* Engine Change - drops 10 places on the grid

Q1 it was Fernando Alonso the dominant driver, "the four top guns" only needing to put in one fast lap before coming in.  In Q2 it looked as if Fernando would take the honours, but it was Felipe Massa that just snatched it from him.  Q3 and Lewis Hamilton looked on form in his first flying lap, when a wheel nut failure caused a high speed crash. The wheel was improperly secured, caused by a wheel gun failure.  If Hamilton is cleared to race, after at least two hours in the medical centre, he will start from 10th position tomorrow.  This decision could be made as late as tomorrow.  Obviously this put pressure on Lewis´s team mate waiting for the restart in the pits and when the qualifying started again, it only left time for one warm up lap, a tyre change and a flying lap.  Massa took the provisional pole position, and then it looked as if Fernando Alonso would take this from him, but a mistake in the middle sector allowed Kimi Räikkönen to take Pole.  It promises to be an exciting race tomorrow and Fernando Alonso obviously want to be the leading into the first corner and if Lewis does race tomorrow, on GP2 form we are in for some exciting overtaking.

Fernando Alonso needed it and Fernando deserved it, out dueling Felipe Massa during the closing laps of this race held in chaotic climatic conditions when rain fell for a second time this afternoon.Rain was forecast, but there was no sign of it during the warm up lap, the only team electing to run on intermediate was Markus Winkelhock (having his first Grand Prix) in the Spyker Ferrari starting from the pit lane.  The clouds opened half way around the first lap and going into corner one the next time Jenson Button aqua planed off the track, followed by Lewis Hamilton, who had worked his way up to 5th from 10th before being involved in the Heidfeld/Kubica incident giving him a puncture.  He had the sense to keep his motor running and under the regulation of being in a "dangerous position" was allowed to rejoin the race. Adrian Sutil, Nico Rosberg, Scott Speed, and Vitantonio Liuzzi (narrowly missing the tow tractor) where victims of this corner and did not rejoin the race, which after the safely car was called out was "red flagged.  At the restart Markus Winkelhock was to lead and the team gambling on another downpour elected to go out on wets, but his glory ended there as he gradually fell back.  Hamilton, a lap down due to his off under the regulations was allowed to un lap himself and chose to come into the pits a take on dry rubber, a gamble that was not to pay off, but he still managed to work his way up to 9th position by the chequered flag.  During the second part it looked as Kimi Raikkonen, who had messed up his first lap, was capable of catching Fernando Alonso but he gradually dropped away eventually to retire - Kimi´s "Nurburgring Jinx" had struck again, despite bringing his grandmother to the race.  It looked as if Felipe Massa had the race all sown up until the clouds opened again.  McLaren just managed to get Fernando out in front of Fisi´s Renault in the pit lane which caused some comments and thereafter Fernando gave it 100% trying to overtake Felipe again and again, eventually doing it going into turn 5., where he had had his incident in qualifying yesterday, which probably cost him pole position and led to the finish.  The Ferrari and the McLaren touched and neither driver was very pleased at the weigh in, but is was a racing incident as was Ralf Schumacher´s and Nick Heidfeld´s coming together leading the the Toyota driver having to retire.  Fernando Alonso with his end of the race performance stole "Driver of the Day" from Felipe Massa.  This was a World Champion at his best and could be his turning point in the World Championship fight, the points difference between him and Lewis Hamilton just 2 points.