| 13:50:32
| Welcome to F1-Live.com and coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix qualifying session which gets underway in ten minutes. |
| 13:52:42
| Kimi Raikkonen set the pace once again this morning for Ferrari from Fernando Alonso with just hundredths of a second separating the two. Raikkonen however hit mechanical problems late in the session… |
| 13:54:22
| Lewis Hamilton was third fastest in the second McLaren ahead of Felipe Massa in his Ferrari. The battle for the Pole Position will be between the McLaren and Ferrari drivers as they have been pretty evenly matched all weekend long. |
| 13:56:09
| Ralf Schumacher was fifth fastest this morning in his Toyota and if he can replicate that when it really counts, it will be a real boost for the Toyota team who have scored just three points in the last eight races. Team-mate Trulli was 14th this morning. |
| 13:57:06
| David Coulthard was sixth fastest in practice in his Red Bull with Mark Webber tenth. Both will be aiming for a top-ten start as will the BMW Sauber duo of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld at BMW Sauber and Heikki Kovalainen in his Renault. |
| 13:58:24
| As ever, qualifying is split into three 15-minute sessions with the slowest six eliminated after Q1 and Q2 leaving the fastest ten to go for the Pole Position with race fuel on board. With rain expected tomorrow, some will have gone for full dry settings, some a mixture of wet and dry. |
| 14:00:09
| It is dry, sunny and pretty windy as qualifying is now underway. |
| 14:00:43
| Yamamoto and Raikkonen are first out. |
| 14:01:16
| Looking at the times from the morning practice session, to ensure a top 16 time and progress into Q2, the drivers will have to lap faster than 1:37.7. |
| 14:01:55
| Sutil, Trulli and Kovalainen also on track. |
| 14:02:45
| Raikkonen returns to the Ferrari pit as the early runners start a timed lap. Others now heading out. |
| 14:03:32
| Sutil is pushing hard and is stright out on the softer medium compound tyre. |
| 14:03:57
| Yamamoto records a 1:40.3 and that is not fast enough to make it into Q2. |
| 14:04:37
| Sutil records a 1:39.0 in his Spyker as Kovalainen moves fastest on the hard tyre. |
| 14:04:56
| The circuit is now very busy. |
| 14:05:34
| Fisichella moves second ahead of Trulli. |
| 14:06:09
| Ralf Schumacher is now fastest. He is on the hard tyre and that may be fast enough to make it into Q2. |
| 14:06:42
| Davidson moves second fastest. All on track but Raikkonen who had that problem this morning with his Ferrari. |
| 14:07:12
| All change as Webber moves fastest from Rosberg and Barrichello. |
| 14:07:22
| Hamilton is on his first hot lap. |
| 14:07:54
| Vettel now fastest from Webber and Schumacher. |
| 14:08:33
| Hamilton moves fastest on a 1:35.8, fast times on hard tyres. |
| 14:08:48
| Raikkonen still in the pits with six minutes remaining. |
| 14:09:04
| Alonso and Massa on fast laps. |
| 14:09:17
| Alonso moves second ahead of Kubica. |
| 14:09:39
| Massa now fastest as Raikkonen heads out. |
| 14:10:23
| Kovalainen is way down the order and needs to make gain on his second run. He will go for the softer tyre next time as will Fisichella. |
| 14:10:42
| They have all completed the first run. One more to go. |
| 14:11:19
| Raikkonen is about to start his first timed run and has a nice clear circuit. |
| 14:11:54
| Yamamoto and Sutil back out for a second run. They have an awful lot to do. |
| 14:12:44
| They are all heading out now with just over two minutes remaining. |
| 14:13:04
| Raikkonen moves fastest ahead of Massa, Hamilton and Alonso. |
| 14:13:42
| Kovalainen has now gone for the soft tyre. He is 18th so the pressure is on. |
| 14:14:28
| The front-runners, Raikkonen aside all on track. |
| 14:15:03
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 14:15:19
| All on better laps so plenty of changes ahead. |
| 14:15:42
| Wurz moves 11th. |
| 14:16:01
| All improving. Coulthard seventh. |
| 14:16:13
| Kovalainen moves 14th. |
| 14:16:21
| Fisichella moves 16th. |
| 14:16:32
| Trulli moves 15th. |
| 14:17:13
| Kovalainen seems to have made it through just as he is 16th in his Renault. |
| 14:17:46
| Yamamoto, Sutil, Sato, Wurz, Fisichella and Barrichello are eliminated. A poor run from Fisichella. |
| 14:18:52
| A good effort from Vettel who is safely through with the eighth fastest time. Liuzzi too ran well with the ninth fastest time. Davidson too makes it through for Super Aguri Honda as Sato struggles again. |
| 14:19:21
| There is a short pause now before Q2 gets underway. |
| 14:22:39
| Q2 is now underway and the target time will be a mid-1:36 at least to make it into Q3. |
| 14:22:57
| No one on track at the moment. |
| 14:24:59
| They are all waiting and as usual it will come down to the final lap. |
| 14:25:40
| Liuzzi is heading out for Toro Rosso. |
| 14:26:05
| Now engines are firing up and others are heading out for the first run of two. |
| 14:26:58
| Most are now on track and will be starting a timed lap shortly. |
| 14:27:48
| Kovalainen is on the soft tyre and on his first timed lap. |
| 14:28:07
| Toro Rosso have been going well and may shine again in Q2. |
| 14:28:22
| Heidfeld and Kubica remain in the pits. |
| 14:28:58
| Heidfeld now on track as most are on a qualifying lap. |
| 14:29:21
| Webber sets the initial pace from Liuzzi. |
| 14:29:49
| Kovalainen is fifth after his first lap but that will not be fast enough. |
| 14:30:08
| All change as Massa is now fastest from Hamilton. |
| 14:30:24
| Now Raikkonen is fastest om a 1:35.4 |
| 14:30:42
| Alonso moves third ahead of Hamilton. |
| 14:31:09
| So the top four are safe. Positions five downwards are up for grabs. |
| 14:31:43
| Rosberg is currently slowest as the BMW duo are on hot laps. |
| 14:32:15
| They need a mid 1:36 lap really. Heidfeld gets close and moves seventh. |
| 14:32:29
| Kubica moves fifth fastest. |
| 14:33:03
| Coulthard is still sixth just ahead of Red Bull team-mate Webber. |
| 14:33:26
| They have all now pitted ahead of a final run. |
| 14:34:03
| Trulli, Rosberg and Kovalainen need to find a lot of time tomake it through to Q3. |
| 14:34:22
| Liuzzi (9th) is back out for his second run. |
| 14:34:44
| Others now heading out. The fastest five will probably not need to run again. |
| 14:35:11
| Kubica does head back out. The fastest four remain in the pit. |
| 14:36:01
| One minute remains and they are all starting a final hot lap. |
| 14:36:40
| Button is currently tenth in his Honda. |
| 14:37:00
| Rosberg is struggling. |
| 14:37:04
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 14:38:02
| Webber is now seventh. |
| 14:38:18
| Schumacher moves ninth. |
| 14:38:36
| Vttel improves and is 12th as Button is tenth. |
| 14:38:53
| Rosberg did not improve and is out. |
| 14:39:03
| Kovalainen runs wide and is 14th. |
| 14:39:44
| Liuzzi will start 11th ahead of Vettel, Trulli, Kovalainen, Davidson and Rosberg. |
| 14:40:33
| So a good job from Button who has made it into Q3 for Honda. He will probably now ask for the car to be filled to the brim ahead of race day. |
| 14:40:51
| Ralf Schumacher has made it into Q3 and Trulli has not. |
| 14:41:20
| Both Red Bulls are firmly top ten runners today behind the top three teams. |
| 14:41:54
| Raikkonen has been fastest on each run so far and set the pace in all three practice sessions. |
| 14:42:28
| The remaining ten now take on race fuel ahead of Q3 aware that rain is expected tomorrow. |
| 14:45:12
| Q3 is now underway. Hamilton and Alonso lead out of the pit lane. |
| 14:45:40
| All ten are out for the fuel burn phase. |
| 14:46:48
| They are on the harder tyre at the moment as the lap times are not that critical with the weight of the fuel on board. |
| 14:47:10
| They will take the softer tyre later in Q3 when some fuel has been burned off. |
| 14:48:44
| Raikkonen is third on track and has backed off to get some clear air as they set the first timed lap. |
| 14:49:55
| They are all trying to get some space ahead of the first proper run. |
| 14:50:08
| Button pitted at the end of his out lap and is back out. |
| 14:50:21
| Hamilton pits at the end of his second lap. |
| 14:50:42
| Hamilton heads back out on hard tyres. Schumacher, Webber and Kubica pit. |
| 14:50:57
| Schumacher is also back out on the hard tyre. |
| 14:51:29
| This must be race prep in terms of tyres. |
| 14:51:58
| Hamilton is currently fastest from Raikkonen as Alonso pits. |
| 14:52:12
| Raikkonen, Coulthard and Massa pit. |
| 14:52:21
| Alonso also takes the harder tyre. |
| 14:52:58
| Hamilton is on a fast lap, pretty early in the session for a fast time. |
| 14:54:15
| Using all the kerbing at the final turn Hamilton sets a 1:36.6 which is not that fast. |
| 14:54:44
| Kubica moves third fastest. |
| 14:54:55
| Alonso is on a fast lap. |
| 14:55:05
| Raikkonen too is on a hot lap. |
| 14:55:47
| Raikkonen moves fastest with Hamilton second and Alonso now third. |
| 14:55:59
| Massa now fastest. |
| 14:56:23
| A good lap for Coulthard who is fifth. |
| 14:57:00
| The times are not that fast as they all seem to be heavy on fuel and on the hard tyre. |
| 14:57:19
| Hamilton pits for tyres. |
| 14:57:35
| He takes soft tyres as Raikkonen, Massa and Alonso all pit. |
| 14:57:48
| They are all going for the soft tyre now. |
| 14:58:27
| Button is back out on the hard tyre and he is working toward race day not qualifying as he is happy with P10. |
| 14:59:18
| Hamilton starts his final timed lap looking to improve on third. |
| 14:59:51
| They are all now starting a final hot lap. |
| 15:00:01
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 15:00:12
| Hamilton is pushing hard. |
| 15:00:35
| Alosno is not as fast at the moment. |
| 15:00:53
| Hamilton take the provisional pole. |
| 15:01:07
| Alonso remains fourth. |
| 15:01:16
| Raikkonen remains second. |
| 15:01:29
| Massa is third. |
| 15:01:47
| Ralf Schumacher moves sixth. |
| 15:02:13
| So Hamilton has the pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix ahead of Raikkonen, Massa and Alonso. |
| 15:02:42
| Coulthard starts a great fifth in his Red Bull ahead of Schumacher, Webber, Heidfeld, Kubica and Button. |
| 15:02:58
| That concludes our live coverage of qualifying. |
