Reigning world champion Jenson Button sits in his McLaren ahead of Saturday's practice session for the European Grand Prix, in which he posts the ninth fastest time through the docks of Valencia in Spain
Button is just quicker than team-mate Lewis Hamilton, here passing a futuristic building near the docks, as the drivers take part in the third and final practice session ahead of Saturday's qualifying shoot-out
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is the fastest man on Saturday morning and is one of the favourites to take pole position, although it is expected to be close as a number of teams have upgrades to their cars this weekend
Jarno Trulli is highly unlikely to mark the 500th appearance of the famous Lotus name with a victory. This season is their first since 1994 and Trulli finishes over four seconds behind Vettel in 19th position on the grid
When qualifying gets under way, Michael Schumacher is clearly struggling and he only makes it out of the first session with his very last lap. He ends up 15th, struggling with tyres and locking brakes, for his worst grid position since his comeback
Renault's Robert Kubica looks in good shape in the second session, just 0.05secs behind pace-setter Vettel, but in qualifying the Pole can manage only sixth on the grid
Hopes had been high that Ferrari's upgrades would put Alonso in the fight for pole, but he manages only fourth fastest while appearing to struggle to put a good lap together
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton looks quick in the dying seconds of qualifying, but a couple of errors on his final lap leave him third on the grid
Mark Webber is the final Red Bull to leave the pits - giving him the final shot at pole position - but the Australian cannot match team-mate Vettel and has to be content with second place, just 0.075secs adrift
Vettel celebrates his team's eighth pole position in nine races - and his first time at the front of the grid since the Chinese Grand Prix back in April
The top three pose for the traditional end-of-session photo - will the winner come from one of them, or can Alonso get in amongst them?
What are these?
E-mail this to a friend 
Bookmark with:
What are these?