Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Live text
Formula 1 Malaysian GP

2013 Malaysian Grand Prix Qualifying

Live Text

Sort by
1 min: All 10 drivers are out on the circuit. Our latest radar information here suggests the rain could get heavier before the end of Q3.
1 min: Plenty of spray as the drivers head out to bank a time.
0 min: Intermediates all round here, with the DRS now disabled by race control.
0 min: Webber, Rosberg, Hamilton and Sutil are in the train that leaves the pits immediately.
Green flag
0 min: The battle for pole is underway.
It's still raining in the slightly bizarre afternoon sunshine.
Intermediates are indeed the call of race engineers as the pack builds up awaiting the green light.
So here are the 10 drivers that have made it through to the Q3 shootout:

Nico Rosberg
Mark Webber
Lewis Hamilton
Kimi Raikkonen
Adrian Sutil
Felipe Massa
Sergio Perez
Fernando Alonso
Sebastian Vettel
Jenson Button.
No choice but to be out straight away in case the track gets worse so a queue is forming at the end of the pitlane.
Teams would be happy to see Q3 contested on wet rubber, leaving a free choice of starting tyres for the race tomorrow.
Conditions are still variable around the lap though, with parts of the circuit getting wetter - even while the sun is shining.
Di Resta has confirmed to reporters in the paddock that it was the team's decision to call him in.
All eyes to the skies for a read on conditions going into Q3, with intermediate tyres looking likely at the moment.
His first lap was not as fast as team-mate Sutil, but it was easily quick enough for a good, initial time to have a good chance.
Paul di Resta will be extremely disappointed after the failure to make it through to the shootout.
Heavy rain moving over the pits at the moment, with five minutes to the planned start of Q3.
So with the recent shower Q3 will be action-packed, but here is the list of those who haven't made it:

11) Grosjean 1m37.636s
12) Hulkenberg 1m38.125s
13) Ricciardo 1m38.822s
14) Gutierrez 1m39.221s
15) di Resta 1m44.509s
16) Maldonado no time set.
The sun is even making an appearance through the clouds, despite continuing rainfall.
15 min: That's the end of Q2 with no cars on track at the flag.
14 min: Patchy rain across the circuit at the moment, with some parts almost dry while more rain moves in at the far end.
14 min: So in the dropzone we have Grosjean, with Hulkenberg 12th, Ricciardo 13th, Gutierrez 14th, di Resta 15th and Maldonado 16th.
12 min: Frustration for Lotus as Grosjean faces elimination, even though this initial rain shower has eased in the last minute.
11 min: Plenty of rain falling now, with no chance to improve on the earlier laptimes.
11 min: Such a costly change of decision for Force India to pit on the very first lap when di Resta was looking good for a fast time.
11 min: This weather was predicted by our radar guru before the segment began, so it is surprising to see teams caught out by the shower.
10 min: Di Resta was able to rejoin, but he is mired down in 15th and his chance of progression is ruined.
10 min: Grosjean, in the Lotus, is also caught out by this shower and looks to be struggling to move up from 11th for the moment.
9 min: Here it comes, rain now hitting the track at Turns 7/8 and the top end of the pit straight.
9 min: But it's all gone wrong for Sutil's team-mate. Di Resta is off at Turn 7 as the rain gets a little heavier.
8 min: Rosberg leads the pack at the moment with Webber second, Hamilton third, Raikkonen fourth and Sutil fifth.
8 min: Still not enough rain to badly dent grip levels, but earlier times could quickly become hard to beat if the major cloudburst arrives.
7 min: Many drivers are coming into the pits now as the spots of rain continue over Sepang.
7 min: Still only a few drops for the moment as Massa guns for the line and takes sixth fastest.
6 min: Alonso and Massa are on late flying laps as further rain moves in.
6 min: Webber moves into second spot with a time of 1m36.449s.
6 min: Odd spots of rain on the onboard camera from Button's MCLaren as Button goes sixth fastest.
6 min: Maldonado is the last of the top 16 to head out onto the track. Hard tyres for the Venezuelan as Williams sets its stall out.
5 min: Growing ever darker in the distance beyond Turns 7 and 8, with that rain surely reaching the track before the end of the segment.
Stopwatch
5 min: Rosberg now moves to the front with a lap of 1m36.190s, with his team-mate Hamilton into second - 1m36.517s.
5 min: Medium compound all around for this session, with teams still keen on saving hard rubber for the race tomorrow.

By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton

Published: