Fernando Alonso will start tomorrow’s Chinese Grand Prix from pole position after a wet qualifying session saw the reigning world champion put in a brilliant lap, six tenths of a second faster than his second placed teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella. Row two is filled by Honda with Rubens Barrichello starting third ahead of teammate Jenson Button, the duo setting identical lap times, while Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher will take row three. Pedro de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld qualifying seventh and eighth respectively while Robert Kubica and Robert Doornbos rounded out the top ten.

The word of the day was rain here at the Shanghai International circuit as Kimi Raikkonen leads the field onto the track, the McLaren followed closely by Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli. Despite the wet conditions, a lot of drivers are wanting to bank an early time, just in case conditions worsen over the next fifteen minutes.  Plumes of water stream from the rear of the cars as Raikkonen sets the first timed lap of the session with Button, Barrichello and Rosberg adding their names to the leaderboard. Five minutes in and all cars, apart from the two Ferrari’s have been out to test the water, no pun intended, but the two cars from Maranello soon emerge and begin their first laps.

Alonso goes to the top of the leaderboard with Fisichella a close second. Pedro de la Rosa takes third, ahead of Raikkonen while Schumacher’s best is only good enough for thirteenth, Felipe Massa fourteenth. Christijan Alber’s SpykerMf1 comes to a halt on track, the company just announcing that they will be running with Ferrari engines in 07, but for now, it appears as if the Dutchman’s day is over and that’s not all as the session is red flagged with three minutes remaining as teammate Tiago Monteiro comes to a halt in a very dangerous position. This means both cars will be eliminated from the first session.

The session restarts and drivers will have one final lap before the chequered flag falls. Ralf Schumacher leads the field away in the poor conditions. Visibility is at a minimum and as such the top five on the leaderboard, Alonso, Fisichella, de la Rosa, Raikkonen and Liuzzi, opt to stay in their respective garages.  Nico Rosberg runs wide but he is safe in fifteenth, but the same cant be said for Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, as both are eliminated, along with both SpykerMF1’s and both Super Aguri’s. All six eliminated were running on Bridgestones while the top twelve were using Michelin’s, the four in between, both Ferrari’s and both Williams were also on Bridgestone’s.

David Coulthard leads the pack away for the second session and the Scot is the first to set a time, followed by teammate Robert Doornbos. Tonio Liuzzi has a small spin, but recovers, while teammate Scott Speed makes a similar manoeuvre near pit entry and follows through into his pitbox after slightly touching the barriers.  Massa and Schumacher got to the top of the timesheets, but Pedro de la Rosa goes a tenth faster. Times continue to change as the rain falls again.

Seven minutes remain and Giancarlo Fisichella takes a trip into the gravel trap before returning to the circuit. The rain gets heavier as Alonso improves to tenth after a small off track incident. Jenson Button is in P1 and Alonso is on a flyer, the Spaniard taking the place for himself while Barrichello goes third, Pedro de la Rosa fourth.

Fisichella recovers from his earlier moment and takes P2 while Barrichello goes off track. Time ticks down and both Ferrari’s are outside the top ten as the Bridgestone runners continue to struggle in the conditions. Michael needs to find half a second to scrape in and he takes to the track for one final push, as does teammate Felipe Massa.

Alonso strengthens his time at the top and the chequered flag falls. Schumacher is till on his lap and looking good to advance, ninth fastest, but Massa is out, along with David Coulthard, both Toro Rosso’s and both Williams. 

The final all important session as drivers dice for pole got underway with Alonso the first man out on the wet track in order to burn off fuel ahead of the final five minute push for pole. Pedro de la Rosa sets the best time ahead of Robert Kubica and Jenson Button while Michael Schumacher, the only Bridgestone runner, is fifth. Kimi Raikkonen loses the right wing mirror off his McLaren and it is lying on the circuit. Alonso up into P1 now as Fisichella comes in for his first stop.

Six minutes remain in the session and Raikkonen pits for fresh tyres and it appears as if Jenson Button has run over Raikkonen’s mirror and damaged his Honda, taking on a new nose cone in his stop. All drivers return to the circuit for the final four minutes. Alonso is in P1, six tenths ahead of second placed Raikkonen with Fisichella third. Schumacher is in eighth as de la Rosa slots into P2. Barrichello is on the move and takes P2 for Honda while Alonso strengthens his pole time a little bit further with the fastest first sector, second sector and third! De la Rosa spins, but rejoins while Button takes third ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Fisichella is up next and takes P2 alongside his teammate making for a Renault front row here in China!

Check out our latest feature, the ‘starting grid’ and see how they will line up tomorrow. To access the grid, click on the ‘starting grid’ link on the right hand side of the site.