Welcome (or if you were with us in FP3 welcome back) to ESPNF1's live coverage of qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, and it's set to be a belter...

In final practice it was Vettel who was quickest, but we've had a few surprises at the top with Maldonado and Kobayashi completing the top three. As the report shows, you can't count out McLaren and Lotus though

A bit of news for you since the final session as well: Hamilton and Schumacher were called before the stewards - Hamilton for blocking between turns 10 and 15 and Schumacher for the way he rejoined after turn 15. We didn't see the incidents live but footage has since shown Schumacher rejoining after skipping the chicane and blocking Hamilton. However, the stewards have just confirmed there will be no further action.

© Sutton Images

I say no further action in those incidents, Laurence in the paddock can confirm that Schumacher was reprimanded for leaving the track at turn 13 "for no good reason"

It might surprise you to learn that neither Hamilton nor Vettel have ever start from pole position here. Schumacher, Webber, Raikkonen, Alonso, Massa and Button have though

So who's brave enough to try to predict the front row? I'm tipping Hamilton, but then hedging my bets to say Button and Vettel are the most likely to challenge him. Send in your predictions (and comments or questions) to us here using the link above or via Twitter @ESPNF1

Anmol has had a very bold prediction: "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say a Ferrari would be on P1…my mind says Alonso, but I secretly hope Massa surprises us all!"

Laurence's prediction is for Vettel to be on pole. He may have an unfair advantage though as he's been gathering opinion in the paddock and media centre

We've been talking about tyre temperatures a lot this weekend and qualifying also sees a hot track. 41C track temperature at present and could well rise throughout the session

Another prediction for a Ferrari pole - Paolo on email backs Alonso

The wind speed has picked up now too - it's at 2.7mps - and for anyone following us during FP3 you'll know that adds another challenge. With such a long main straight a strong wind that changes direction makes it tough to pick gear ratios

Nael emails in to say: "Lotus or Mercedes surprise is what I expect…"

The pit lane light goes green and nobody leaves the pits. Traffic was a real problem during final practice so it could well be again in this first 20 minute session

Still waiting for a car...

Game of i-spy anyone?!

I'm slightly surprised Grosjean isn't out there. He didn't set a time in FP3 due to a fuel pressure problem that caused him to stop on track. He is in his car and ready to qualifying though

The issue is everyone wants to look after their tyres, but I can hear something...

And it's di Resta out on track! Quickly followed by Grosjean as I mentioned, and then Raikkonen

Minos did email in to play i-spy, but unfortunately with the font I can't tell if it's an I or an L! Never mind, we have cars on track now, with di Resta starting his flying lap on the hard tyre

Our first non-Ferrari prediction from Jean-Francois: "I predict Red Bull 1-2 with Webber on pole"

Di Resta does a 1:25.675, but that's beaten by Grosjean on a 1:25.025

Alonso now fastest on a 1:24.326, half a second ahead of Rosberg

Raikkonen goes third on a 1:24.580

Hamilton fastest now with a 1:24.143 on the hard tyres. No sign of softs yet

The wind has now become a tail wind in to the high-speed turn nine, so that will be tricky

Perez and di Resta both run wide at turn three, the wind affecting that corner too

Neither Webber nor Vettel has left the pits yet

With the lack of Red Bull running so far he drop zone is currently Pic, Glock, de la Rosa, Karthikeyan, Maldonado, Vettel and Webber

Soft tyres on Glock's car but he pits. Hamilton's improved to a 1:23.989

Maldonado is on the softs and he's gone fastest with a 1:23.380. Vettel is coming out on the softs too

That lap will start the domino effect and force everyone's hand

Button's team radio: "Still massive understeer. The rear end still isn't completely stable but understeer is my biggest problem"

Webber also out on soft tyres

Out comes Alonso on the soft

Karthikeyan had a big moment earlier exiting the final corner and it's hurt him. He's well off the pace and outside 107%

It looks like some of the teams are happy to run on the harder tyre tomorrow, so as a result they're using the softs early

Vettel goes second but he's 0.6 slower than Maldonado

Raikkonen on softs goes second on a 1:23.406

Webber now third, 0.2s slower than Maldonado

All of these times are being set on the soft tyre now

Di Resta goes fourth

Grosjean goes fastest on a 1:23.248 and Alonso now second

Ricciardo is in the drop zone at the moment alongside the two Caterhams, Marussia's and HRTs

Lots of movement at the top, Ricciardo goes 12th to move away from the drop zone and leave his team-mate Vergne in 18th place

Vergne improves to 17th place, knocking Senna down

Senna lost time by locking up in to turn ten earlier so he needs to improve on his final run if the tyres will hold on

Hamilton goes quickest on a set of softs with a 1:22.583

Perez is 16th and pits because Vergne is below him and not improving

Senna a tenth outside after sector two...

Senna's dropped it in turn 12 pushing too hard and he'd in the gravel

Senna took too much kerb in turn 12 and unsettled the car, running wide and spinning in to the gravel

That's stopped anyone else improving too, but Senna was the man who was dropping out anyway. Petrov outqualifies Kovalainen in 19th and 20th and Pic beats Glock directly behind. Karthikeyan unable to set a time within 107% after his lack of running yesterday but he managed to do so this morning

Ahmad asks: "Why is everyone on softs at this moment? Still too early no? Was schumi on softs too?"

He was indeed Ahmad, everyone was. The difference between compounds is about a second here - maybe more - so anyone in trouble was always going to put on soft tyres to get up the grid, and as a result all of the other drivers had to react as a knock-on effect

Tom likes the way that works too, emailing in: "Wish they had a 2 compound gap in tyres every race!"

Q2 is underway, just 15 minutes to get in to the top ten shootout

Minos thinks Grosjean's lack of running in practice this morning will hurt him in Q3:

"I'm sure that Grosjean will take a position on the top three for the 2nd knockout session but he will join himself in 6th to 8th place on the grid."

No movement out of the garages so far

Kobayashi heads out first, on soft tyres too

We've also got Alonso, Rosberg, di Resta, Button, Hulkenberg, Schumacher and Perez out there

I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb and say we'll see a shock with who drops out in this session...

The best time of Q1 was a 1:22.583 from Hamilton so we'll see if anyone beats that

First lap is a 1:24.031 from Kobayashi after locking up in to turn ten

Perez now fastest on a 1:23.753

Rosberg clatters the kerb in the chicane but goes temporarily quickest

I saw temporarily because Hamilton has just blown the field away with his lap. A 1:22.465 and after everyone else crosses the line he's half a second faster than Webber in second

Button still complains about the rear tyres under braking on the radio

We haven't seen either Lotus or Toro Rosso out on track yet, but Raikkonen and Vergne have just gone out

You'd think Hamilton is safe, maybe Webber too, but the rest will have to run again

Hamilton's out of his car. He's sure that he's through

Current drop zone is Hulkenberg, Massa, di Resta and then the Lotus and two Toro Rosso cars that are yet to set a time

Raikkonen just starting his lap now

Grosjean does the fastest first sector, Hamilton was mighty in the latter two though

Raikkonen 0.2s down through sector two, Grosjean matching the McLaren

Kimi goes second...

Grosjean then goes just 0.2s slower than Hamilton in to second place. Raikkonen is another 0.2s back

Second runs going on by everyone except Hamilton and Webber

Vergne has gone fifth on a 1:23.265 and pitted. Ricciardo is eighth after his only run

Massa wrestles the Ferrari up to tenth place. He's unlikely to be safe there

Alonso goes fourth and Massa is now outside the top ten

Di Resta is up to 6th and Vettel down in 11th

Schumacher also outside the top ten and only just starting his only lap

Vettel can't afford any mistakes...

Vettel goes fifth, just ahead of Webber

Kobayashi is flying

Hulkenberg goes eighth and then Button seventh

Kobayashi in to the top ten, and Perez is flying too

Rosberg and Schumacher not through at present and Webber now down to tenth...

Webber is out as Schumacher goes through

Maldonado pulls out an immense lap to go fastest!

Button and Webber are both out, while Massa starts 17th

I told you there would be shocks!

Knocked out are: Button, Webber, di Resta, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Ricciardo and Massa

I am genuinely stunned that Maldonado pulled that lap time out

Kobayashi has parked his car on the outside of turn three and is walking away from it so won't take part in Q3 - he was ninth quickest

Schumacher made it through in tenth by 0.040s

Button tells the press in the media pen that he was struggling with a very different balance today compared to yesterday. He also expects Hamilton to take pole "easily" because he has new soft tyres still available

Kaleem emails in his prediction now: "I am hoping for the pole position for Grosjean as he has the potential to achieved it."

So we will have a top nine shootout as there will be no Kobayashi

Vettel waiting at the end of the pit lane for the green light, all on his own

Vettel is straight out on track, and I think that's because the track temperature is dropping a touch

We've got a bit of cloud cover and getting a lap in when the track is at its hottest could be Vettel's thinking

Hamilton joins Vettel on track

Vettel is cruising round. These are just logging sectors so he may not be setting a lap time

Just completing some sectors will put him ahead of Kobayashi and at least ninth

And Vettel pits. That looks like an admission that Red Bull can't take pole

Hamilton on a flying lap as Schumacher joins him on track

Hamilton does a 1:22.560 for provisional pole

That lap is 0.1s slower than his best in Q2, but how many more people will challenge it? Only the two Mercedes out there for now and Schumacher pits after completing sectors on hard tyres

I may have to retract my Vettel statement. He's still in the car and new soft tyres going on

Rosberg starts a flying lap on soft tyres. He's got the track to himself

Rosberg 0.028s down in sector one

And he's 0.284s down after sector two

Alonso heads out on soft tyres too

Rosberg goes second on a 1:23.005

Raikkonen heads out on track too. He's on new softs. Now being joined by Maldonado and Perez

Cars all going out now. Hamilton on a new set of softs as is Maldonado who has a genuine shot at pole here

Vettel back on track. Everyone is on soft tyres, only Schumacher staying in the pits

Alonso starts his flying lap

Alonso is 0.088s up in sector one...

Raikkonen fastest first sector. Comfortably quicker than Hamilton

Alonso fastest middle sector

Kimi still up too

Alonso goes first on a 1:22.302

Raikkonen with a poor final sector and he's second on a 1:22.487

Perez goes third

Grosjean second

Maldonado goes fastest! Hamilton is flying though...

Hamilton blitzes the rest of the field with a 1:22.707

Vettel pits, so Hamilton is on pole position

What a session! Hamilton on pole from Maldonado, Alonso and Grosjean!

Hamilton has just stopped before turn nine when trying to get back to the pits...

The Spanish crowd are loving that, because he's still not their most popular man

So the top ten is Hamilton, Maldonado, Alonso, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Perez, Rosberg, Vettel, Schumacher and Kobayashi

So, who predicted that?! OK Hamilton was hardly going out on a limb, but the two cars behind him were very unexpected. That's Hamilton's 22nd pole position, just two behind Nelson Piquet now

Martin Whitmarsh does admit that he doesn't know why the car stopped though and that it was a technical problem. He says it is "a bit of a worry" but is happy with pole

Phew, my head hurts. What a session, and what a grid we will have for tomorrow's race. Hamilton looks well placed but Williams has shown good pace as his Lotus - both cars in fourth and fifth could be a real threat. Can Alonso pull something out in front of his own fans in third? And don't forget the likes of Vettel, Schumacher, Button and Webber coming through from further back. I can't wait for tomorrow, but we'll get all of the fallout for you on ESPNF1.com this afternoon and Laurence will keep you up to date with events in the paddock on Twitter @ESPNF1. Thanks for all your comments!