Welcome to qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. After three practice sessions it looks as though it will be closely fought between the Red Bulls, McLarens and Ferraris. Don't write off Mercedes either as Rosberg has shown good form in all three sessions this weekend.

The weather is sunny and with the air temperature up to 19 C and the track temp at a healthy 31 C

Ferrari is ready ahead of the session: "Less than 10 minutes before the start of the qualifying session. Everything is ready inside the Ferrari garage."

Williams confirms it won't be running the F-duct it tested in final practice: "Practice was hard work. Only Rubens ran the new bodywork but didn't have enough time running it to be confident with it for quali."

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So the cars are all ready and about to head out on to the track.

The two Lotuses are the first out on track.

The soft tyre is faster here, but there isn't as big a gap between the compounds as expected. Ross Brawn says his drivers will only get one lap with that softer tyre working at its prime before it starts to go off.

The two Ferraris are also out on track early. We are expecting a dry session today with the possibilty of rain tomorrow.

Kovalainen off track at turn six, runing a set of soft tyres. The rear end snapped out as he hit the brakes, almost as if he locked the rear tyres. Kept the car going though and is back on track.

Massa is about to set a competitive time on the hard tyres, a 1:36.997. Not that impressive given the cars were in the 1:35s this morning. Alonso beats him by over a tenth.

Button complains of finding neutral as he tried to change up a gear. The same happened in Friday practice, that is not good for the McLaren driver. And he has to hold on to a big slide in the fast sweeping turn 8

Button goes second fastest two tenths down on Alonso.

Chandhok recovers from a spin on track.

Sutil up to third with a strong lap in the Force India. Hamilton is about to go fastest.

A brilliant lap from Hamilton with a 1:35.641. Alonso also clocks a good lap 0.3 off Hamilton.

Rosberg up to fourth in the Mercedes. Hamilton has reported that his McLaren has also selected a "false neutral", the same problem Button was having. Also the same problem he had in 2007 at the Brazilian Grand Prix when he missed out on the championship.

Webber sets a distinctly unimpressive time in the Red Bull, about 0.5s off Hamilton on the hard tyres. Can Vettel do better? He's starting a hot lap but is wide through turn one.

But Vettel looks very good in the fast sweeping sector two. But his lap time is only good enough for sixth, while Webber gets within 0.3 of Hamilton on his second flying lap.

So have Red Bull had to sacrifice their ride height system (if they ever had one)? Listening to the team this week and some alternative explanations for the fast qualifying pace, it does sound like they weren't running one.

Just 3 minutes left in this session and its the six new team drivers and de la Rosa in the drop zone. Alguersuari is very close to that cut off point too.

Lots of drivers still on track, the Ferraris and Mercedes are lapping on old tyres to get a better understanding of the track.

Alguersuari betters his time, Liuzzi in the drop zone now. Barrichello on the cusp too. It's only a tenth between 13th and 18th, any of them could drop out.

Barrichello improves and the chequered flag comes out for the end of Q1. Liuzzi is out with the new teams as he is back in the pits.

A terrible result for Liuzzi, Force India was aiming for Q3.

Glock in the Virgin is the fastest of the new teams, marginally faster than the Lotuses.

Rosberg set a good time by staying out a little longer, he could be a contender for the front two rows in Q3.

Chandhok says after a nightmare morning with brake problems he is happy to be closer to the rest of the new teams.

The second session is under way

Petrov out on track, he will be desperate to make Q3 after team-mate Kubica has achieved that at every race this year. He's out on the soft tyre and looks good through turn one.

Both Ferraris have headed out on soft tyres. Just waiting for them to start their fast laps as Petrov finishes his.

Hamilton looking very quick as Webber sets a repectable time on the hard tyres. Hamilton faster with a 1:34.928 on the softs.

Schumacher goes sixth faster on softs, but 0.8 off Hamilton's pace. His team-mate Rosberg is quick with a 1:35.134. Hamilton is back in the pits and doesn't really need to head out again after that very impressive lap.

The Red Bulls are still holding back a tad by using hard tyres on both cars. They should still be quick enough to make Q3 though.

More reports of a "false neutral" in the McLaren garage. Button is seventh fastest but looks quick enough to make Q3.

Most the cars are back in the pits but will be back out for another stab at a time to make Q3. Kubica, Sutil and Barrichello look likely to fight it out for a place alongside the Red Bulls, Ferraris, McLarens and Mercedes.

Alguersuari is out on track now, he'll also fancy his chances of making Q3.

Webber and Vettel are back out on track, waiting to see if they are on soft tyres to confirm their place in Q3.

Hulkenberg struggling a bit in 17th, he has bad understeer in that car.

Webber sets a good first sector, 0.3 faster than team-mate Vettel's attempt... Webber goes second fastest on that lap as Hulkenberg loses the rear end wildly through the fial corner.

Vettel can't match Webber at the moment and is still giving away a lot of time in sector one.

Chequered flag out and Barrichello has set a time to get in the top ten but is beaten by Sutil.

Schumacher just gets through in tenth, 0.030 up on Barrichello. Schumacher is 0.6 off the time of his team-mate Rosberg.

So it looks like it's going to be very tight at the front between the McLarens and Red Bulls in Q3.

Liuzzi blames traffic for his Q1 exit and says he needs to talk to his pit wall about his track position during qualifying. His team-mate Sutil finished ninth in Q2, showing that the Force India has plenty of potential with a bit of clear air.

Renault congratulate Petrov despite him being 0.8 off team-mate Kubica: "Vitaly drove really well, he's done a good job today, he is P14. Robert is P8 and through to Q3."

So in ten minutes we'll know who is on pole and more importantly is the Red Bulls are beatable over one lap.

Alonso is the first man out on track.

All the cars are now on track on the softer tyre, getting ready to set a banker lap.

Alonso sets a fast first sector, he'll probably have his engine at full revs for the first time this weekend. Still, he is pipped by Webber and Rosberg.

Alonso clocks a 1:35.065 and backs off for a return to the pits and another run.

Webber can't match him, nor can Rosberg and Schumacher is over a second off the pace.

But Vettel is fastest, about 0.1 up on Alonso. The McLarens are nearly 0.5 off the pace, but we know Hamilton can go faster, he did so in Q2.

Everybody piles back into the pits for a set of fresh and sticky soft tyres straight out the tyre warmers. Hamilton makes a pit lane tyre change suggesting he was fuelled for two runs and considerably heavier than the Red Bulls and Ferraris.

Strange choice by McLaren as everybody else had enough time to go back in the garage to refuel. Hamilton will be the first to set a time on his final attempt. He needs to hope he doesn't get stuck in traffic, with cars on their outlaps.

Hamilton sets his fastest first sector but not the best overall. And he is 0.009 up on Vettel through sector two, now for the long back straight, prep the F-duct... And Hamilton doesn't beat Vettel, 0.06 off Vettel.

Button now second but Webber gets pole.

Alonso up to second now, Button drops to fourth. But Vettel takes pole by 0.248 over Webber.

An incredible lap by Vettel with a 1:34.558. Rosberg also deserves a mention for setting the fourth fastest time ahead of the two McLarens.

Massa a disappointing seventh and his old mate Schumacher was beaten by Kubica and 0.7 off team-mate Rosberg.

So Red Bull look as though they will maintain their dominance despite all the talk of active ride-height control. They are now in a position to dominate the race with only Alonso looking as though he can offer a real threat tomorrow.

Thank you for joining us and make sure you check back for the race tomorrow.