Hello and welcome to live text commentary from qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza!

Marginal improvement for D'Ambrosio, but Kovalainen still has a chance to overhaul him in 17th.

Webber feels the need to keep running and sits in 14th - not sure it makes a huge difference but it does show that there just doesn't appear to be the pace in the car at the moment.

D'Ambrosio up - but only to 17th - he has a 0.6 second lead over Kovalainen, who's out on track.

Button has moved up to third, half a second behind Alonso. Maldonado in eighth. Q1 over for him now - he'll be safe. Now what about the bottom at the foot of the timesheets?

Hulkenberg back in the pits, and looking pretty miserable - his qualifying is over.

Hamilton improves to second, just four-hundredths adrift of Alonso - Q1 starting to look a little like FP3, with these two a cut above.

Most drivers back in the pits now and taking stock - Hamilton and Button carrying on...

Button eighth, but that time should still come down. Vettel up to sixth, but Webber still ambling around in 13th. Hulkenberg's misfortune and D'Ambrosio's struggles in his first race for Lotus currently see Kovalainen in a position to get a Caterham into Q2.

Hamilton slots into third place now, but Alonso has brought his best right down to a 1:24.175 - he is just starting to look like the man to beat.

Lots of decent times from di Resta, who's now set a 1:24.875 - but Rosberg has condemned him to third for now.

Schumacher has a little run out wide, but currently sitting sixth and looking in pretty good shape. The McLarens are yet to post times, but both are out on track now.

Di Resta briefly top before Alonso smashes it with a 1:24.540 - that will do very nicely. Half a second clear of the field, with Massa slotting into third. Vettel and Webber not impressive - 7th and 11th so far.

Rosberg the new leader with a 1:24.209 - ahead of his own team-mate Schumi. Di Resta on the charge, however, as is Alonso.

Problem for Hulkenberg - he clipped a marker there and seems to have stopped on the circuit. That would be a big issue for Force India. He says it's a gear issue over the radio.

The Red Bulls are out on track now, as are the Mercedes and Senna in the Williams. Things beginning to hot up.

Di Resta's 1:25.384 moves into the early lead. A bit more like it. He was third this morning and appears to have a Force India that's dialled in well.

1:26.7 from Ricciardo to get us off and running - that's a couple of seconds down from the FP3 times earlier today, and about three seconds behind Hamilton's Q1 time this time a year ago.

Tyre options for the weekend are hard and medium - expect the front-runners to try and negotiate this session on the hards - that may not be too difficult, as there's not been a huge difference between the two compounds so far.

First our are the Toro Rossos - they've had a car eliminated in Q1 seven times this year - Hamilton, D'Ambrosio and di Resta follow.

Off we go! 20 minutes on the clock, the top 17 drivers will advance to Q2, the slowest seven will be eliminated.

Some housekeeping before we race - Paul di Resta is facing a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox - while for Lotus there's a new driver in action - Jerome D'Ambrosio steps in for Romain Grosjean, who was suspended for his role in the first-lap crash at Spa last weekend.