Welcome back to ESPN's live coverage of the German Grand Prix weekend. The qualifying hour is just 20 minutes away and the big question is whether anybody can beat Sebastian Vettel, who was on cracking form in the final practice session.

Hopefully we'll have a close session with some competition for Vettel from his team-mate Mark Webber, who has taken the last two pole positions at this circuit, and Nico Rosberg, who was the most competitive Mercedes in practice.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, was really struggling FP3. He made several big setup changes but was still 1.227s off the pace at the end of the session. He was really struggling with oversteer and hasn't been happy since FP1.

Alonso is in the running for a top four slot on the grid, which will put him in contention during the race. But he'll have to fend off Raikkonen and Grosjean, who also look capable of making the second row. If the Ferraris and Lotuses want a shot at winning they really need to be on the front two rows this weekend. It's going to be tough.

In the midfield the aim is to make Q3. The McLaren boys seem happier this weekend and both drivers will be happy with a top ten grid position. Force India and Toro Rosso are also in the mix but don't look as competitive as they were last weekend.

It's a beautiful day in the Eifel mountains today. The sun is out the track temperature is high and there's no threat of rain for the next hour.

Track temperature is now up at 42C, which is as high as we see it at some of the hottest places on the calendar. Air temp is 24C, which is very unusual for the Nurburgring.

Vettel is preparing for the start of the session in the Red Bull garage. He reaches for a pair of headphones rather than his helmet though, which suggests he is not going to head out early in this session. I wonder what music he pumps through them ahead of qualifying...

The session is underway and Paul di Resta is the first man on track. Four new medium tyres on his Force India and an empty track to play with.

Bianchi heads straight out on the softs. He had an upset stomach yesterday and had to pull out of FP2, but is braving the circuit today.

Di Resta has to take two turns to get close to the apex in turn one on his opening lap. Clearly he's not happy with the start to the lap because he's now backed off. Either that or Force India are just trying a few things out at the start of this session.

Time to see if it is worth to do an attempt on Medium tyres or go straight with the Softs.

— Scuderia Ferrari (@InsideFerrari) July 6, 2013

Bianchi is the first to set a proper time with a 1:34.056 but I can't see him getting close to a place in Q2.

The Williamses are keen to make Q2 and have gone straight out on softs to try to make that happen.

Maldonado made a mistake at the turn eight hairpin, locking up and running wide. He was not happy after final practice.

The two Mercedes head out on medium tyres.

James has a couple of questions: "Hi Guys - what a blast of a race this is going to be... Do you expect any more explosive tire action? Do expect Honda to bring along a Japanese F1 driver when they start supplying engines again next year?"

The tyres have been holding up well so far so I would say the chances are very low of a blowout. Any issues will be coincidental. As for a Japanese driver, I can't see McLaren putting a low-rate driver in one of their cars. Kobayashi is the only man in the frame but I don't think McLaren will swap him for Perez, who is likely to bring more Mexican money next year anyway. Don't forget Button is very popular in Japan so I think Honda will be happy with them. If they supply a second team they might try to get a Japanese driver in.

Ricciardo is now fastest on the softs with a 1:31.081 ahead of Rosberg on a 1:31.322 with medium tyres. All the drivers might have to use a set of softs in this session to make sure they are safe.

Hamilton goes second fastest with a 1:31.131. That's a promising sign after his difficulties in practice.

The Ferraris head out on softs straight away and Alonso is going for three timed laps.

Webber and Vettel are out on mediums.

Tom says: "It would be fitting that since a German won the English GP, that an Englishman should win the German GP. Go Hamilton."

Alonso is struggling with understeer in the fast corners, maybe he needs a couple of laps to get the front tyres up to temperature.

Alonso sets a 1:30.709, which is not brilliant but does put him fastest at this stage. Raikkonen is on a quicker lap behind.

Raikkonen goes fastest with a 1:30.676, which isn't spectacular either compared to the pace set in FP3, but it does put him fastest.

Lotus is satisfied Raikkonen's lap will get him into Q2.

Vettel is seventh fastest, Webber ninth at the moment with 1:31.2 and 1:31.4. They were set on mediums so both might feel the need to run again on softs.

Sutil improves to a 1:31.320 to go ninth. Not a bad lap and it gets him out of the danger zone for now.

Perez is currently at risk of going out but is on a faster lap on soft tyres.

Perez stays 18th, not good. Maldonado is also under threat and in a battle with his team-mate Bottas to make Q2. Perez will get another shot at it but is on two-lap old softs now.

Gutierrez is also at risk of dropping out. It all depends on Perez's lap.

Perez improves and should be safe.

Bottas is out and Maldonado drops out too behind him.

Another bad show from Williams with both cars dropping out with the bottom four in Q1.

It was tight though, Bottas missed out by 0.012s. He also made a mistake on his final hot lap. Webber only made it through by a couple of tenths.

That's probably the last we've seen of the medium tyres in this session, unless a few drivers go out on a used set at the start of Q2. The teams will now save those for the race and will need softs to make Q3.

Hiteshwar asks: "Force India's are looking really slow at the moment. Any reasons you know off for their declined pace? Could it be the Kevlar Belted Tyres?"

They certainly aren't as competitive here as they were in Silverstone. The new rear tyres could be partly to blame - Force India was one of the teams that really did not want to change the tyres before the blowouts. But you also have to factor in circuit characteristics and updates this weekend among the teams.

Vergne leaves the pits as the pit lane light goes green. Di Resta follows him out - soft tyres on that Force India to start the session.

Soft tyres all round now as Hulkenberg heads out.

Vergne clocks a 1:31.285, an improvement on Q1 but that's unlikely to be good enough for Q3. The Ferraris and the Mercedes head out on soft tyres.

Raikkonen is on a decent lap.

Raikkonen sets a 1:30.575, which is 0.1s quicker than his time in Q1.

Rosberg runs wide in turn one and aborts the lap. Not a great start to his first run on softs in qualifying.

Hamilton fastest with a 1:30.152. A respectable time, but Vettel was in the 1:29s in FP3.

Alonso can only manage third fastest and is a tenth off Raikkonen. It looks like the Lotus has the upper hand in that battle.

Rosberg second fastest, 0.17 off Hamilton. Red Bull are going to have one run in this session with both cars still in the pits.

Button moves up to tenth but needs to improve to make Q3. Hulkenberg is looking quite handy this weekend and is ninth, but he will also need to improve to make Q3.

Perez's McLaren doesn't look very settled anywhere on that lap and he sets a 1:32.074. Nowhere near good enough for Q3, he may well find himself 16th today.

Work on the back of Sutils car ahead of his final attempt in Q2. Looks like it was the rear suspension they were looking at. He needs to improve for a place in Q3.

Vettel and Webber are on their hot laps on soft tyres.

Vettel fastest with a 1:29.992. Webber third fastest with a 1:30.217, he lost time in the first sector with a sideways moment and more time in the final sector.

Impressive lap from Grosjean with a 1:30.005, just 0.012s off Vettel. A fantastic lap that's come from nowhere for Lotus. We have a new contender for pole position by the looks of it.

Alonso also lays down the gauntlet with his second attempt in Q2. He sets a 1:29.962 to go fastest.

Perez finally finds a chunk of time to go eighth fastest. Raikkonen has started a new lap to make sure he gets through - he's currently tenth.

Ricciardo, Hulkenberg and Button all improve and get into the top ten for the moment,

Perez is out, so is Sutil and di Resta.

Raikkonen goes second fastest and knocks Rosberg out of the top ten.

Huge news there. Mercedes thought Rosberg he was safe but the track really ramped up and he has been knocked out in Q2.

Rosberg should have been a contender for pole position, but he was beaten by Ricciardo, Hulkenberg and Button. Huge error for Mercedes.

Di Resta, Perez, Gutierrez, Sutil and Vergne all dropped out with Rosberg in Q2.

Hiteshwar, a Force India fan, is not happy: "It would be really too bad if its for the tyres, that force india have lost their pace. they are looking slowest of the whole season at this race. Its really unfair to change rules in between season and that to, something so big as tyres. This is really not fair. Even the mercedes penalty was not fair. F1 is really a political ground more than racing ground. FIA is not fair at all. Moreover, Teams should be blame for tyre failures and not pirelli's as they ran the tyres wrong way. Well, lets see what VJM 06 comes out with after the mid season break. Its really not fair still, to change major things in between season. Last year it was the diffusers this year its the tyres. F1 is turning out tobe a joke now !!"

The response, no doubt, would be that safety comes first.

Q3 is underway. Alonso, Massa and Ricciardo head out.

Tony says: "I am not to sure but I don't think you even mentioned Massa."

Yes, well done Massa for topping Q2. I was a little more focused on Rosberg dropping out in Q2 - that was the big news from that session.

Button and Hulkenberg are the only two remaining in the pits at the start of this session.

Rosberg says it was an error by Mercedes and is hopeful the degradation is not too bad here and will allow him to move forward from 11th tomorrow.

Vettel sets a 1:29.622, Raikkonen can only manage a 1:29.970.

Webber is third with a 1:30.083.

Hamilton shows the pace of the Mercedes with a 1:29.540. Great lap. Vettel and Hamilton will go again, though.

Alonso and Massa didn't set times in that session.

The tyre blankets come off and Vettel heads out. Webber goes out with lower rear tyre pressures this time.

Alonso is on the medium compound tyres and will start the race on those tyres if he clocks a time. That's the white flag from Ferrari saying they can't compete with the Red Bulls and Mercedes.

Massa has also gone out on mediums, Button too.

Meanwhile, Vettel is 0.1s off in the first sector on soft tyres.

Vettel is 0.035s up on Hamilton in the second sector.

Vettel goes fastest with a 1:29.501. Hamilton is on a fast lap behind him.

Webber is also on a fast lap... but he can only take third.

Hamilton retakes the pole position with a 1:29.398. Great lap to beat the Red Bulls.

Raikkonen secured fourth, which is not bad considering Lotus' race pace. Grosjean is fifth ahead of Ricciardo. Massa beat Alonso on the mediums to seventh. Button and Hulkenberg opted not to set times in order to save tyres.

But the big question is what Rosberg could have done if he had made Q3. If he had made it through surely we could have been looking at an all Mercedes front row in Germany.

But the big question is what Rosberg could have done if he had made Q3. If he had made it through surely we could have been looking at an all Mercedes front row in Germany.

Hamilton slaps the monocoque of his car as he gets out and heads for the weigh scales. That's his second pole position in a row and he will be looking to make up for the disappointment of Silverstone tomorrow.

Thanks for joining us today. You'd have to say Vettel is still the favourite for victory tomorrow, but we have an interesting grid for the start of the race. Lotus are well placed and Ferrari will be hoping they can pull off a super quick strategy starting on medium compound tyres.