| 13:50:26
| Welcome to F1-Live.com and our live coverage of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix. As ever, qualifying is split into three session with the slowest six eliminated after Q1 and Q2 leaving the final ten to take race fuel and go for the pole in Q3. |
| 13:52:17
| Practice this morning saw the expected front-running teams concentrate on relatively heavy fuel loads in the expectation they will make it into the final round of qualifying while others ran low fuel levels to determine how far they can go. |
| 13:54:06
| Nick Heidfeld set the pace this morning with a best time of 1:21.269s, roughly eight-tenths off the fastest time of the weekend to date achieved by Kimi Raikkonen in Friday morning practice. David Coulthard was second fastest in his Red Bull ahead of Fernando Alonso and Robert Kubica. |
| 13:56:21
| It has been a mixed weekend so far for Toyota, but the team has both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock in the top ten this morning. Over at Ferrari and Felipe Massa was ninth and Raikkonen 13th, but this does not mean they are in trouble, just they are looking to the final round of qualifying when they must have race fuel on board. |
| 13:58:10
| McLaren are expected to be the closest challenger to the seemingly dominant Ferrari team. Lewis Hamilton was 11th this morning, just a fraction slower than Massa while Heikki Kovalainen is playing catch up after losing time yesterday afternoon but still just two-tenths off his team-mate. |
| 14:00:16
| Qualifying session one is now underway. This is a 20 minute session. As ever the aim is to be in the top 16 and the position does not matter. |
| 14:00:48
| An important session for Adrian Sutil who heads straight out on the softer option tyre. |
| 14:01:10
| Fisichella, Bourdais and Sutil join the action. |
| 14:01:51
| An important Q1 for Glock too as he has been up and down the timesheets all weekend. He heads out in his Toyota. |
| 14:02:13
| Based on this morning's times a 1:22.2 may be fast enough to make the top 16. |
| 14:02:35
| First hot laps underway for the early runners. |
| 14:02:51
| Others now heading out. |
| 14:03:53
| Sutil records a lap about a second off what he will need. Sutil fastest from Bourdais and Fisichella. |
| 14:04:03
| Glock is on the hard tyre. |
| 14:04:39
| Raikkonen is on track as Glock moves second fastest. |
| 14:05:09
| Bourdais stays out for a second fast lap looking to improve on fourth. |
| 14:05:47
| Bourdais is on hard tyres and moves fastest ahead of Fisichella and Sutil. |
| 14:05:57
| Hamilton heads out. |
| 14:06:42
| Davidson has completed his first run, but it is an almost impossible task for the Super Aguri duo. |
| 14:07:11
| All change at the top as Raikkonen moves fastest from Nakajima and Rosberg. |
| 14:07:39
| The pace is a little slower than expected, perhaps as it warmer. |
| 14:08:47
| Trulli, Webber and Button on track. |
| 14:09:05
| Trulli moves third fastest. |
| 14:10:24
| Hamilton is fastest ahead of Raikkonen. They are certainly safe. No sign yet of Massa, Kubica, Heidfeld and Kovalainen. |
| 14:10:49
| Webber moves seventh in the Red Bull. |
| 14:10:59
| Button moves fourth fastest. |
| 14:11:12
| Most have completed a first run. |
| 14:11:29
| Piquet and Alonso on track for Renault. |
| 14:12:33
| Piquet moves third fastest and is immediately demoted by Alonso and Coulthard. |
| 14:13:13
| The fastest five should be safe now and may not run again. |
| 14:13:51
| Nakajima uses the soft tyre to move second in his Williams. Massa is on track using the hard tyre. |
| 14:14:29
| Massa moves second in his F2008. Kubica fourth. |
| 14:14:49
| Heidfeld sets the 11th fastest time but will have to run again. |
| 14:15:08
| Kovalainen is about to start his first run. |
| 14:16:15
| Kubica improves and is now second behind Hamilton. A good lap from Bourdais who should now be safe in sixth. |
| 14:16:58
| Most are now in the pits ahead of a final run. Those in the 21s should be safe to make it into Q2. |
| 14:17:13
| Kovalainen moves third and is safe. |
| 14:17:43
| Raikkonen is still on track which is a surprise as he is safe. He is sixth and looking to improve. |
| 14:18:06
| Raikkonen moves fastest in his Ferrari by some six tenths from Hamilton. |
| 14:18:30
| All but the fastest five are on track for a final run. |
| 14:19:14
| Unless they improve, Davididson, Sato, Sutil, Vettel, Fisichella anbd Barrichello will be eliminated. |
| 14:19:33
| Less than a minute remains, they are all now about to start the final flying lap. |
| 14:19:58
| Vettel pushing hard on the soft tyre. |
| 14:20:15
| Vettel moves 14th. The chequered flag is out. |
| 14:20:44
| Webber moves fifth, Rosberg then takes the same position. |
| 14:21:00
| Piquet fourth in the Renault. |
| 14:21:10
| Alonso now second in the Renault. |
| 14:21:23
| It is changing by the second. Bourdais improves. |
| 14:22:19
| The order is settling now and it is bad news for Red Bull who have Coulthard 17th and out. |
| 14:23:11
| Vettel did not make the cut in his Toro Rosso while Bourdais did. Fisichella and Sutil fail to make it into Q2 again as does the Aguri duo of Davidson and Sato. |
| 14:24:00
| A good showing from Alonso, Piquet and Bourdais. |
| 14:24:11
| A short pause now ahead of Q2. |
| 14:27:30
| The second round of qualifying will see the slowest six eliminated leaving ten for Q3. Based on the times we have just seen a mid 1:21 will be needed. |
| 14:27:47
| Q2 is now underway, this is a 15 minute session. |
| 14:28:53
| No one on track, they are all waiting. Even the front runners will probably use the softer option in this session. |
| 14:30:14
| Three minutes complete and still they wait. |
| 14:31:33
| Alonso heads out on the soft tyre. Plenty of fan support this weekend for the former champion. |
| 14:32:03
| Piquet, Bourdais, Webber and others now heading out. |
| 14:32:34
| Ten of the remaining 16 are on track. |
| 14:33:06
| Alonso is now on his first fast lap of Q2. |
| 14:33:40
| Only Kubica not on track now. |
| 14:34:05
| Alonso is looking smooth as he aims for the top ten. |
| 14:34:26
| A good lap from Alonso who may have enough already complete to make Q3. |
| 14:34:46
| Trulli now bumps Alonso to second ahead of Piquet and Webber. |
| 14:35:02
| A slide for Hamilton who continues. |
| 14:35:39
| Hamilton moves fastest but Raikkonen is not far behind. |
| 14:35:54
| Now Raikkonen moves fastest from Hamilton and Trulli. |
| 14:36:24
| Massa's first lap is not fast and he will need to improve. |
| 14:37:00
| Not a great lap from Kovalainen either as he moves eighth. |
| 14:37:36
| Barrichello is now sixth and that is a good lap from the Honda veteran. |
| 14:37:48
| Kubica moves fastest in his BMW Sauber. |
| 14:38:01
| Heidfeld is just 12th at the moment. |
| 14:38:44
| As it stands Massa, Heidfeld, Nakajima, Rosberg, Button and Bourdais will be eliminated if they fail to improve. |
| 14:39:18
| They are all pitting ahead of a final run. Expect all but the fastest five to run again. |
| 14:39:53
| Heidfeld takes the softer tyre for his final run. He was on the hard tyre before. |
| 14:40:13
| All back out apart from Kubica and Raikkonen. |
| 14:40:34
| Less than two minutes remain. They have time to start the final flying lap. |
| 14:40:51
| Bourdais is the first to start his final lap. |
| 14:41:15
| Bourdais locks the rears and loses time. |
| 14:41:34
| Bourdais back off. He will start 16th. |
| 14:42:05
| A number of drivers on fast laps. Massa needs to find time... |
| 14:42:08
| The chequered flag is out. |
| 14:42:20
| Massa moves fastest and is safe. |
| 14:42:28
| Kovalainen moves fourth. |
| 14:42:49
| Rosberg gains one position but is 13th. |
| 14:44:31
| No big changes at the end. Bourdais, Rosberg, Glock, Button, Nakajima and Barrichello are eliminated. Heidfeld did improve on the soft tyre and is through. |
| 14:45:28
| No real surprises in the order so far. Rosberg will be disappointed with 15th though well behind team-mate Nakajima. |
| 14:45:50
| The remaining ten now take race fuel on board ahead of Q3 which starts in a few minutes. |
| 14:48:20
| This is now crunch time. Ferrari look strong but any error and Kubica seems to be close. |
| 14:49:24
| The remaining runners are in the car and waiting for the session to start. |
| 14:50:05
| Q3 is now underway, this is a ten minute session. |
| 14:51:25
| Once again, they remain in the pits and wait. They need to get the best out of two runs and not waste fuel which they must carry into the race tomorrow. |
| 14:52:10
| Trulli is first out. He is carrying the flag for Toyota with Glock out. |
| 14:53:10
| Trulli is on the hard tyre for his first run. He may be carrying more fuel than some of the others. |
| 14:53:40
| The others are now all out as Trulli is on his first hot lap. |
| 14:54:49
| Trulli sets the first timed lap on a 1:23.4. They are slower now as they have the race fuel on board. |
| 14:55:39
| Hamilton too is on the harder tyre as he moves fastest. |
| 14:55:56
| Hamilton too is on the harder tyre as he moves fastest. |
| 14:56:28
| All change as Massa moves fastest ahead of Hamilton, Alonso and Raikkonen. |
| 14:57:23
| Massa was on the soft tyre. Hamilton was not which may explain the three tenths gap on that run. Raikkonen was on soft tyres though... |
| 14:58:07
| Massa fastest from Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, Kubica, Heidfeld and Kovalainen as they all pit for a final set of tyres. |
| 14:59:08
| Hamilton starts his final lap and he is now on the soft tyre. |
| 14:59:47
| Kovalainen is on a fast lap in the second McLaren. |
| 15:00:06
| The chequered flag is out. A number of people can still improve. |
| 15:00:30
| Raikkonen, Hamilton and others all improving on this final lap. |
| 15:00:46
| Kovalainen moves third. |
| 15:00:55
| Alonso moves fastest! |
| 15:01:10
| Kubica moves third. |
| 15:01:20
| Raikkonen moves fastest. |
| 15:01:53
| Raikkonen has pole position for Ferrari. A fantastic run from Alonso to second on the grid. |
| 15:02:43
| Massa starts third ahead of Kubica. Hamilton starts a disappointing fifth ahead of Kovalainen, Webber, Trulli, Heidfeld and Piquet. |
