Good afternoon and welcome to qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix. The weather is still overcast, the stands are still empty and Red Bull looks like the safest bet for pole.

Vettel was fastest in the morning practice session but we saw Webber and Hamilton flying off the track at turn eight when they were on hot laps. So Istanbul Park is still throwing up surprises and this session might not be as straightforward as Red Bull hope.

Red Bull has also had its fair share of reliability issues this weekend. Webber's engine blew yesterday but that won't be of major concern as it was right at the end of its life anyway. However, Vettel had problems with his car's water pipes yesterday and this morning Webber's throttle disconnected.

Rosberg is another driver to watch this afternoon after he put in a very impressive lap in final practice to go second fastest.

Hamilton says he is happy despite the spin and puts the mistake down to the car bottoming out through turn eight. He confirms that he has since changed his set-up.

At the back of the grid Senna is cautiously optimistic after practice: "Another good session for me personally. Fine tuning what we have...still tricky here on the bumps but I'm pleased with the work so far..."

Pictures from the paddock show Hamilton walking alongside his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger

But most the drivers are getting into their cars now with just a few minutes left before the start of qualifying.

Trcak temperature is up considerably compared to this morning's session so the drivers should have no problem getting their tyres up to temperature for a flying lap. However, both compounds this weekend have taken a couple of laps to deliver their best. Expect three laps on the hards and one or two on the softs before the fastest times are recorded.

The wind could also play its part and Virgin are telling Glock that it is now going the opposite direction to this morning. They now have a slightly stronger tail-wind down the long straight.

The session is under way and its the Virgins and Kovalainen that are out first.

Sutil also heads out, he can expect to be quick here but missed out on the morining practice due to a hydraulic issue. Other news is that he will not be running the Force India F-duct where as team-mate Liuzzi will. That was a decision made entirely by the drivers.

Button, Massa and Alonso are all out on track now.

Sutils sets a 1:30.433 but that will be beaten fairly quickly. Alonso has started his quick lap and is already up on Sutil.

Alonso sets a 1:28.172 but the fastest times should be in the low 1:27s this afternoon.

Button sets a 1:27.780 and Hamilton goes a tad slower with a 1:27.881. The front runners are sticking with the hard tyres in this session so they can save the softs for Q2 and Q3.

All cars except Kovalainen are out on track now.

Rosberg proves his morning form was no fluke with the second fastest time, just shy of Button.

Liuzzi is off the track at one of the chicanes. He dropped it under braking.

Hamilton was on a flyer but got stuck behind the HRT. The tyres are now getting up to temperature.

Vettel sets the third fastest time with a 1:27.685. Button's best is now a 1:27.555. We could have a fight on our hands here.

Rosberg is still turning in fast sector times as the McLarens have returned to the pits.

Webber now fastest on a 1:27.500. But that is put firmly in the shade with Vettel's lap of 1:27.067. That is already faster than the best time he set in qualifying last year on soft tyres.

But the important action is going on at the back of the grid. Liuzzi is currently set to drop out with the bottom six drivers after his mistake. He'll have one more attempt at getting through as long as the car is undamaged.

Senna is currently faster than di Grassi but it's the two Lotuses leading the new teams' battle.

Liuzzi is back out so everybody up to 12th or 13th are now in danger of dropping out. Petrov won't be going out, he sets the fourth fastest time.

Liuzzi's first sector is his best but not that impressive. His middle sector is failry lacklustre too and his time is not quick enough. He's on soft tyres but is still struggling.

Liuzzi slides out of the final corner but is 0.4 seconds shy of making it through to Q2. What a disaster.

Trulli was fastest of the slow cars and only just over three seconds off the front runners. A good perfromance for Lotus.

On-board footage of Senna in turn eight shows Senna struggling to keep his neck straight. He will have a tough time tomorrow.

Q2 is underway, so the question now is who will make up the top ten. Petrov, Sutil and the Williams duo will all be fighting to get up there.

Kubica is starting his hot lap, he is a contender for the top six positions this weekend. His confidence is proven the fact he is out on hard tyres for this session. And he sets a 1:27.487.

Vettel sets a 1:27.188 a tad slower than his Q1 time but he's still getting his tyres up to temp.

Hamilton goes fastest of all with a 1:27.013 on the hard tyres. Webber is just shy on a 1:27.080.

So the McLaren's are capable of matching the Red Bulls at the moment but the question remains whether they can maintain that challenge on soft tyres and the very lowest fuel levels.

Button is fourth but Vettel goes fastest and sets a 1:26.925. He's the first to break into the 1:26s so far.

Massa went out on a hard tyre but could only manage a 1:27.532, good enough for eighth.

Kobayashi puts his name in the mix for the top ten with the ninth fastest time. Both Alonso and Rosberg are outside the top ten so they will be keen to bolt on some softs and make sure of their positions in Q3.

Petrov is really gelling with his car and the track this weekend and has the fifth fastest time ahead of Kubica at the moment. I suspect he was on softs but cannot confirm it.

Schumacher is out on softs now for another attempt, he's seventh at the moment. Good first sector for Schumacher, the fastest yet. But drops 0.33 in the second sector. He's fifth on a 1:27.512.

Massa puts in a 1:27.200 as Alonso makes a big error in the other Ferrari and abandons his lap. The pressure is on now, has he got enough fuel for another attempt?

Webber currently fastest on a 1:26.818

Alonso misses out on Q3, disaster for him. It's hard to tell what went wrong.

Petrov, Kobayashi and Schumacher all look set to go through, no one else will challenge them now.

The Ferraris have had good long run pace this weekend so it could make for an exciting race having Alonso start that far back. A replay shows his initial mistake. He dropped the rear end into the final complex of corners. The tyres were probably past their best for the next lap and Alonso couldn't manage a quick enough time.

That's two mistakes in two races for Alonso after his free practice crash in Monaco.

Sutil just missed out on the top 10 but Force India was happy with his lap: "Adrian will begin tomorrow's race at P11. Just edged out by Schumacher and Kobayashi after a good lap."

Q3 gets underway and Kubica is the first out on the track.

Massa and Vettel head out both on soft tyres now. Webber is the next to leave the pits and we have all 10 cars out on the track.

Hamilton starts his flying lap. The car is sliding underneath him but he has it all in check.

Kubica sets a 1:27.039, Hamilton clocks a 1:25.542 a very impressive lap. Vettel is just shy after a mistake in the final corner.

Webber gets provisional pole by 0.032, it's so close here.

Kobayashi is heading out for the first time in Q3 to get a run at a clear track on the one set of soft tyres he had left.

So it's the calm before the storm as the frontrunners put on a new set of soft tyres and enough fule for one last attempt.

Kobayashi competes his flying lap but it isn't good enough to shift him from tenth.

Webber now on his final lap, can he hold pole? He's up on his time through sector one and full throttle through turn eight.

Vettel is slow and Hamilton is looking very quick, faster than Webber.... Yellow flag on track somewhere as Hamilton is 0.238 off Webber's best.

Vettel and Button give up on their laps after Schumacher spun off at turn eight and caused a yellow flag. Vettel also made a big mistake in turn one on his flying lap and was never in the hunt after that.

Despite that mistake Schumacher beat Rosberg to fifth.

But the headline is that we will have a proper battle tomorrow because Hamilton is splitting the Red Bulls of Webber and Vettel. A brilliant lap by Webber but Hamilton will have the F-duct and straight-line advantage tomorrow.

It should be a great race so make sure you join us for all the action tomorrow. Also, keep checking the site for all the reaction from the drivers this afternoon.