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Formula 1
Australian GP
2014 Australian Grand Prix Saturday - Qualifying
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Vettel's only 12th!
Will Vettel, on a personal best, be OK if he improves? He has a lurid slide through Turns 11/12.
Yellow flag
Vergne, Magnussen, Sutil, Kobayashi, VETTEL and Perez in the drop zone.
Crash
Raikkonen is in the wall!
Stopwatch
Now Rosberg goes fastest, on a 1m42.264s.
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Ricciardo usurps him immediately. 1m42.681s.
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Alonso back on top. A 1m42.805s.
Lots of improvements imminent so this could be futile, but at the moment in the drop zone are: Magnussen; Raikkonen; Vettel; Perez; Sutil and Kobayashi.
Stopwatch
Bottas comes through and goes quickest of all, first under 1m44s with a 1m43.852s.
Looks like the rain is threatening to return. A few spots in the paddock.
Non-stop here, we said it'd be hectic. Massa shoots into second on a 1m44.385s.
To underline that, Kvyat is quickest in sector one...
There's a chance for the strategists on the pit-wall to help their cars through to Q3 here. The track conditions are improving so if you can be among the last cars across the line, should have the best of the grip. All about positioning.
Button jumps to second, four-tenths behind Ricciardo. His team-mate Magnussen is now up to eighth.
Stopwatch
As Hamilton pits, Ricciardo goes fastest. He beats Button by 0.406s (briefly P1) with a 1m44.031s. He'll likely switch to a new set of inters, but has just improved his first sector time so may finish the lap.
Kvyat and Kobayashi have realised the full wet option was a mistake, and are now on the intermediate tyre.
Ricciardo then splits the Mercs, and falls just 0.007s short of Hamilton's benchmark.
Stopwatch
Now Mercedes leap to the top. Hamilton knocks Alonso out of P1 with a 1m44.662s, and Rosberg comes through to make it a one-two, 0.276s slower than his team-mate.
Magnussen is currently just outside the drop zone in 11th. Still has plenty of time to improve.
Bottas gets going again. The timesheets are filled with green and purple. Drivers finding extra speed all the time as the track dries.
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Bottas actually spun through Turn 1. As he faces the wrong way, Ricciardo goes quickest - by 0.034s.
Alonso ends up second, behind Bottas.
Stopwatch
Unsurprisingly, the times are tumbling. Bottas returns to P1 on a 1m45.689s on his second flying lap.
He promptly runs wide at Turn 1.
He promptly runs wide at Turn 1.
Alonso on track to go fastest...
Stopwatch
Ricciardo continues his strong start to qualifying by going faster still, shading Rosberg by 0.062s with a 1m46.646s.
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And now Rosberg overhauls the Williams with a stunning final sector to go 0.45s quicker on a 1m46.708s.
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Bottas posts a 1m47.881s but Massa comes through and immediately knocks him back to second with a 1m47.160s.
Intermediate tyres for all except Kvyat and Kobayashi, on full wets.
Unsurprisingly, this is a cautious effort from Bottas. Behind him, Massa is a second quicker through the first sector.
No hesitation from anyone, with every driver leaving their garage immediately.
Despite that off, he begins his first flying lap.
Bottas slithers off the road at Turn 9. That's been a pain for a lot of drivers this weekend.
Kobayashi was warned to expect similar conditions as the end of Q1, despite the rain easing. He's on full wets.
Bottas leads the wet-shod cars out of the pitlane and onto a drenched track.
Green flag
The second session begins.
Meanwhile it was a reasonably quiet first session for Force India. Both Hulkenberg and Perez through, finishing 14th and 15th respectively.
No hugely significant scalps in Q1 - Lotus's woes were apparent already, so it was more of a confirmation of the expected troubles rather than anything surprising.
Q2, however, could be a different story. This is going to be a very, very tight session.
Q2, however, could be a different story. This is going to be a very, very tight session.
At the other end of the timesheet, Ricciardo tops his first qualifying segment as a Red Bull driver. Kevin Magnussen was second and Felipe Massa third.
What odds would you get for that being the top three after the final part of qualifying?
What odds would you get for that being the top three after the final part of qualifying?
Grosjean seems quite jovial after that disastrous session. Disbelief, perhaps?
Breaking news
Eliminated from qualifying at the first hurdle:
17 Chilton (Marussia)
18 Bianchi (Marussia)
19 Gutierrez (Sauber)*
20 Ericsson (Caterham)
21 Grosjean (Lotus)
22 Maldonado (Lotus)
*Gutierrez will start last with his gearbox penalty applied.
17 Chilton (Marussia)
18 Bianchi (Marussia)
19 Gutierrez (Sauber)*
20 Ericsson (Caterham)
21 Grosjean (Lotus)
22 Maldonado (Lotus)
*Gutierrez will start last with his gearbox penalty applied.
By: Scott Mitchell, Ben Anderson, Edd Straw, Jonathan Noble, Andrew van Leeuwen, Matt Beer
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