Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text commentary of the qualifying session for tomorrow's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.
This weekend marks the halfway stage of the Formula 1 season, with just two more races before the summer break and the championship finely poised.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso currently leads the way, with Red Bull's Mark Webber hunting him down in second. The Aussie produced a great late performance to take the checkered flag ahead of the Spaniard in the last race at Silverstone.
Webber's Red Bull teammate Sebatian Vettel, currently third in the standings, is one of five Germans competing at this Grand Prix. However, the reigning champion has never won in his homeland.
Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg and Timo Glock will also be banking on home-crowd support.
Vettel has been the most successful driver in qualifying, taking pole position three times so far this season. Fourth-placed Lewis Hamilton has started from the front twice, while Alonso was on pole at Silverstone.
14.11Well, that's it for qualifying. Join us tomorrow for full text commentary of the race. Until then, farewell!
14.10A grid penalty means that Webber will start in eigth, meaning that Schumacher will start from third. Hamilton and Button will also move up one place.
14.08It's the 22nd pole of his Formula 1 career, and second in a row after Silverstone. Superb wet-weather driving.
14.06The Spaniard was complaining after Q2, but I don't think he will be now. a great performance from the two-time champion.
14.05So the top ten of tomorrow's grid looks like this: Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher, Nico Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Paul Di Resta, Kimi Raikkonen, Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez.
14.02The Spaniard is then last over the line and even improves on his time!
14.02Vettel coming in and... no, he can't dislodge Alonso, who takes pole position!
14.01Button can only manage sixth, while Schumacher gets into fourth.
14.00Alonso is crossing the line with four seconds left and... GOES FASTEST!
14.00Webber goes fastest!
13.59Just under a minute left now...
13.57Hamilton goes fastest, but is quickly replaced by Schumacher, who is then succeeded by Vettel...
13.55Vettel and Alonso take 1st and 2nd ahead of Hulkeberg, Di Resta and Schumacher.
13.52The rain has stopped, but there is still plenty of water on the track.
13.51Hulkenberg goes well off the track at turn six.
13.50Q3 is underway.
13.46The rain is coming down harder now and Fernando Alonso is complaining on Ferrari's team radio.
13.44Hamilton has looked very good so far, while Vettel is slowly improving. Schumacher improved greatly in the wet conditions.
13.43That's that for Q2, and it's Ricciardo, Perez, Kobayashi, Massa, Grosjean, Senna and Rosberg who make way for the rest to complete the top-ten shoot-out.
13.41It doesn't look like Massa will be in Q2. He posts 1:40.212 to go 14th.
13.39Rosberg can't find anything as the rain gets heavier. Still down in 17th...
13.38Hamilton is back in the pits, and I shouldn't think we will see him again until Q1. So too is Vettel.
13.37Perez is into the gravel trap. He's only 12th fastest and needs to produce something to get into Q1.
13.35Bottom-placed Rosberg comes into the pits with just seven minutes left.
13.34Hamilton and Schumacher now leading the way. Webber once again struggling in tenth.
13.33Massa, Grosjean, Rosberg, Perez and Kobayashi are not fast enough. They are in a bit of trouble.
13.31Vettel goes fastest and Alonso goes second.
13.30Button goes wide into turn eight as the track gets wetter. He sets 1:39.000, while Maldonado comes in just a second under to take the lead.
13.28Here comes the rain...
13.27Button is first out on intermediates.
13.27Vettel qualified for Q2 in 10th.
13.25The dark clouds are looming above the Hockenheimring
13.23Raikkonen, Perez, Rosberg, Alonso, Maldonado, Hamilton, Massa, Hulkenberg, Di Resta, Senna, Kobayashi, Webber, Button, Ricciardo, Grosjean and Schumacher all make it through to Q2
13.20Schumacher scrapes into 17th and Jean-Eric Vergne is knocked out in 18th! Petrov also exits...
13.20Webber gets into 15th and seems to be struggling. At the moment, it reads Raikonnen, Perez, Rosberg, Alonso, Maldonado, Hamilton, Massa, Hulkenberg, Di Resta, Senna
13.18Webber falls into 18th. 90 seconds left in Q1...
13.17Grosjean gets himself into 12th.
13.16Paul Di Resta goes fourth as Grosjean leaves the track again. the Frenchman is in a bit of trouble down in 18th.
13.15Webber is back out on the soft tyres. He has the 13th-fastest time and will need to, pardon the expression, find another gear...
13.14Hulkenberg goes second fastest on the empty track. Raikkonen sets 1:15.693 - the fastest time so far.
13.13Hulkenberg is back out, as is Raikkonen.
13.12Hulkenberg, Kovalainen and Petrov are currently in the cut-zone and will have to do better if they want to make it through to Q2.
13.11Many of the drivers are making their way back to the pit stop with just over nine minutes remaining.
13.09Kobiashi sets the second fastest time behind Hamilton.
13.08Currently, it's Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Massa.
13.07Romain Grosjean has gone off track twice in just over five minutes of this qualifying session.
13.06Lewis Hamilton has bettered Alonso's time and makes his way to the front, as Button also improves on his early pace.
13.05Rosberg, Button and Alonso all set the early pace. It's the Spaniard in from by less than three tenths of a second.
13.02Sorry, they are on medium tyres. I do apologise...
13.01Q1 is underway!
13.00The drivers are about to come onto the track with intermediate tyres. Some showers have been forecast, but nothing too serious.
12.57Of course, I do mean Romain Grosjean and not retired tennis player Sebastien. He may have put down the racquet, but he certainly isn't donning the helmet and race suit!
12.48One man who definitely won't be starting on pole is Mark Webber, who will incur a five-place penalty on the grid for a change of gearbox. Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Grosjean will suffer a similar fate.
12.46The Hockenheimring track has been changed considerably over the past few years, with Mark Webber even going as far to say that it's boring. Many of the turns have been taken out and there is now a long straight.
12.42It has been a very unpredictable season so far. Mark Webber was the last man to win after starting from pole position in Monaco. Fernando Alonso become the first two-time winner of the season in the European Grand Prix in Valencia. Webber then took his second victory at Silverstone. So you just never know what is going to happen...
12.37Jenson Button and Pastor Maldonado set the fastest times during practice, but qualifying can play out very differently. The weather looks very calm so there should not be any adverse conditions to cope with.
12.32Welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of the qualifying session ahead of tomorrow's German Grand Prix.
