LIVE: Formula 1 – British Grand Prix Qualifying

16:02Full Silverstone qualifying report now available here

15:40We hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the British Grand Prix qualifying, check back on site for a full report and news from the teams throughout the rest of the day. We’ll be back tomorrow for the race so we hope you’ll join us then.

15:34Top 10: ALO, WEB, MSC, VET, MAS, RAI, MAL, HAM, HUL, GROS

15:33POLE POSITION – Fernando Alonso – Ferrari

15:33Lewis Hamilton crosses the line at the end of the session in sixth, Fernando Alonso now tops the times

15:32Fernando Alonso is on a flying lap but Mark Webber is faster that Alonso in sector 1.

15:31Mark Webber leads the way with a 1:51.793

15:31Felipe Massa retakes second place but Mark Webber is on a flying lap

15:30Mark Webber moves up to second place, splitting the two Ferrari’s. Michael Schumacher is back out on track with intermediate tyres… he’ll have time for just one timed lap.

15:29Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa trade places at the top of the times.

15:28Kimi Raikkonen pits to change to intermediate tyres.

15:27Felipe Massa goes quickest briefly before Michael Schumacher knocks him down followed by Fernando Alonso beating the time of both drivers.

15:26Pastor Maldonado comes over the line to set a time of 1:58.016.

15:25We’re now two and a half hours from the start of qualifying, it all comes down to these final minutes now though…

15:23Romain Grosjean likely to start in 10th place after not being able to take part in the session following his spin in to the gravel trap at the end of the last session. Pastor Maldonado is the first out on circuit for the third and final part of qualifying.

15:21Don’t forget there will be some grid penalties to change the positions about after the session including Jean-Eric Vergne who qualified sixteenth but will start from the back after getting a ten place penalty for an avoidable accident in the last Grand Prix

15:19Paul Di Resta not happy being bumped out of the session in the closing seconds by Fernando Alonso, the Scot arguing the point that there were yellow flags for Grosjean’s stricken car.

15:18Q2 top 10: HAM, HUL, MSC, WEB, GRO, MAS, RAI, MAL, ALO, VET
Drivers who didn’t make it through: DIR, KOB, ROS, RIC, SEN, VER, PER

15:16Sergio Perez who was topping the times when the red flag came out finishes Q2 in seventeenth place, how things change in just over 6 minutes.

15:15Romain Grosjean is in the gravel trap as Fernando Alonso just scrapes through to Q3

15:15Paul Di Resta makes it to ninth place, will the young Scot make it through to Q3?

15:14Lewis Hamilton fastest as the flag comes out for the end of the session, Vettel only manages a time good enough for seventh… will it be enough?

15:13Times are being traded fast at the top of the time sheets with Webber, Schumacher, Massa and Hulkenbergbattling it out at the top

15:12Romain Grosjean hits the top of the time sheets, as Fernando Alonso goes second fastest. Nico Rosberghas fallen off the track but makes his way back. Lap times are now 2 seconds faster than before the red flag.

15:09McLaren confident with their choice of tyres for Lewis Hamilton as the British driver reveals that it is still very slippery out on track.

15:07GREEN LIGHT – session resumes

15:07Lewis Hamilton is lining up on full wet tyres while most others are out on intermediates

15:06As the session resumes Sergio Perez is fastest with 6 minutes 19 seconds remaining.

15:05Some of the teams are sending their drivers to line up in the pitlane ready to go with Williams leading the way.

15:04Fastest through the third sector is Sergio Perez (241 kph), Bruno Senna (238 kph), Kamui Kobayashi (237 kph)

15:03Fastest through sector 2 is Paul Di Resta (244 kph), Sebastien Vettel (242 kph) and Jean-Eric Vergne (241 kph).

15:02Sector 1 speed trap headed by Fernando Alonso (298kph), Jean-Eric Vergne (297kph), Romain Grosjean(296kph)

15:01Top straight line speed in qualifying set by Kimi Raikkonen at 301kph followed by Fernando Alonso at 299 and Kamui Kobayashi at 298 kph.

15:00Track temperature is now back up to 21c – the same temperature as in Q1, the marshals and road sweepers are working hard to clear the track ready  to resume at 15:07.

14:57Session will be resuming at 15:07

14:50With the rain easing the marshals are out on track trying to sweep away some of the standing water.

14:37TCF blogger Nic Hamilton and brother of Lewis Hamilton has just headed out to the crowd to give them a wave. If you haven’t seen his blog check it out here

14:30The rain continues at Silverstone as Nico Rosberg heads out to wave to the crowd, good to see the teams and drivers keeping the crowd occupied while the qualifying is stopped.

14:21The safety car continues to lap the Northamptionshire circuit as the crowd keep themselves busy with a Mexican wave.

14:16Jenson Button Out Of British Grand Prix Qualifying Early – Read more here

14:15Rain to stop at 14:40 according to Charlie Whiting, the track is being worked on at the moment to try to clear some of the standing water and he thinks that if all goes to plan the session will resume at 15:00 UK time.

14:06It’s now an hour and 10 minutes since the first part of qualifying got under way, the drivers are relaxing in pitlane now and talking with their engineers.

14:02As Lewis Hamilton waves to the crowds from the pitlane organisers announce they will give a 10 minute warning about the session resuming

13:52The F1 safety car continues to circulate the Northamptionshire circuit, the rain doesn’t seem to be letting up at all, could be some time before the session resumes.

13:49The F1 safety car is currently out on track as officials evaluate the circuit conditions.

13:48With the rain continuing the session remains on hold. When the session does eventually resume there will be 6 minutes remaining.

13:36RED FLAG – Conditions too wet.

13:36Hamilton tells the team that he nearly crashed in to a Sauber. Felipe Massa has also spun on to Hanger Straight.

13:35The weather conditions are so far away from Q1 with the lap times 13 seconds slower than the first session.

13:34Fernando Alonso lost control of his car coming on to Hanger Straight, the Spanish driver demostrates supurb car control to keep the Ferrari away from the wall. Michael Schumacher has spun again.

13:32Unfortunate for the German is he was on a fast lap with the fastest first sector of any driver so far.

13:32Michael Schumacher has spun in to Becketts after touching the curb.

13:31Jenson Button on his failure to make it through to Q2 – “It’s raining very hard in the final sector. Nothing I could do, I’m afraid.”

13:29All drivers on track with the two Red Bull drivers waiting to go out on track until last.

13:27Q2 is underway , track temperature has dropped to 19c with air temperature at 16c.

13:26The weather conditions are getting worse at Silverstone, it’ll be more of the same for this next session as the drivers look to set early times to avoid the increasingly poor British Summer.

13:24Positions for Q1: VET, HUL, MAL, PER, ALO, MSC, KOB, GRO, SEN, RIC, WEB, RAI, MAS, HAM, DIR, VER, ROS
Drivers not making it through to Q2:  BUT, PET, KOV, GLOCK, DLR, KAR
Failed to make 107% time: PIC

13:22Jenson Button hasn’t made it through to Q2, possibly due to the waved yellow flags caused by the spinningTimo Glock. A bad day for the British driver.

13:21Glock has spun on the start/finish straight

13:20If Jenson Button manages to set a faster time Nico Rosberg will be dropped in Q1!

13:19McLaren team to Jenson Button: “We’re going to get one lap at this, we need to find some time.”

13:18Two and a half minutes remain as Jenson Button pits for fresh tyres, It’s all or nothing now.

13:16De La Rosa has pulled himself out of the 107% time, Charles Pic remains slower. Jenson Button is currently in the drop zone, not good for the British driver in front of his home crowd. Sauber drivers return to pits after their foray on slick tyres, looks like the gamble hasn’t paid off.

13:15Some of the teams look to be set to try slick tyres as they look to take advantage of parts of the track that are starting to dry.

13:14Early predictions from the Caterham team seems to be more wishful thinking at the moment as Petrov andKovalainen remain in the drop zone.

13:13Two drivers are currently outside of the 107% time of 1:53.948 – Pedro De La Rosa and Charles Pic

13:11Some of the drivers are now pitting, Ricciardo, Vergne, Glock and Pic now back in the pits.

13:119 minutes of the session to go, Pastor Maldonado tops the times at the moment with Ricciardo a strong second.

13:09McLaren team to Lewis Hamilton: “Be careful of the cars around you. You have Glock immediately behind, and Jenson behind him. Let Jenson through.”

13:09Hamilton‘s time is 17 seconds off the fastest time of the morning sesson.

13:07Massa sets fastest time once again, Perez is telling the team that the track is drying out.

13:06Hamilton moves up to the top of the time sheets.

13:06Ricciardo leaps to the top of the time sheets with Maldonado a close second.

13:05Sebastien Vettel is on a fast lap with a purple first sector.

13:05Schumacher and Massa tops the time sheets early.

13:04It’s hectic out on track as all 24 cars struggle to find some space.

13:04McLaren team to Lewis Hamilton: “We have a changeable forecast for the next hour. Not much more to say, other than we’ll need to navigate through the perils of the weather”

13:03The teams are expecting the conditions to get much worse, once again the McLaren team tell Jenson Buttonto push hard early

13:02DRS has been disabled for this session as it is deemed too wet to use the system.

13:02All cars are on circuit with Felipe Massa the last driver to head out, Jenson Button is being told to push hard from the start.

13:01Kimi Raikkonen is hit with a KERS problem just as he heads out for qualifying, not a great start for the Finn

13:00Q1 at Silverstone is now GO

13:00The cars are lined up for the start of the race at the exit of the pitlane, don’t think there will be anyone waiting to set a time for this session with the weather conditions worsening.

12:59Vitaly Petrov will be heading out for 5 timed laps at the start of the session to make the most of the damp conditions before it gets too wet.

12:57Those clouds that were threatening have now opened up and we have light rain for the start of the session, looks like the intermediates will be strapped on for the start of the session.

12:57Track temp: 22c
Air temp: 17c
Wind speed: 4.9mps
Humidity: 68%

12:55Less that 5 minutes to go until the start of qualifying now and the clouds threaten the Northamptonshire circuit.

12:52Catherham believe that the will find half a second improvement this weekend and are confident they will be making it through to Q2 comfortably.

12:50Lewis Hamilton will be keen to take pole position not only for himself and the team but also the British fans who have been battling the elements to see their on-track heroes perform.

12:4910 minutes until the green light signals an open pitlane and qualifying gets underway.

12:46Last year saw Mark Webber take the third Silverstone pole position for Red Bull in a row with Vettel taking 2010 and 2009. Heiki Kovalainen was the last non-RBR pole sitter at the British Grand Prix. The last British Driver to lead from pole was Lewis Hamilton in 2007.

12:37Full times from the morning session today can be seen at here

12:36The field were covered by just over 5 seconds with Fernando Alonso‘s time of 1:32.167 leading the way.

12:34Fernando Alonso topped the time sheets this morning in the final practice session ahead of the Grand Prix. Jenson Button finished second fastest while team-mate Lewis Hamilton was sixth. Romain Grosjean put in a strong performance to finish third place and throw down the gauntlet for qualifying.

12:30Welcome along to our coverage of the 2012 British Grand Prix qualifying, with 30 minutes to go the weather is looking better than yesterday with teams setting up their cars for a dry qualifying session.