Hello and welcome to qualifying for the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim.

Maldonado nips past Button into the lead, while everyone else piles in in the 1:40s and even the 1:41s - it's not going to get much easier out there... but Alonso and Vettel best Maldonado!

Raikkonen dipped into the 1:15s in Q1 - Button sets the pace with a 1:39.010 in different conditions in Q2.

Button on his timed lap, but loses the car at turn eight. He recovers, but at the cost of some precious time.

Looks like most of the field are trying the Button formula - intermediates immediately.

Lots of frantic tyre changes in the pits - wets are going to be the order of the day - if Button can eke a lap out on inters first he'll be happy, but it's not going to be easy.

Q2 BEGINS! Button's out straight away in what looks like a set of intermediates. Others considering the wets.

RAIN!

How do you see things panning out from here? Tweet me your thoughts and predictions @Mark_Eurosport

Word is (from the Williams garage at least) that there will be some rain before Q2 starts. Whether that comes to pass we'll see - but it will be a game-changer if it does.

Eliminated from Q3: Vergne, Kovalainen, Petrov, Pic, Glock, de la Rosa, Karthikeyan

17TH! Through by a whisker - condemning Jean-Eric Vergne to 18th place. And ahead of Schumacher by just one-thousandth of a second is Romain Grosjean! Strange session, but the big names survive - just.

SESSION OVER - Where's Schumacher....?

Raikkonen, Rosberg, and the McLarens amonst those happy in the pits...

Webber only good enough for 15th! He might need to go around again. Schumacher is now in the drop zone, and needs a big lap.

Perez sweeps up the standings and into second - still no sign of the rain, fortunately for the drivers. Webber on an improved lap.

Grosjean improves - but not by much - into 12th with a 1:16.6 - and I'm not convinced that will be enough. Webber precarious in 17th, but out on track now.

Grosjean runs off the track again! Not sure what's happened to the Lotus, it's looked so good all season long, but he's making it look undriveable at the moment. He's down in 18th.

Interesting - Alonso has decided to go back out on soft tyres, but Schumacher, who's lower down, is on the mediums. Will that be a mistake?

Raikkonen, on mediums, takes the top spot! Much-improved run of 1:15.693.

Hulkenberg flies around the Hockenheim circuit, using soft compounds to give him a boost and settling into second place.

Hamilton, meanwhile, has been told by McLaren that his 1:16.221 should see him safely through to Q2.