Live text
Formula 1
Australian GP
2012 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying
Live AppleTV Race Audio
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
Live Text
Sort by
Alonso has kept his helmet on as he is chased by a pack of media through the paddock.
Alonso was visibly angry with the marshals when he climbed out the F2012, and so is @InsideFerrari it seems: "He had managed to keep the engine on, waiting for the marshals who did nothing."
Alonso's Ferrari is now being recovered by a tractor as the Spaniard returns to the pits on the back of a scooter.
Alonso remains in fifth but he will drop down the list once the session restarts and further times are posted. Ricciardo is sixth.
Hamilton leads the survivors with a time of 1m25.626s, with team-mate Button second, Vettel third and Mark Webber in fourth spot.
8m22s remain on the stopped clock for Q2.
Disaster for Alonso, who remains fifth on the timesheet but will take no further part in the session.
The red flag is out to recover Alonso's Ferrari as the driver trudges away from the stricken machine.
6 min: Schumacher and Rosberg were just about to begin a timed lap when Alonso skated off so they had to slow down.
6 min: The session has been stopped.
6 min: Replays show Alonso losing the car under braking, slewing the Ferrari backwards into the gravel trap.
6 min: Ricciardo and di Resta are straight back into the pits after one timed lap.
5 min: Alonso's Ferrari remains deep in the Turn 1 gravel and the session could be over for the Spaniard.
5 min: Hamilton holds on to his McLaren through the final corner to top the times in 1m25.626s.
5 min: Webber is into second place with a lap of 1m26.297s.
5 min: Alonso is off in the gravel!
5 min: Button plans two timed laps, as team-mate Hamilton tops the first two sectors.
4 min: Vettel now takes over at the top with 1m25.982s.
4 min: Hulkenberg is third and Senna puts in 1m32.365s for fourth.
4 min: Ricciardo takes over from the Force India driver with 1m26.624s.
3 min: Di Resta gets the fun going with a time of 1m27.304s.
3 min: Rosberg heads out and will be getting up to speed as 10 others come around on hot laps.
3 min: The tyre sheet is a sea of yellow as Pirelli's soft compound becomes the rubber of choice for this segment.
2 min: Hamilton joins the circuit with fresh, soft rubber on his McLaren. Team-mate Button does likewise.
2 min: Maldonado is another to get out quickly.
2 min: Vettel and Webber head out for a run in the pair of RB8s.
2 min: Alonso and Massa join the growing on-track pack with soft tyres on the Ferraris.
1 min: Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Senna all join the Scot on track.
0 min: Paul di Resta is first out onto the circuit with soft tyres.
0 min: Q2 is underway in Melbourne.
Now, a new challenge faces those that remain. The 17 drivers will have just 15 minutes to try and secure a spot in the top 10 shootout.
Some big names escaped with not a lot of margin in Q1. Webber, both Force India drivers and Massa played a game of dare and came through.
Good insight from AUTOSPORT's @EliGP, who has cast his eye over the timesheets and reports: "If you are wondering, the biggest gap between team-mates is Grosjean and Raikkonen: 1.3 seconds"
Grip levels were obviously improving rapidly during that segment, with the track still rubbering in following Friday's rain.
Raikkonen steps out of his Lotus and can't be happy with such an early end to his comeback qualifying hour.
More on the HRT front from @eddstrawF1, who reports: "Best of the HRTs almost 1.3s of the 107% rule. The team will lodge a request to be allowed to start though."
Neither HRT driver managed to beat the 107% cut-off time and it will now be for the team to decide if it applies for leniency to the stewards.
But the big shock of first qualifying is the shock elimination of Raikkonen, with the Finn caught out on hard tyres while the rest used soft
The first qualifying period has been completed and seven drivers are eliminated:
18) Raikkonen
19) Kovalainen
20) Petrov
21) Glock
22) Pic
--) de la Rosa
--) Karthikeyan.
18) Raikkonen
19) Kovalainen
20) Petrov
21) Glock
22) Pic
--) de la Rosa
--) Karthikeyan.
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton, Sam Tremayne
Published:
Lap:
