We will go out on the dry tyres. And we were

one of the first ones to go out for one flying lap in the end. It was

quite difficult to believe that it would be dry enough. It is a funny

place. It was a weird session full stop a

lot of rain, no rain, drizzle, very fine rain almost like spray. I think