Sunday at Hockenheim should host a dry German grand prix.

There has been often heavy rain at the venue since Thursday, despite the fact that the days preceding F1′s arrival in Germany were very hot.

Some of that blue sky could peek through the predicted cloud-cover on Sunday, even though forecasters are not ruling out the possibility of rain.

“We are hoping for some warmer weather,” admitted Red Bull team boss Christian Horner on Saturday, after Sebastian Vettel pipped Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to pole position by the merest margin of 2 thousandths.

Ferrari and Bridgestone calculated that the gap equated to 15 centimetres at the chequered flag.

Ferrari’s increased pace has the Italian camp determined to finally return to the top step of the podium, after a string of disappointing results.

Inclement weather for Sunday is therefore not on the agenda: “We hope we can finally have a normal race,” said team boss Stefano Domenicali.

Pole sitter Vettel commented: “I heard the weather forecast (for the race) is dry.”

Michael Schumacher failed to 0.008 seconds at the touch of moving into the top 10: “That we must accept so”

“One must remember that our weapons were somewhat blunter than expected and as predicted,” says Michael Schumacher, who failed in the time hunting only 0.008 seconds on entry into Q3. “In free practice it was quite reasonable with fifth and sixth place. But for qualifying, we are then something has been passed. If Nico Hulkenberg have succeeded in a normal round, then we would have been even at the end on position ten and eleven.”

Schumacher’s team-mate Nico Rosberg Mercedes to beat the Williams rookie in the last section. “We are in the stands nine and eleven, thus the better side. So we can target at the start maybe a little,” says the 41-year-old. “People must also be realistic. There is no reason to believe that tomorrow we can go much faster in order to achieve our targeted podium.”
At Hockenheim, not the exception as the tires to the special Mercedes-problem had been. “We were simply not competitive,” explains Schumacher. “I had on my car a few problems with the brakes, which have caused some vibration. But even that would not see me as the reason why we lacked the time.”

Schumacher appealed to the fans: Press the “thumb and may do a rain dance!” The podium is hoped, however, out of reach. “Whether we can take a different strategy, we must analsieren yet,” the world champion. “Our two cars were within a hundredth, it was not more. We must now acceptable. But who knows me, knows that I fight to the end.”

He had not only 0.775 seconds behind Sebastian Vettel, he had to in the duel against his team-mates also admit defeat, as it was .139 seconds in front of him.

“That’s what I have told you long ago, long time, and that no one believes me,” said the McLaren-Mercedes driver. “We are currently the third team and just not fast enough. But we do print and do the best job.”
About the speed of the cars in front of him shows the Briton not surprised: “Of course I had never expected to be sixth, but I say yes for a long time that we are generally the third fastest team.”
“Today, the two teams have the front done a better job. Moreover, was not my round fantastic, but it is. My qualifying speed was pretty weak to be honest. I do not think it was great, but I have worked so well as I could. ”

In the race, the car is likely, as so often something work better than in qualifying – and that is what builds the ex-Formula 1 world champion: “I will continue to exert pressure. Tomorrow we need a good start, a clean first round and then will I try to get as many points as possible. “

Sebastian Vettel roared the joy from his body as he had won in the qualification for the Grand Prix of Germany in pole position – to thin two thousandths of a second ahead of Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari. Impressively, however, was the lead over team-mate Mark Webber, who was fourth in 0.556 seconds behind.

“It will be interesting to calculate how big the distance of two thousandths of seconds,” the Red Bull driver. “The whole unit over Fernando was very strong. Ferrari is generally very competitive,” says Vettel, who feels vindicated in his prediction after free practice on Friday.

“It was very exciting. In the second qualifying round, I knew that we have a round, get it right. It was close, and therefore makes it a little more pressure to lose the ideal point of the tires and feel that you time, forfeit. My last lap was not 100 percent perfect. I went here and there something about the limit, but in the end it was enough to keep almost anything to get ahead and to the poles. ”

Of course it is to be allowed to go for the driver from Heppenheim of particular importance, at his home race at the very front in the race: “I am extremely happy. I will be at home for the first time on pole, but the main challenge to come tomorrow. We have here a very strong car and a very tough fight against the red cars. ”

After three pole positions in a row and lost starting duel at Silverstone hopes Vettel, that this time all goes well, “I think the clean side of the track as opposed to Silverstone this is worth something. Fernando and were I the last race surprised by the poor adhesion on the clean side. This should be good for us. ”

“We have a very strong car, it goes against the Ferrari to be very close. We usually have a decent speed in the race. It’s a long race, anything is possible. We start looking for a good job today of the best position, but the The goal is the next day. Today there is apart from the fact that you go to bed with a good feeling, nothing. “

For a long time it looked like it, as if Fernando Alonso at Hockenheim a bit faster than Sebastian Vettel, but at the crucial qualification was the German finally in the lead – albeit with a possible margin of only 0.002 seconds ahead.

“I think we have to be happy. We are now for the first time this season in the first row, which for us is definitely a step forward ‘ , the Ferrari driver, who can start the last time at the Hungarian Grand Prix last year from the first row.

“We were competitive all weekend, I have very great confidence in the car. I was the first, second and third qualifying round with the car very happy. At last we’ve managed a perfect Saturday.”

“Of course we have the pole position quite narrowly missed, but the points are not there tomorrow, Saturday. We must therefore focus on the following day. Following is a good day today, the aim is also a good day tomorrow to have. We will try to get some points tomorrow. ”

He had “not quite expect,” to be tuned as close to Red Bull: “We always expect that Red Bull in the third qualifying round is a bit more. We have already seen that it is in free practice approaching a very short, but third qualifying round, they are then far away. We were surprised that we were so close and could ultimately fight after ten races at one pole position. It took a little longer, but now we are very close. ”

And team-mate Felipe Massa was satisfied with his third place: “That was one of us a good performance. There was a very tough qualifying. In the third qualifying round, I could not get all the sectors together. I’m happy that I was back in third Qualifying round-am, and I now focus more on the race tomorrow. I hope we do well, and for the team and myself can get many points. “

In the last race for Mark Webber Sebastian Vettel has always been a formidable adversary, but in qualifying for the Grand Prix of Germany Sebastian Vettel kept at least the third qualifying round, the upper hand. In the end, Webber huge backlog 0.556 seconds – too much for a smooth Zeitenfahren.

“I am in receipt of the first corner came a little too far in addition to the racing line,” the Red Bull driver said in an interview with the ‘BBC’. “I was simply not return to the racing line. That was my mistake, and that was not good enough.”

“I lost one position in the final laps. Before that I was third, then I lost one position to Felipe Massa. That was a pity. This was not the best qualifying, so I hope now to the race tomorrow.”

About the narrow margin of his teammates on Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, just two thousandths of a second, says the Silverstone winner not surprised: “I knew it would be just on the short round. It would have been nice to get involved, but Seb a good job and took pole. It’s still a great day for the team. “

Two thousands of a second on Saturday separated Fernando Alonso from pole position at Hockenheim.

The Spaniard’s Ferrari car has taken a concrete step forward in Germany, and at the end of the dry Q3 session his best time was almost indistinguishable from Sebastian Vettel’s in the dominant Red Bull.

A further five and sixth tenths behind are the sister Ferrari driven by Felipe Massa and then Silverstone winner Mark Webber, who abandoned his final effort after running wide in turn 1.

“My fault,” said the Australian.

The other major story from qualifying was the pace of the championship leading McLarens, who went into the session fitted with the blown exhausts.

But points leader Lewis Hamilton was outqualified by his teammate Jenson Button, in just fifth place.

“It is clear now we are the third fastest team,” rued Hamilton.

Added Button: “7 tenths behind? Surprising. We’ve definitely made a step forward with the car here but we don’t have the pace, which is quite a worry, really.”

For Nico Rosberg, it was not only in the rainy morning practice round, but even under the drier conditions in the afternoon. On the morning of the Mercedes driver was 1.747 seconds with residue at position six, the second 90 minutes of training, he finished with a 0.562 seconds gap to fifth place.

“Today was mainly a matter of review, as our updates are working,” said Rosberg. “I think we have the hinbekommen well. In view of the weekend we see quite good. But we have to wait and see.”
“Today was not too bad, I think, however, that many things because of the conditions were a little different. And since you did not drive much, this time one should not take too seriously. I also think we can do better, will than we have done at Silverstone, or at least the same level., I think we have a good weekend. ”

The problem the training because of weather conditions was: “Simply because of wind, because the conditions all the time changing. We started on the very, very wet track, so we had the full rain tires. Then we are a bit driven, have so far learned, it should rain tomorrow. ”

“Especially under these conditions, I would be very confident. In the morning we drove very fast times, at least I was this morning, very fast. If there are such conditions, I would be very confident.”

“In the dry the track was still damp at the beginning of something. You changed so much. In addition, it was necessary in view of the race with a lot of fuel on board, go and try, all within an hour may resort in dry conditions that we in the end ultimately have. It’s difficult when you have to do as much work on the set and things like that. ”

Time of the Mercedes driver also lost by an incident in training, which cost him the front wing. The Wiesbaden cut from the first corner too strong: “The bollard was simply too big.” The front wing broke off from what Rosberg led in allusion to the “front wing” allegations at Red Bull for joking: “I took Michaels: He moved back to the old.”

It is interesting this weekend, the choice of tires, for Bridgestone has the softest and the decision the toughest – a distance, such as has never been before: “At the moment seems to be the soft no great problem to present, he seems to fit even actually” so Rosberg. “It will not, like in Montreal when the tire was within ten laps at the end.”
“They seem to be better, maybe it will therefore be the problem, the hard to move properly to work, because this really looks very hard. That is probably right now the trend. But it’s hard to say how it will be because we are probably not enough laps, and the track is not in the condition as it will be on Sunday. ”

Of course, hopes Rosberg on a successful weekend, after all, it’s his home race, “I have won in every category, with which I came here it was not too bad, this is also to create in the formula first, it is a very special thing to go with the silver arrow here, after all, I grew up in relation to racing 20 kilometers away. There, the race team my father was stationed, for which I completed all the races when I’ve worked up. ”

“It’s a great feeling to drive here from all spectators. Hopefully we will see in the stands a lot of silver caps, which we applaud. It will be incredible to get to all a good result for the team, for the teams, that would be great. “

After the very eventful start training on Friday at the Hockenheim Ring, meteorologists expect that will come on Saturday at the front lines a little more rest – at least when it comes to the German weather computer.

The temperatures at the beginning of the third Free practice at 13 degrees. It is cloudy and the risk of rain is 20 percent. The American computer expects the other hand, light rain with a probability of 60 percent.

At the start of qualifying, it is 14 degrees with only slightly “hotter”. The risk of rainfall is also at 20 percent. The wind is weak from a northwesterly direction. The American model is calculated with a chance of light rain 40 percent.

Fernando Alonso was cautious after topping the drier second practice session at Hockenheim on Friday.

The Spaniard was marginally quicker than Sebastian Vettel, while teammate Felipe Massa split the occupant of the sister Red Bull by going third quickest.

“Ferrari looks extremely competitive,” said Vettel.

McLaren had a more difficult day at the office, but the team is likely to keep its new blown diffuser on the car for the rest of the weekend, despite Lewis Hamilton saying it wasn’t “perfect”.

“I think we can risk going with the new floor,” Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by the German media.

Jenson Button was just fifteenth in the afternoon, while Hamilton was seventh after sitting out most of the session while the damage sustained in his morning crash was repaired.

“The Red Bulls and Ferrari look fast, faster than we expected,” said Button.  “I don’t know if we’ll be as quick.”

Said German Vettel: “I am sure they (McLaren) will come back tomorrow and be up there.”

Alonso, however, was reserving his judgement.  “Difficult to know today, I think we have to wait for tomorrow,” he said.

It rained again after the afternoon session, and more rain is possible on Saturday.

The latest name linked with the hopeful American outfit Cypher Group is Nelson Piquet Jr.

22-year-old Indy Lights driver Jonathan Summerton has already confirmed he is working with the team to form “the American F1 team with an American driver”.

Italiaracing.net reports that Piquet, the Brazilian and crashgate conspirator, is also being linked with Cypher.

Since being ousted by Renault mid last season, the 24-year-old has been racing mainly in NASCAR’s lower-tier truck series.

It is also reported that Cypher has recruited Steve Brown, the former Brawn GP research and development engineer who switched to the abortive USF1 last year.

An F-duct system will not be seen on Renault’s 2010 car until the Belgian grand prix late next month.

Robert Kubica said he is worried about Hockenheim this weekend, because the absence of the downforce-stalling concept means Renault is having to run less rear wing to keep up with the other cars.

“This could cost us in the corners,” said the Pole.

Team boss Eric Boullier admitted recently it is “very likely” the system will not be seen at a grand prix until after the back-to-back events in Germany and Hungary.

The authoritative Auto Hebdo publication now confirms the news, revealing that Renault’s F-duct will only be ready after the August break.

Fernando Alonso’s track rivals have voted him the best driver currently in formula one.

The finding was published by the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, who provided the anonymous questionnaire to each of the 24 race drivers.

Ayrton Senna was voted the best driver of all time by a large margin, with seven time world Michael Schumacher in second place.

The most aggressive driver is Lewis Hamilton, and the McLaren driver was also tipped by his rivals to fight for the 2010 title against Sebastian Vettel.

Monaco was voted as the most dangerous circuit.

As for the ‘most beautiful woman’ in the paddock, one driver voted for Nico Rosberg, whose Williams mechanics last year nicknamed him ‘Britney’ (Spears).

Most drivers, however, voted for the French reporter Marion Jolles.

Lewis Hamilton crashed his McLaren towards the end of the morning practice session at wet Hockenheim on Friday.

In tricky conditions that also caused many of his rivals to spin or run off the German track, the McLaren driver lost control on the exit of turn three and made sideways contact with the barrier.

“The car is damaged — heavily,” he sheepishly told his team by radio before angrily emerging from the MP4-25, featuring a revised blown exhaust update that McLaren is testing at Hockenheim.

Jenson Button, second in the drivers’ championship behind Hamilton, also radioed the pitwall during the session, complaining about “terrible” rear handling issues.

Shortly afterwards, as a dry line began to emerge, Bruno Senna marked his return to the HRT cockpit by beaching the car in the gravel at the final corner.

Formula one teams have lost the ability to censor pit radio messages during official track sessions.

Recently, the sport’s broadcasting officials gained access to the radio feeds, but the pitwall retained the ability to press a button to censor certain messages.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that, as of this weekend’s Hockenheim event, all radio broadcasts will be eligible to for the worldwide television feed.

A short delay will mean that radio messages containing swearing can be edited.

Australia’s Mark Webber said at Hockenheim that if he had doused his “not bad for a number two” comment with colourful language at Silverstone, “maybe it would never have got run”.

Also joking, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said Webber’s comments had been the biggest lesson of the British grand prix.

“Turn the radio off after the race!” he said.

Mercedes’ Ross Brawn, however, has warned that not allowing some control of the radio messages will lead to teams speaking “in code” about important strategic conversations.

A new approach is also being applied to in-race radio conversations between the FIA and the teams, due to the confusion in the wake of Fernando Alonso’s illegal pass on Robert Kubica at Silverstone.

Where previously, race director Charlie Whiting would make recommendations about the competitor’s actions, an actual decision will now be made within 90 seconds and displayed to the team via the pitwall monitor.

Kubica is quoted by Turun Sanomat: “I would have given the place back without being asked — it is my way of thinking.

“There’s no point taking the risk about what happened,” he added.