Follow live coverage of qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix with F1i.
The session gets underway at 1500 local time at Shanghai International Circuit, on what we expect to be an initially wet but rapidly drying track after the heavy downpours earlier in the day which pretty much meant that FP3 was largely speaking a wash-out.
Dry running on Friday saw Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in charge of the first practice session, with two red flags for punctures for Williams' Felipe Massa and Renault's Kevin Magnussen. Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel set the pace in a session largely given to long race stints. The rain made Saturday's practice something of an anomaly, with Vettel putting Ferrari back on top of the times followed by Williams' Valtteri Bottas, Force India's Sergio Perez and Toro Rorro's Carlos Sainz.
After a wretched Friday, Haas F1's Esteban Gutierrez recovered from an electrical issue in FP1 and a brake fire in FP2 to set the fifth fastest time in the final practice. Eight drivers didn't set times, seeing the conditions unrepresentative of what they're likely to face in either qualifying or the race itself.
The great news is that today's qualifying ditches the unfortunate 'countdown' elimination format that was trialled in Australia and Bahrain and returns to the 2015 version instead. With the track expected to be wet to start with and then drying quickly during the hour, it could make for a particularly exciting session all round.
Whatever happens, Lewis Hamilton won't be starting on pole because of a five-place grid penalty he's received after having to take a new gearbox following the discovery of damage following the Bahrain GP. That means the highest he can start Sunday's race is sixth place, even if he wins pole later today.
In other news, we're happy to be able to report that Fernando Alonso is back in action this weekend. While he admits that still in some discomfort from the fractured ribs he sustained in that horror crash in Melbourne last month, he describes the pain as 'manageable' and there's little doubt he'll be in action for McLaren today and in the race itself tomorrow. He doesn't need any further medical evaluations but hasbeen told to pull over and stop if he experiences any 'abnormal symptoms' at any point over the weekend.
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