FORMULA 1 Live

- A massive pole position for World Championship leader Hamilton at this Chinese GP. With Kubica in 12th and Massa third, he will have every chance to go on and win the race - unless Kimi beats him into the opening corner again.

0' Kovalainen, fifth as Alonso is in P4, cannot improve or help his team-mate out by finishing on the front row. Raikkonen will start alongside Lewis.

0' Massa bearing down on the finish line - and can only go second row with third!!

0' HAMILTON IN POLE!!! But there are more drivers to come, including Massa...

1' Raikkonen goes into pole as the time runs out...

3' Still no improvement on Kova's time.

6' McLaren man Kovalainen top from Raikkonen, Webber, Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Heidfeld, Vettel, Trulli and Bourdais.

8' Vettel quickest in the early stages.

10' The Q3 shoot-out is underway. Hold on to your hats. Kubica's title chances have taken a battering with that 12th spot.

- The next portion of the grid is set: 11. Nelson Piquet (Renault); 12. Robert Kubica (BMW); 13. Timo Glock (Toyota); 14. Rubens Barrichello (Honda); 15. Nico Rosberg (Williams); 16. David Coulthard (Red Bull).

0' Q2 finishes.

1' Hamilton lays down 1:34.947 to go top of the list.

3' Eurosport blogger Piquet in trouble, looking to get out of the bottom few. Hamilton safe already.

8' Ferrari man Massa at the top of the timesheets with 1:35.135. Piquet, Barrichello - who did well to drag his ill-performing Honda round in a quick time in Q1 - Nico Rosberg, Heidfeld and Kubica in the drop zone.

10' Nothing too quick so far.

13' Q2 has begun, all times reset.

- Q1 over, the drivers at the back of the grid are: 17. Kazuki Nakajima (Williams); 18. Jenson Button (Honda); 19. Adrian Sutil (Force India); 20. Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India).

0' Trulli improves to ensure his safety as Kubica does 1:36.503, enough for 14th - he should be safe.

1' Kubica flying through a much-needed quick lap on open track as the clock ticks down...

2' Hamilton still top, no change in the bottom few. Remember - the times are reset after this Q1, but the bottom five are locked into the final positions on the grid.

4' Nakajima comes in to have the car looked at with four minutes left - he is still in danger. Jarno Trulli, David Coulthard, Barrichello and Kimi Raikkonen on the verge of the bottom zone - in order of danger.

7' Timo Glock drops into that zone after Button set a qucker lap while Barrichello also emerges... Robert Kubica in there now! He is the third man who can win the title.

8' The bottom drivers facing elimination if they do not improve are Rubens Barrichello, who has struggled all weekend, his team-mate Jenson Button, Kazuki Nakajima, Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil.

10' Hamilton in P1 now with 1:35.566 after Felipe Massa, his chief rival for the title going into the penultimate round, held it briefly.

13' Sebastian Vettel goes P1 temporarily with 1:36.318.

14' Timo Glock quickest with 14 minutes to go in the opening section, his 1:37.074 quicker than Nelson Piquet Jr.

18' Q1 begins at the Shanghai International circuit as Lewis looks to exorcise the demons that began his downfall here last year.

- Lewis Hamilton was on fire on Friday in the opening two practice sessions; Nick Heidfeld sprung a surprise in the final run-out, pipping Hamilton.

- Welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE text coverage of qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix.