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.”

Jun.16 (GMM)  Jacques Villeneuve has admitted he is not yet in talks with any teams about making a return to formula one.

The French Canadian, who came close to driving for the hopeful Serbian outfit Stefan GP this season, said last weekend he will make a final effort to find a seat for 2011.

“I am working on it more than ever, and for that reason I have postponed a participation in the NASCAR circuit,” 1997 world champion Villeneuve, who turns 40 early next year, said in an interview with Austria’s Salzburger Nachrichten.

Stefan GP, however, seems unlikely to be on the grid any time soon, and Renault team boss Eric Boullier said recently that he is not interested in signing Villeneuve.

Asked if there are already “concrete negotiations” with any teams, he answered: “No, nothing concrete, because it’s too early in the season.

“There are some positive contacts.  If the Stefan project had worked out, I would be driving in F1 already this year.”

Villeneuve acknowledged that a place with a top team is not initially likely.

“I have a longer term plan,” he said.  “The most important thing is to get inside, and then you can look around and find the right place.”

Jun.11 (GMM)  Jacques Villeneuve says he will make one final effort and then give up trying to return to formula one.

The 1997 world champion was reportedly high on the list for a Stefan GP seat this season, but the Serbian outfit was not granted an official entry to race the 2010-specification Toyota car.

French Canadian Villeneuve, who last raced in F1 with BMW in 2006, turns 40 early next season, and he told reporters on Thursday that 2011 will be his last-ditch effort to come back.

“I’m quite happy right now being busy raising kids,” he said at a road safety event near Montreal alongside his former title nemesis Michael Schumacher.

“I would obviously be happier behind a wheel.  Once you’ve been a racer, I think you’re a racer all your life.

“I worked hard on (trying to return to F1 for) 2010.  I’m giving myself until 2011.  There’s still a few months,” added Villeneuve.

The assembled reporters laughed after asking Schumacher, who retired in 2006 but returned to F1 full-time with Mercedes this year, if he thinks it is a good idea if Villeneuve also comes back.

“I don’t know what is funny about that,” said the German.

“The point is, as Jacques was saying, we are racers, and we have that in our blood.  So, what you have there, you always keep.”

Villeneuve admits it is a difficult task trying to convince F1 bosses to give him another chance.

“The teams don’t want to take a risk.  There comes a point where you’ve been out for too long and the teams just won’t give you a chance,” he said.