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2014 Malaysian Grand Prix Saturday - Qualifying
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It's not clear yet whether the red flag is for the weather worsening or a bit of Kvyat's Toro Rosso needing to be retrieved.
Kvyat, meanwhile, will need a new front wing. Looks like the Toro Rosso driver came in a bit hot, and couldn't avoid hitting the Ferrari.
Alonso's session may well be over. His front left suspension has taken a big hit.
Kvyat and Alonso have had a coming together.
Red flags back out.
Green flag
Looking like most drivers on wets for Q2 with rain a little worse, but Raikkonen is trying intermediates. Session underway now.
EDD STRAW: "Unusual to see Adrian Sutil fail to make the cut in those kinds of conditions as usually excels in low grip. Credit to Sauber team-mate Esteban Gutierrez, who was among those who managed to improve in the second half of the session to make Q2 for the first time in 2014."
BEN ANDERSON: "And, of course, Force India's Nico Hulkenberg a class act in the wet as always."
BEN ANDERSON: "Great effort from Romain Grosjean to get the troublesome twin tusk Lotus through to Q2. Showed his class in that session despite a chronic lack of track time so far this season."
Full order from Q1:
1 Rosberg
2 Hamilton
3 Vettel
4 Hulkenberg
5 Alonso
6 Ricciardo
7 Raikkonen
8 Bottas
9 Massa
10 Perez
11 Grosjean
12 Magnussen
13 Button
14 Gutierrez
15 Kvyat
16 Vergne
---------------
17 Maldonado
18 Sutil
19 Bianchi
20 Kobayashi
21 Chilton
22 Ericsson
1 Rosberg
2 Hamilton
3 Vettel
4 Hulkenberg
5 Alonso
6 Ricciardo
7 Raikkonen
8 Bottas
9 Massa
10 Perez
11 Grosjean
12 Magnussen
13 Button
14 Gutierrez
15 Kvyat
16 Vergne
---------------
17 Maldonado
18 Sutil
19 Bianchi
20 Kobayashi
21 Chilton
22 Ericsson
There were only 35s left on the clock at that point, and no one can feel too robbed as neither Maldonado nor Sutil looked likely to improve enough.
Crash
Wild crash for Ericsson, replays show. He ran wide out of Turn 3, got onto the white line and slewed left across the run-off, into the barriers, sideways through some braking markers and eventually back onto the track nearly at Turn 4.
Gutierrez's Sauber only just missed the Caterham as it clattered back over the track.
Gutierrez's Sauber only just missed the Caterham as it clattered back over the track.
BEN ANDERSON: "Vettel was the only driver to get close to the Mercedes in Q1.
"Interestingly he's near-enough on their pace in sectors two and three, but gives away roughly half a second in sector one alone.
"Only two real corners in that sector so it suggests the Renault engine is still giving away straightline speed to the Mercedes."
"Interestingly he's near-enough on their pace in sectors two and three, but gives away roughly half a second in sector one alone.
"Only two real corners in that sector so it suggests the Renault engine is still giving away straightline speed to the Mercedes."
Crash
Ericsson is getting out of his car unscathed, but he Caterham's quite a mess.
So that means Maldonado, Sutil, Bianchi, Kobayashi, Chilton and Ericsson are our bottom six.
Red flag
Red flag as Ericsson crashes the Caterham heavily.
Maldonado needs to find four tenths to knock Vergne out.
Red Bulls are both back in the pits now as well.
Maldonado is improving in the first sector. He's currently 17th. Team-mate Grosjean is 11th.
Alonso currently fifth thanks to a 1m58.889. Raikkonen two spots back.
If anyone does take a leap from the cut-off, it's the Toro Rossos currently on the bubble. Vergne was firmly expecting a Q3 slot yesterday.
Kobayashi improves his time but stays 20th.
No improvement from Bianchi, he stays 19th.
Slower middle sector from Bianchi, though.
Both Mercedes are back in the pits.
Bianchi and Kobayashi improving. The Marussia has a shot at Maldonado and Sutil.
Sebastian Vettel is back on track and goes third fastest with a 1m57.654s effort.
BEN ANDERSON: "Toro Rosso starred in wet qualifying in Australia, but they seem to be struggling here. Kvyat and Vergne are 15th and 16th and close to the drop zone with four minutes to go in Q1."
Bottom half order with just under five minutes left:
11 Vettel, 12 Massa, 13 Button, 14 Gutierrez, 15 Kvyat, 16 Vergne, 17 Maldonado, 18 Sutil, 19 Bianchi, 20 Kobayashi, 21 Chilton, 22 Ericsson
11 Vettel, 12 Massa, 13 Button, 14 Gutierrez, 15 Kvyat, 16 Vergne, 17 Maldonado, 18 Sutil, 19 Bianchi, 20 Kobayashi, 21 Chilton, 22 Ericsson
Grosjean is currently ninth, that's a giddy height for a Lotus in 2014.
Vettel, Massa and Magnussen - currently filling 10th to 12th - are all on better laps and set to move further into the safe region.
Magnussen has improved to 12th.
Button gets up to 15th, so Maldonado and Sutil are now down with the Marussias and Caterhams.
At the top, the Mercedes are 0.019s apart, then there's a 1.8s gap back to Ricciardo in third.
Wasn't rain supposed to help underdogs...?
Wasn't rain supposed to help underdogs...?
Button is still mired in 19th.
That puts Sutil's Sauber into the dropzone.
Magnussen jumps to 14th, safe for now.
Magnussen is getting a lap in now.
Alonso jumps from eighth to fourth.
Appears that Vettel's car problems involve the anti-stall. Team is going to reset the system.
By: Scott Mitchell, Edd Straw, Ben Anderson, Andrew van Leeuwen, Jonathan Noble, Pablo Elizalde
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