Wecome to Bahrain and the first qualifying of the season.

Track temp is 46 C and has been steadily rising throughout the day.

It could be an issue this weekend as the top ten in qualifying will have to use the same tyres at the start of the race and we have already heard a few drivers complaining about tyre wear in the heat.

Big news ahead of the session is that Chandhok will take part in qualifying in the hope of making the grid.

Under the rules he should not be allowed to take part as he hasn't turned a single lap in the three practice sessions this weekend. However, the team is confident it will have his car ready for Q1. Chandhok told the BBC he would be staying out of the way of the front runners and may sit in the garage towards the end of the first session.

The latest news from Toro Rosso and Jaime Alguersuari: "Jaime pays 400 euros for speeding in pit lane this morning. Just 1.2 kmh over limit. Ouch!"

Mike Gascoyne outlines Lotus' plans: "Due to the long lap will be just 2 runs in Q1, both on the softer tyre."

The drivers are now strapped in and ready to go.

Remember all 24 cars will be out in the first 15 minutes - it's going to get very busy.

Then we lose the bottom seven for Q2, before having a top ten shootout in Q3.

The session is underway and it's di Grassi heading out first. His Virgin team-mate Timo Glock joins him.

Alonso is the next man out - he was fastest in final practice and is definitely a contender for pole.

Renault's Vitaly Petrov is also out on the circuit.

Di Grassi is sliding his Virgin around on his first flying lap.

Button and Hamilton are out too among 12 others.

Di Grassi clocks the first time a 2:02.131. Glock immediately goes a second faster.

Alonso pops in a 1:55.972 on hard tyres, that's closer to what we can expect at the front.

Alonso sets a quick first sector but is trumped by Button. Now Hamilton is the fastest through the first sector.

Massa keeps the first sector times in freefall, going even faster. Team-mate Alonso completes his lap - 1:55.482.

Rosberg goes third fastest ahead of the McLarens.

Schumacher's first lap is relatively slow, a 1:56.421.

Hamilton encounters traffic on his way to a 1:55.869 - fourth fastest.

Massa fastest on a 1:55.313. All the front runners are on hard tyres.

Vettel sets the second fastest time with a 1:55.360.

Chandhok way off the pace with a 2:08.424 - no surprises there.

Mark Webber is on his first flying lap. And he goes third fastest on a 1:55.363, just 0.003s slower than Vettel.

Now Webber is going even quicker. The hard tyres appear to be taking a lap to get up to their optimum temp.

Webber just nudges P1, but is immediately bettered by Vettel.1:55.029 for Vettel - 0.2 up on Webber, who made a mistake in sector three.

Petrov on soft tyres but is slower than team-mate Kubica who was on hards. I'd mark that up to the standard of the driver rather than the tyre.

Button has set his fastest time in sector one. And Sutil clocks the fastest time of all through that section.

Button is still losing time through sector two. And goes sixth fastest.

Alonso goes fastest of all on a 1:54.512. Sutil third and is looking very quick.

The six new drivers miss the cut. They were two seconds off the pace of Alguersuari who also drops out in 18th.

Chandhok registers seven laps and was 1.7 seconds off the pace of his team-mate Senna.

Glock was the fastest of the new runners - 0.1s ahead of the Lotus of Trulli. Glock's time - 1:59.728.

Kovalainen failed to break through the 2:00.00 barrier.

Vettel heads out for Q2 on soft tyres. Buemi, Webber, Massa and Alonso join him on track.

Vettel warming those soft tyres down the back straight, preparing for a quick lap.

Vettel quicker than Webber in sector one.

Vettel sets a 1:54.035 the fastest time of the weekend. And quicker than Alonso and Webber.

Sutil just outside the front runners on a 1:54.996.

Vettel not as fast on the second flying lap as the tyres start to drop off. And he goes back to the pits.

Alonso's time was 0.230 off Vettel.

Schumacher can only manage ninth and is over four tenths off Rosberg. Button is also slow on a 1:55.478 and outside the top ten cut.

The Saubers, Petrov and Buemi look set to drop. They haven't been on the pace all weekend.

A bit of a quiet period as the teams prepare for another quick lap on softs.

Schumacher is ready to go, needs to improve to be certain of a place in Q3.

Soft tyres are the standard leaving the pits.

Vettel sets the fastest first sector yet. Sutil is 0.3 seconds off that.

Button locks his tyre into turn one, he needs a quick lap to get out of the drop zone.

Vettel sets the fastest lap a 1:53.883.

Button is looking very rough. Schumacher also looking out of sorts.

Button tenth but could be pipped. Schumacher ninth.

Barrichello, Liuzzi, Hulkenberg, de la Rosa, Buemi, Kobayashi and Petrov drop out. Button is safe.

Kubica and Sutil impress with seventh and eighth respectively.

Just to keep you up to date on times: Vettel 1:53.883; Alonso 1:54.172; Webber 1:54.318; Massa 1:54.331; Rosberg 1:54.682; Hamilton 1:54.707.

Schumacher 1:55.105 and Button 1:55.168.

Next is a ten minute session to decide the top ten. All drivers will have to start the race with full fuel and on the same tyres they use in Q3.

Massa and Alonso first on track in the Ferraris. Both on soft tyres.

Hamilton and Button join the Ferraris.

Red Bull appear to be doing just one lap and are staying in the pits.

Massa fastest through sector three.

Massa sets a 1:55.131, followed by Alonso on a 1:55.072. Alonso faster.

Hamilton well off the pace with a 1:56.828. Needs to get back to the pits for another set of tyres.

Button also off the pace of the Ferraris and abandons his lap.

Massa, Hamilton and Alonso head out for another attempt.

Sutil on the hard tyres starts his lap. He doesn't want to deal with tyre degradation at the start of the race.

Vettel on a quick lap on softs. Faster than the Ferraris. He looks very well hooked up.

He sets a 1:54.101. On pole.

Massa second, Hamilton fourth, Alonso third

Button back in eighth.

Schumacher, seventh, is last across the line, so Vettel takes pole.

Vettel was 0.141 faster than Massa.

Alonso 0.5 off Vettel's very impressive lap time.

Thanks for joining us, a full qualifying report will be availible on the site soon.