Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

McLaren had been 17th and 19th in final practice and expecting the same in qualifying, so 10th in Q1 was a welcome surprise. 

“I did the lap flat out in some corners and not caring too much about risking over the limit and everything went well,” Fernando Alonso said. 

“I said, wow, this lap is good. we should be in Q2. P13 is a big surprise for us. so we need to capitalise and try to bring some points.” 

In case anyone was in any doubt about what the problem was, Alonso helpfully spelt it out. “In the corners we are very good, as fast as anyone else, in the straights we are the slowest by far.” 

Team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne was 0.6secs slower and did not make the cut. Alonso sees a wet race as an opportunity. “If the whole race is in wet still also a lot of the problems we are having will hurt us,” he said. “Wet/dry/wet/dry, multiple changes in the pit stops will be a gamble for everyone, but for us out of the points, it is [a chance] only to win and gain from those conditions."  

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Fernando Alonso absolutely drove the life out of the McLaren in qualifying to secure an impressive 13th on the grid for the days race.

He said on team radio during qualifying that he was driving "like an animal".

When asked what animal he had been referring to in his radio messages, Alonso joked: "All the animals... A big one! An elephant or something!"

Wonder what animal he will be driving like today? Let's hope it is more cheetah than sloth.

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Keep those skills for on the track, Fernando.

One to watch - Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman lines up 16th on the grid after a technical problem meant he failed to get out of the first part of qualifying yesterday.

It's wet, he's got to come through the field - shades of Brazil 2016. If we get a drive half as exciting as that from the Red Bull man, then it's going to be epic.

Image source, Getty Images

Kayleigh: Hoping for a good start from Vet this morn! Points for McLaren would also be amazing.

Sebastian Vettel is also expecting a challenging race.

"I wasn't sure I was in Shanghai [because of the weather] when I stepped outside this morning, it is more like Silverstone," he said.

"We've got the car on the front row, the race will be challenging because of the condition."

Image source, Getty Images

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The drivers are being taken around on a double decker bus for the drivers' parade. It's wet and windy but the fans are in great spirits, roaring loudly as it passes the stands.

"I hope we have a good race for them," says Lewis Hamilton. "There are so many fans here. They always make the event, they have such great energy."

Hamilton didn't get chance to try out the wet weather tyres in pre-season testing, and he added: "Ferrari did wet testing, so they have plenty of experience. I missed the wet day in Barcelona. It will be a challenge and I will be excited by it."

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

The top four on the grid was not only the same as in Melbourne, but it showed the same pattern, too. Lewis Hamilton was a chunk quicker than Sebastian Vettel, who just edged out Valtteri Bottas. And Kimi Raikkonen was again a fair bit off his team-mate. This time, the gap was down to just under 0.3secs, slightly more than half what it was in Australia. But the cause was the same - understeer, which Raikkonen just cannot get on with. 

“We struggled a bit with Turn 3 the whole qualifying - just a little bit still understeering," Raikkonen said. "We gave up way too much lap time there, never really got it back. Disappointed, but feeling-wise it was a lot better.” 

This is Raikkonen’s biggest weakness; his lack of adaptability in such circumstances.  It killed him against Fernando Alonso in 2014, and it’s preventing him challenging at the front now. “When you push harder and harder, when there's an issue, it just highlights it,” he said. "You need [grip at] the front in certain places to go fast, and it's not big, but it's enough to delay you going on power or carrying speed through tight places. It makes enough of a difference to be on the back foot.”

Image source, EPA

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How do you see the top 10 shaping up in the race?

Make your predictions here and post them to #bbcf1, external

BBC Radio 5 live

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The gang is live on BBC Radio 5 live from 06:30 BST. Tune in on BBC Radio 5 live and online.

Hello! Welcome to our coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix.

For the first time in a long, long time I genuinely don't know how this race is going to pan out. 

Lewis Hamilton is on pole with Sebastian Vettel alongside him on the front row but with so little between Mercedes and Ferrari in qualifying it is hard to choose an outright favourite for the race. Add, as Andrew mentions, the element of the unknown regarding the wet tyres, and we could potentially have a classic on our hands.

Bring it on.

Image source, AFP

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

The overnight rain arrived as promised and with it the promise of a wild and unpredictable Chinese Grand Prix. An hour and a half before the race and the track is drying, but it is spitting with rain, and anything could happen. 

Governing body the FIA has taken measures to avoid the problems that prevented practice running in similar wet, cloudy, smoggy conditions, but the drivers and teams face a trip into the unknown, with the potential they will have to use wet tyres on which they have limited experience. 

As Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz has said: “Race day. And it looks like an interesting one."

Image source, EPA

What do you get if you add a dash of Lewis Hamilton ...

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... a sprinkling of Sebastian Vettel...

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... and a bit of the wet stuff...

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Only the recipe for an absolute belter of a race.