"Semi Live" Blog Part 2 - Japan Quali

Justin: 1:40am Sunday 10 Oct - QUALI

I remember when I was younger, getting up at 4/5am for the Aussie GP when it was in Adelaide. For this Japanese GP, if you want to see the race live in the UK it's a 7am start.

If you want to be hardcore, or just plain stupid, you get up at 1:30am and wait for quali at 2am, and write this blog and notes down in a pad.

Perhaps because I'm currently redundant I'm more easily able to see this as my passion, being part of the "I Was Having A Blog" team.

Getting up at this time for F1 at Suzuka excites...the anticipation of quali followed by the race easily combats any tiredness...sort of. Plus I may kip on the sofa between the two.

This is almost a live blog as I am writing as I wait for quali to come on and will write notes as and when. I shall post on Monday as usual.

After missing Japan live last year because my esteemed colleague and I were hungover, this year watching the re-run at 1pm just does not cut it.

That's dedication. I'm sat in my prescription sunglasses having left my glasses in a hotel last week.

The Chain comes on and I am now wide awake! There is sunshine in Japan, thank god. Though here is a question....what does happen if quali on a Sunday morning is rained off? How do they get a grid? Championship positions, or order of results from the last race? I expect one of the two.

Lewis has a gearbox change = 5 place grid pnealty hehe. The track is dry with a few wet patches still.

Button goes out early on inter's in Q1.

There is a rumour going round the paddock that Massa will be leaving Ferrari, with Buemi taking over next year. WTF? Eddie Jordan cannot stop talking about it. Apparently sources say that Massa refuses to play second fiddle to Alonso.

Rubens looking fast in Q1, Alonso 9th with 8 minutes to go - bit away from his 4th in practice. Hulkenberg is looking fast too.

4 minutes left in Q1 - Vettel, Hulk, Rubens, Webber, Rosberg, Massa, Alonso, Button, Lewis, Heidfeld.

More laps = the more the times come down as track rubbers in after the rain.

Q1 ends.....Rosberg and Schumi are 3rd and 6th. There was some sort of incident with Schumi and Alonso having a bit of a go at each other on track.

Q2:

The Ferrari's head out first.

Webber heads the time sheets with Button second (and looking very quick) with 7 minutes to go.

The 5 title contenders occupy the top 5 slots - Webber, Button, Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton with 1 minute left.

10th = Schumi with Massa on a final hot lap currently in 11th. Nick Heidfeld suddenly pops a hot lap in to go 10th.....then Schumi does what he used to do easily....gets a final hot lap in to scrape into the top 10 shootout.

This leaves Massa 12th and out! Does he even care though given the rumours flying about? The Ferrari president expects excellent team play from Massa for the rest of the season. To me that says pull your socks up or you're out.

Q3:

Vettel is 4 tenths faster than Webber with 5 minutes to go....a huge gap!

Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Barrichello, Kubica, Rosberg, Michael - 4 minutes to go - all on soft tyres.

JB goes for his first run with 3 minutes to go....on hard tyres!

Good old JB and alternative strategies...he goes 4th!

Vettel to Webber is now just a 0.068 sec gap...tiny....Ham, Kub, Alo, But, Ros, Bar, Hulk, Msc.

That's 8 poles now for Vettel....and one win from those previous 7?

Alonso is 4th, JB 5th as Hamilton drops to 8th.

JB on hard tyres means he should go a lot longer in the race.

Top ten drivers covered by a second!

At 3:25am I can safely say I won't be doing a semi live note taking blog again for a long time.

If it finishes Vettel, Webber, Alonso then Mark pulls further ahead in the title race.