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Formula 1 Korean GP

2010 Korean Grand Prix Qualifying

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1 min: Alonso is disputing track position with Button on this outlap but will have to back off and find some space.
0 min: Hamilton, Button and Alonso join the race out of the pitlane.
0 min: Mark Webber is the first driver out onto the circuit and he is on a set of soft tyres.
The battle for a vital pole is underway at Yeongam.
Massa is also on strong form this afternoon and will be looking to do some damage to Ferrari's rivals. He has used two sets of softs though.
So these are the top 10 drivers who will fight for the best places on the grid for tomorrow's inaugural Korean Grand Prix, in the order that they finished Q2:

Mark Webber
Sebastian Vettel
Felipe Massa
Lewis Hamilton
Fernando Alonso
Nico Rosberg
Jenson Button
Michael Schumacher
Robert Kubica
Rubens Barrichello.
Up front, it looks set to be a fascinating battle for pole with times very close between the championship contenders.
Nico Hulkenberg was looking good to join his team-mate Barrichello in the top 10 shootout, but the young German ran wide on his final effort.
Petrov will drop to 20th on the grid after his penalty for the startline shunt in Japan is applied.
Vitaly Petrov's qualifying effort was destroyed when the Russian spun on his penultimate timed lap.
Michael Schumacher managed a late effort of 1m37.077s to go eighth and that was the lap that demoted to Kubica to ninth.
The second period of qualifying has been completed. The following seven drivers have been eliminated:

11) Hulkenberg
12) Kobayashi
13) Heidfeld
14) Sutil
15) Petrov
16) Alguersuari
17) Buemi.
Kubica made a late improvement but only managed ninth.
It's all change again at the top as Webber takes over in 1m36.039s.
Vettel tops the times with a 1m36.039s as Hamilton slots in third.
Alguersuari does not improve and he is eliminated in 15th position.
Hamilton is now the fastest man through the first sector and on course for a big improvement.
Barrichello is 10th and living dangerously at the moment. Heidfeld improves again and is now 12th.
15 min: The flag is out but the laps continue ...
15 min: Massa topples his team-mate with a new best of 1m36.169s.
14 min: Vettel improves his time with a 1m36.437s in second for Red Bull.
14 min: Kobayashi does much better with a time of 1m37.748s. He goes 11th, but is immediately replaced in that position by Nico Hulkenberg.
14 min: Button finally moves up on the soft tyres. He's now seventh, but three-quarters of a second off the pace.
14 min: Heidfeld improves with a lap of 1m37.970s but only moves up to 13th position.
13 min: Kobayashi crosses the line and all 17 drivers have now set a time. Petrov, Hulkenberg, Alguersuari, Sutil and Buemi join the Sauber drivers in the drop zone.
13 min: Alonso is on course for improvement with his best first and second sector times. He tops the order in 1m36.287s.
12 min: Button has some clear space but Hamilton is closing on Algusuari's Toro Rosso on this first flying lap.
12 min: Heidfeld isn't pushing the Sauber too hard on this first lap. He posts 1m41.093s and launches into another tour.
11 min: The timing screen reads OUT from top to bottom as everyone scrambles to take advantage of the best grip levels from the evolving track.
11 min: Kobayashi is now also on his timed lap but the Japanese driver will have to deal with much more traffic.
11 min: Button moves aside to give Heidfeld track position as the German continues round with soft tyres.
10 min: Heidfeld crosses the line to start his and timed lap and immediately has Jenson Button in front of him down the long straight.
10 min: Button's McLaren is fired up and he heads out to try and move out of his current ninth position.
10 min: The Sauber drivers currently enjoy a clear track, but the front runners are likely to come out for their final run as Heidfeld and Kobayashi are trying to set a quick time.
10 min: Kubica is also trying soft tyres for the first time this afternoon.
9 min: Alonso heads out with soft rubber on his Ferrari.
8 min: Heidfeld finally heads out on soft rubber to take advantage of the ever-improving track conditions.
8 min: The leading drivers are back into the pits for a change of tyres. Rosberg is the only driver on the circuit currently and he is also on his way back in.
8 min: Neither Sauber driver has been on track yet and both are clearly looking to do a single run.
7 min: So Vettel tops the order with his team-mate Webber in second, Alonso third, Massa fourth, Hamilton fifth and Rosberg in sixth position.

By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton

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