Welcome back to Valencia for the all-important qualifying session for the European Grand Prix.

It looks incredibly tight at the top between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. Robert Kubica in the Renault is also in the mix so we could have a bit of an upset this afternoon. Hamilton and Button looked a little out of sorts in the final practice session and finished 0.7 seconds off Vettel's fastest effort.

Ferrari appear to be very confident and didn't show their hand on the soft tyres in the final practice session. However, it is Alonso rather than Massa who has been on top so far this weekend. The real question is whether Alonso can qualify high enough up the grid, he certainly has the race pace to challenge on Sunday if he is high enough up the order.

The weather is sunny and hot and that doesn't look set to change at any point this weekend. There were a few concerns about tyre wear on Friday, but as the track has rubbered in and the dusty surface has been cleared things have improved. That means we are expecting one-stop strategies on Sunday and, unfortunately, none of the dramas we had in Canada.

Drivers are still milling around the paddock, heading to the garages to get strapped into the car and ready themselves to head out on track in 10 minutes time.

It's a bit of a peculiar track here, with 25 corners, fast sections and slow sections. Most of the run off areas are pretty big but concrete walls rather ominously line the straights.

Ferrari is expecting a close session: "The two F10s are ready for a qualifying session which should be very interesting. There are at least 12 drivers who can pretend to qualify for Q3"

Lotus is enjoying its 500th GP: "Tony Fernandes just arrived from Malaysia, great to have him here for the 500th race celebrations. Also Clive Chapman and family here as well."

The grandstands are packed and it won't surprise you to hear that most of the fans are supporting the No. 8 Ferrari of Fernando Alonso.

Track temperature is up to 43C, which is perfect for qualifying.

The green light is on and its Trulli and the two Virgins that head out first. Kovalainen also heads out, they'll be hoping to get a few clean laps in but cannot expect to make it through to Q2.

Alonso and Button are the first of the big hitters to head out on track.

Trulli is dancing the rear end of the Lotus through the final sector. Impressive stuff but he's over a second off his team-mate.

Senna is on a fast lap and the car actually looks quite well behaved. But he backs off in the final sector and finishes 7 seconds off the pace.

Alonso is out on hard tyres so his times should improve over the next four or five laps. His best so far is a 1:40.285.

Massa is quickest with a 1:39.288. On his second attempt Alonso picks up the pace with a 1:38.736.

The top teams are keen to get some extra running in this session to see how the tyres react to the hotter track temperatures.

Hamilton is now on a fast lap... and goes second fastest 0.2 seconds behind Alonso.

Vettel sets the fastest time with a 1:38.324, he was using the new F-duct all the way through the sweeping curves towards the end of that lap and it appears to be working well.

Kubica is just putting in his first fast lap... and goes fastest with a 1:38.282 - very impressive. That car has a blown diffuser this weekend and a new front wing. Kubica is also on the hard tyres, in case you were wondering.

But the focus in Q1 is on the bottom seven and at the moment its the new cars and de la Rosa in the drop zone.

Schumacher is 14th but is only 0.35 seconds up on de la Rosa and if he doesn't improve on his next run he could be bumped down.

The top 7 cars are back in the pits and don't have to return to the track in Q1 if they don't want to.

Schumacher is out again and needs to improve. He's now down in 16th with de la Rosa on a fast lap. His current lap is not good enough but he should get one more chance.

Schumacher is in big trouble now, in the drop zone and with one more chance.

Schumacher's first sector is good... His second sector is ok too .... And he goes 12th fastest and that will be enough. But it doesn't bode well for making it through to Q3.

Kobayashi is the man who drops out along with the bottom six cars. He missed out on Q2 by 0.2 seconds behind Alguersuari.

At the front, Kubica's best time was nearly 0.2 seconds up on Alonso. A very impressive lap but can he maintain that form into Q2 and Q3.

Q2 gets underway with Massa leading a long string of cars onto the track.

Q2 gets underway with Massa leading a long string of cars onto the track. The drivers will spread out on this lap to make sure they can get a clear run - a banker lap if you like - before deciding whether to make a soft tyre run towards the end of Q2.

Alonso's first lap is 0.1 up on his team-mate Massa. Hamilton is about 0.05 up on both of them.

Barrichello also sets a competitive time as he tries to make it through to Q3.

Alonso's Ferrari looks well balanced on board but he is still a tenth off the two Red Bulls.

Kubica sets the third fastest time on hard tyres - so he is still in the chase.

Alonso gets a massive slide on after clunking the kerb on the exit of turn 5, he keeps it out the wall but is clearly pushing very hard.

Massa is looking quick now but heads straight back to the pits. He set a very fast first sector but decided to abort the lap to return to the tits for a new set of tyres a drop of fuel.

Looking at the drop zone, both Mercedes and Force Indias are outside the top ten which is not where they expected to be.

Button heads out on the soft tyres as does Sutil. Some drivers have reported that there is little between the two compounds over one lap so we might see a few different strategies.

Schumacher and Rosberg are out on the hard tyres in the Mercedes.

We're just waiting for one of the front runners to start a hot lap, they are all out on track because less than 1.5 seconds splits the top 17.

Hamilton and Massa improve to go ahead of Alonso.

Schumacher back in 15th and still struggling as he starts his final lap.

Everybody is very closely matched in the first sector... Rosberg looks set to make it into Q3, Schumacher doesn't.

Schumacher 15th and Rosberg fails to make it through to, he's back in 12th.

Both Williams and Renaults are through, the two Force Indias and Mercedes are out.

Buemi put in a very good lap in the Toro Rosso to secure 11th ahead of Rosberg, Sutil, Liuzzi, Schumacher, de la Rosa and Alguersuari.

At the front the Red Bulls look quick with Massa, Kubica and Alonso all very close. It's still all to play for in Q3.

Hamilton is only just over a tenth off Vettel at the front, so he is also in the chase.

The green light is on for Q3. The two McLarens lead the field out on to the track.

Hamilton is trying to find a gap in the traffic and look after his fresh set of soft tyres.

Alonso is also using soft tyres but just missed the apex through turn two. And then he makes a bit of a mistake in the final sector. And he is 0.3 seconds down on Button with that effort.

Webber goes fastest of all, 0.1 up on Hamilton. But they will have another attempt on new tyres.

Vettel's lap wasn't great and Alonso's was riddled with small errors. They will both hope for more on their second run.

Kubica is behind Petrov, who is putting in a very good performance in the second Renault.

The Ferraris have already left for their second attempts. Webber leaves the pits now along with Hamilton and Button.

Alonso has set the fastest first sector yet... but he is 0.090 down through the second sector ... and it's only good enough for fourth fastest. But I suspect he will have one more attempt.

Vettel is now on the fastest lap we've seen so far today, as Alonso messes up his first sector.

Vettel is on provisional pole but can Webber or Hamilton beat him.

Alonso's time isn't good enough. Hamilton makes an error, it's all down to Webber...

But Vettel holds on to pole by just under a tenth of a second.

So Vettel and Webber lock out the front row for Red Bull ahead of Hamilton and Alonso.

Red Bull's times were very impressive: Vettel - 1:37.587; Webber - 1:37.662; Hamilton - 1:37.969; Alonso 1:38.075.

But Hamilton did make a mistake on his final lap and Alonso has looked very fast over longer runs.

Red Bull has resumed its position at the top of the qualifying timesheets. That's 7 poles from eight races, very impressive. Make sure you join us tomorrow to see if Red Bull can maintain that form in the race tomorrow.