1355: I think that's pretty much it from us here. Let me quickly point you in the direction of Sarah Holt's trackside report, a video clip of Sebastian Vettel pole lap from his on-board camera and the top three drivers' press conference. Keep across bbc.co.uk/f1 for any news and reaction that emerges from Istanbul Park - and I'll see you back here for the race on Sunday. The lights go out at 1300 BST but I'll be in position from 1130 to get you in the mood for what's sure to be another fascinating Grand Prix. Bye for now!

1345: Contrasting emotions for ' Michael Schumacher and Paul di Resta. Schumacher produces his best qualifying performance of the year for Mercedes but it's only good enough to see him take eighth place on the grid and he says: "I'm definitely not happy with that. The more I pushed the more thing went wrong and by the end there was no grip left." Di Resta , meanwhile, is enjoying a superb debut season in Formula 1 - and a respectable 13th place on the grid is his reward for another strong display in qualifying. "I think we can be happy with that," stated the Briton. "We have come in without the upgrades other teams have and we have limited the our performances with the use of tyres. We are on the good side of the track tomorrow and we'll see how that goes and see if we can pick up some points tomorrow."

1333: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton will start from fourth on Sunday and he was another driver looking to take the positives from qualifying. "It's not pole position but it's better than nothing," said the 2008 world champion. "We're starting on the dirty side, but we're in the fight. We don't have an extra set, we went out, whether that was right or not I don't know. We're not far away but now you see the Mercedes have picked up their pace and also the Ferraris have. I'm looking forward to a strong race. It's a long one here but there are chances to overtake and it should be good."

1328:Fernando Alonso has now qualified in fifth for all five races this season and he tells us: "It was OK. Obviously we were still far away from pole position - 0.8secs - but in China we were 1.4secs so we made a step forward but we need to keep working and be closer in Spain. In the race in Malaysia we were close (to the podium), and in China Felipe was close, maybe in Turkey it will be Ferrari's turn."

1324: Terrific showing from Mercedes, who pick up their pace as Nico Rosberg qualifies in the top three for the first time this season. Team principal Ross Brawn tells BBC Sport: "It's an interesting business, F1, because we haven't made any dramatic changes to the car, we've just got it working properly. Hopefully we can bring some things to improve its performance now."

Nico Rosberg, third on the grid: "It's really great to see. I'm very happy for all of us. I think we have done really well to come back from a difficult start to where we want to be. Today went ve well and we even saved a set of options for tomorrow."

Mark Webber, second on the grid: "I would like to gave had a couple more tenths to have the margin. But we spoke about it and it's going to be a long race and you need all the help you can get. I was happy with today."

Sebastian Vettel, pole position: "First of all apologies to the team and mechanics. I damaged the car pretty much yesterday so we missed a session in the afternoon, but they fixed it for today, and we did a very good job. We were there from the beginning and I am very happy. I like the track, which helps and it was nice to see that after not many laps I was able to find the rhythm. Both Mark and myself decided to skip the second run, and it is a strange feeling because the others are on track and there is nothing you can do."

Daily Telegraph F1 correspondent Tom Cary on Twitter: "Red Bull walk qualifying and save tyres in process. McLaren waste a set of softs."

Red Bull Racing on Twitter: "Seb takes pole (in a car they had to re-build yesterday) and Mark's in P2. Very nice work gentlemen."

Ferrari on Twitter: "Fernando finished 5th, Felipe 10th without timed lap: they were not improving their lap time so they saved the tyres. Not too bad all considered, Fernando did a great performance."

Force India on Twitter: "Great job by everyone in the team to get our boys in P11 and P12 on the grid. Well placed to challenge for points tomorrow."

Press Association F1 correspondent Ian Parkes on Twitter: "Five poles in a a row for Vettel. The first time since Alonso in 2006. Senna's record of eight 22 years ago now under threat."

1311: Red Bull team principal Christian Horner tells BBC Two that Vettel did a "great job", highlighting the way he managed to bounce from Friday's crash with another stunning performance in qualifying.

1310: So, Vettel claims the 19th pole position of his career, his fourth out of a possible four this season and a seventh in the last eight grands prix. He finishes four tenths quicker than Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber in second, with Mercedes' Nico Rosberg third, Lewis Hamilton of McLaren fourth, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso fifth and Hamilton's team-mate Jenson Button sixth. Michael Schumacher (eighth) will be bitterly disappointed to be out-qualified by team-mate Rosberg once again but he's split the Renaults of Vitaly Petrov (seventh) and Nick Heidfeld (ninth), with Felipe Massa of Ferrari completing the top-10 on the grid.

1300: Wow - Rosberg shoots up to third. Mercedes on the march. Can Schumacher match his team-mate... NO! The seven-time world champion can only manage sixth-fastest.

1258: Yes he does... we've just seen pictures of Vettel jumping out of his cockpit. Can't see anyone beating his time to be fair. That 1:25.049 was lightning.

1257: Out comes Fernando Alonso. Massa, Schumacher, Heidfeld and Rosberg are already on the track. Now Hamilton emerges. But no sign of Vettel - does he think he's got it in the bag?

1255: Low fuel loads, soft tyres, quick times. Button goes fastest with a 1:25.982 but is immediately trumped by Alonso (1:25.851). Then comes Webber (1:25.454) and here's Vettel... 1:25.049. The world champion goes top of the timesheets with just five minutes remaining. Into the pits they all go. Who's up for a second run?

Renault on Twitter: "Vitaly's going for it."

1250: Now then, this is where it gets interesting. Ten drivers slugging it out for 10 minutes with one aim - pole position. Vettel to maintain his 100% record this season? We'll find out shortly.

Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen: "We are on the right track, we have to keep pushing and hopefully the Barcelona upgrade is delivering a relative gain."

Renault on Twitter: "We knew Red Bull and McLaren would be quick. Let's now see what the order behind is. Q3 time!"

1245: We bid farewell to Rubens Barrichello, Adrian Sutil, Paul Di Resta, Pastor Maldonado, Sergio Perez, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari. All that's left for us now is... THE TOP-10 SHOOT-OUT. Brace yourselves.

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson: "Are we seeing the beginnings of Ferrari's comeback here? It's very striking that only five men felt confident enough in their pace that they could use only one set of tyres in second qualifying and still make it into the top-10 shoot-out. That's the two Red Bulls, both McLarens and, wait for it, Fernando Alonso. That's a huge leap from China, when Alonso still felt the need to run soft tyres in Q1. Ferrari, or at least Alonso, seem to have made a significant step."

1242: Massa sneaks into seventh late doors with a desperate dash as Heidfeld snatches 10th to knock Barrichello out of contention. Thrilling stuff.

1240: Vettel, Hamilton, Webber, Alonso and Button feel confident enough to remain in the pits and save their tyres. It would appear to me that Ferrari may just have turned the corner. Big news.

1238: A period of relative hush is broken by the engine of Vitaly Petrov, who soars up to sixth with a 1:26.654. Schumacher on track now... will he do it? YES. Fourth fastest with a 1:26.121.

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson: "It's fair that Kobayashi is allowed to race despite not setting a time because he has proved throughout the weekend that he is quick enough to be in the race. The rule isn't there to punish fast drivers in fast teams who have problems, it's there to prevent cars that are too slow from being in the race and messing it up for the others. That's why the relevant rule, article 36.3 of the sporting regulations, says this: 'Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.'"

Dean, Chelmsford, via text on 81111: "How is it fair that Kobayashi can start last without setting a time but a car outside 107% wouldn't be allowed to race?"

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Nico Rosberg could be one to watch in Q3. Mercedes are looking much more in the game and have just posted a 32.2-second first sector which is the same as the Red Bulls."

1235: Vettel goes quickest with a 1:25.610. Hamilton, Webber, Alonso, Button and Massa make up the top six. Rosberg, Perez, Buemi and Barrichello are also in position to make the cut. But there's plenty of work to do for Schumacher, Petrov, Maldonado, Alguersuari, Sutil, Heidfeld and Di Resta.

Marcin_P1 on Twitter: "Kobayashi starting from the back of the grid - shame for him but it's gonna be one hell of a race to watch! Can't wait."
I'm sensing a lot of love for Kamui. One of the kings of overtaking, he's probably relishing that challenge that lies ahead in Sunday's race.

1228: So to the second part of qualifying (Q2) - a 15-minute stint after which we lose another seven men. Schumacher the first man out. Getting tense now.

Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi: "The engine just stopped. We don't know the problem exactly, we are investigating, but it is just really bad luck."

1220: Massa tops the charts with a 1:27.013, with Vettel, Webber and Hamilton completing the top five. We lose Kobayashi, Karthikeyan, Glock, Liuzzi, D'Ambrosio, Trulli and Kovalainen. Quite staggering to see Hispania's Tonio Liuzzi finishing more two tenths ahead of Virgin's Timo Glock.

1220: Not only that but it's also first time all year Ferrari haven't felt the need to put both of their drivers on soft 'option' tyres in Q1.

BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle: "Only three-tenths off the top from Alonso. That is the most competitive Ferrari have looked this year."

1219: Massa goes fastest. That was predictable given the rubbers he's on. But I was wrong about Alonso, he's come out on the hard 'prime' tyres and managed to go fifth fastest. Tremendous effort from the two-time world champion. Are Ferrari back in the mix? Oooh and it looks like Di Resta has sneaked in for Force India.

BBC F1 analyst Eddie Jordan: "I think Alonso is a bit disillusioned. I don't think he is really believing Ferrari has the horsepower and the punch to challenge as he did last year. Hydraulic problems should not be happening to a great team to them. Why is someone like Rory Bryne, the chief designer who left them in 2009, not there? I think they are missing him."

1217: Bizarre to see Ferrari send Felipe Massa out on soft 'option' tyres. Worried he won't make the cut? They must be to burn a set of softs so early in the weekend. The Brazilian is currently 15th and his team-mate Fernando Alonso eight. Think Fernando may have gone out on softs too. Strange.

1214: Six minutes remaining and we're looking at losing Kobayashi, Liuzzi, Karthikeyan, Glock, D'Ambrosio, Trulli and Di Resta. Renault boys Petrov and Heidfeld coming out for just the one run one hard 'prime' tyres - pretty confident.

BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle: "Jenson Button's car is sprung like a skateboard and you can see other cars bouncing around into Turn 12 but not with the dramatic effect of the McLaren."

1213: Lewis Hamilton jumps to third with a 1:27.091 and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button to fourth with a 1:27.417. Precious little to chose between Vettel, Webber and Hamilton.

1210: Out comes Sebastian Vettel on a flying lap... and he's set the fastest time so far with a time of 1:27.039. Firmly the man to beat once again. Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg, Sebastien Buemi and Feando Alonso complete the top five.

1208: Ted Kravitz reports that Kobayashi was suffering from either a suspension or hydraulics problem and that his engine cut out on the track.

1207: Strong start from Force India's Paul di Resta, who goes top of the timesheets with a lap of one minute 29.223 seconds on the hard 'prime' Pirelli tyres.

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "There still was a problem in Sebastian Vettel's garage in the hour before qualifying - they are not certain of having Kers operational. Secondly his car doesn't not have all the updates to the back of the car that Mark Webber has so that is another few tenths of a second that he is giving away to his team-mate. In other news, it will be a three-stop strategy for pretty much everyone with only those in trouble coming in four times."

1205: And one of those seven will be Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, who's come to a stop on the track and that, I'm afraid, is the end of his day. Very, very disappointing for Japanese driver and his team.

1203: The first part of qualifying (Q1) is a 20-minute session that will end with the slowest seven drivers dropping out.

Mclaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh: I think it is going to be a tough session. Four cars went through the first qualifying session on the prime last week, but in the quest to do that and save the options (tyres), you can get it wrong. It is quite tough and brave to do that. At least part of race strategy is dependent on the tyre you use in Q3. If we can, we will try and save some tyres but that is tricky. But if you want to four-stop you need some tyres around to do that."

1200: Cometh the hour, cometh the green lights. Turkish Grand Prix qualifying is... GO, GO, GO!

1157: Just to remind you, drivers have free and unlimited use of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) - or moveable rear wing - to aid overtaking d improve straight-line speed during qualifying. It will be limited to long back-straight between Turns 10 and 12 in Sunday's race. Something else to watch out for is the epic, 250kph Turn Eight, a blind triple-apex which has caught out many a driver since the first Turkish Grand Prix in 2005.

BBC F1 analyst Eddie Jordan: "If there is a tiny flaw in Sebastian Vettel, and I think he is a great world champion, I think he does make mistakes in strategy. He made a mistake in China in making two stops instead of three. He doesn't like passing other teams and still have a problem getting his starts quite right."

1154: Not long now, folks, not long now. Mark Webber took pole position in 2010 - who's it going to be this time round?

rrengland3 on Twitter: "It would be such a pity if Turkey was scrapped next year. Still, excited!"

jamesa18 on Twitter: "Disappointed that not many people have turned up for qualifying. Maybe Bernie should fly us out so we can watch."

1150: Sad to see so few spectators in the grandstand. In fact, it's pretty much empty. The Turkish Grand Prix's six-year F1 contract expires after this weekend and no wonder reports are suggesting the deal is not going to be renewed. Such a shame, because Istanbul Park is widely regarded as the most challenging and exciting of the modern circuits. Why so few fans? Poor showing.

1145: Time to point you in the direction of our tremendously fabulous DRIVER TRACKER. You can view it in the console at the top of this page or click on this link for a stand-alone version. It really is a splendid way to follow qualifying and Sunday's race.

Williams driver Pastor Maldonado: "It was not such a good start to the season. We had so many problems, but as a rookie I was learning so I just concentrate in the car to give the right comments to the engineers and just get better and better. I did a lot of work in the simulator which helped, but in the real moment it is a lot different. But I feel very good in the team, it is a family team."

BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard: "For Williams it is obviously a difficult time because they are used to winning. Rubens Barrichello is the most experienced man in F1 and I'm detecting a bit of frustration there because he is coming to the end of his career and wants to go out on a high."

Williams chairman Adam Parr on the appointment of Mike Coughlan, one of the men at the heart of 2007's "spy-gate" scandal: "Inevitably when you first announce these things that is what people focus on, but ultimately he will be judged by what he does for the team. I have never met anyone so focused on proving himself once again as Mike."

1134: A lot of chat on on the demise of Williams. The nine-time constructors' champions are in the midst of their worst season since entering Formula 1 in 1977 and big changes are planned this summer.

Ferrari on Twitter: "There is hard work inside the Scuderia's garage. The mechanics are finishing to fit Massa's car with the new engine and they are working also to rebuild Fernando's car after a very in-deep check."

1130: Jake's just had a good chin-wag with Timo Glock, the German explaining the problems Virgin Racing have faced of late. "Frustrating is the wrong word," he says. "We thought we had a gain here and it didn't work out. We have to learn from the mistakes and look to the races ahead. The new nose is definitely an improvement. This gives us a bit of a step, around three or four tenths, but the rear end is now more of a focus and we have to get that right for Barcelona."

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Istanbul: "Sebastian Vettel proved he only needs an hour on a Saturday morning to get to grips with the unique demands of Istanbul's anti-clockwise circuit. Red Bull's world champ had yet to do any dry running here after badly damaging his car during a wet Friday morning session. The word is that the team were very, very impressed with how few laps he needed to get up to speed. Red Bull are also not anticipating any further problems with Kers after the power-boost device disrupted Vettel's running on Saturday. The team say Vettel was briefly brought into the garage as a precaution. So it looks like the fastest man seen on track this season is favourite to take his fourth pole position of 2011 and his second pole in Turkey."

1126: Here's a bit more from Holty on man-of-the-moment Sebastian Vettel, our reigning world champion and current standings leader...

1125: It's a busy day of sport, I know, but this is by far the most important live event of all. Isn't it? Let me know @bbcsport_david, via the Twitter hashtag #BBCF1 or SMS on 81111 (UK).

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Istanbul: "Hello again. The swish Mercedes motorhome is a hive of activity before qualifying and team boss Ross Brawn was pretty relaxed when I grabbed a quick word with him. Michael Schumacher was as close as you can get to Sebastian Vettel's leading time for Red Bull in final practice here, while Nico Rosberg was just 0.3 seconds behind his highly experienced Mercedes team-mate. Brawn described this morning's performance by his drivers as 'encouraging'. He also conceded that it was a low-fuel run but it was not a full qualifying simulation, which means there should be more to come. Brawn also added that Mercedes are where they want to be after a poor first two races but, even though they showed a marked improvement in China last time out, he warns the team are not ready to fight right at the front yet."

1119: We'll be hearing from BBC pit-lane reporters Ted Kravitz and Natalie Pinkham in due course, but first up here's our intrepid trackside correspondent Sarah Holt...

RS85 on Twitter: "Watching the F1 qualification on BBC 2, come on McLaren!"

1115: Fifty minutes until our 24 cars hit the track and set about snatching grid placings for Sunday's race. Can McLaren claim back-to-back wins or will Red Bull bounce back to reassert their authority? Can Mercedes or Renault cause a surprise and what has happened to Ferrari? Not to mention Williams. Who will win the midfield battle between Toro Rosso, Sauber and Force India? And which of Lotus, Virgin and Hispania will fare best? Questions galore - and that's before we even touch upon tyres, Kers, DRS etc etc.

1105: We're up and running with live TV pictures on BBC Two, the BBC Red Button and the BBC HD Channel. Jake, EJ and DC are in position and the sun's blazing down on the Istanbul Park paddock. The talented trio kick off by paying their respects to Seve Ballesteros, one of golf's most gifted and charismatic players who died on Saturday following a long battle with cancer. "A true legend," says EJ. "Arguably Spain's greatest ambassador."

1058: Anyone else own a F1 T-shirt that they bring out especially for race weekends. LOVE the enthusiasm.

schkit on Twitter: "This weekend seems like it's gonna be an epic F1 weekend, therefore I'm wearing my F1 T-Shirt."

1050: Here we are then - qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix. Perhaps the last time we'll be able to say that, given the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Istanbul Park event.

1045: A quick heads-up about changes to the usual television broadcast arrangements for qualifying. It will be on BBC Two - rather than the usual BBC One - from 1100 BST. In Northern Ireland, the combination of Match of the Day Live and the election coverage means qualifying will only be on the BBC Red Button. In both cases, you can also watch it live on the HD channel. In Northern Ireland, qualifying will be broadcast following the Irish Cup Final at 1645.

hawkesy_ on Twitter: "Not long till the F1 Qualifiers. Time to Eat, Drink, Shower and relax in time for it."

1040: Ferrari say they were using all their new upgrade parts in that practice session - the front and rear wings and new front brake ducts they hope will bring them closer to the pace after a disappointing start to the season. The team say the engine on Felipe Massa's car will be changed "as a precaution" before qualifying, while Fernando Alonso's - which suffered more problems following the hydraulics failures that blighted him on Friday - "will undergo a careful check before going out on track again".

1030: Why not peruse the practice report from our correspondent Sarah Holt in the gap before qualifying? And when you've done that, there is a fascinating audience Q&A with pundit Eddie Jordan, in which he addresses all the key issues in a season already rich with intrigue on and off the track.

1015: However, McLaren and Mercedes will have something to say about that, with all of their drivers finishing FP3 in the top six and showing they will be there or thereabouts this weekend. For a full rundown of the timesheets you can visit our practice results page but I'd suggest you go and get a quick break before qualifying. The session doesn't start until 1200 but we're carrying this live text commentary all the way through and BBC Two coverage begins at 1100. Grab a cuppa and get comfy.

1010: So, those who suggested Vettel's crash in Friday practice might've derailed his weekend (yes, I am holding my hands up) are starting to look more than a bit silly. The reigning world champion has well and truly laid down a marker for qualifying and you wouldn't bet against him clinching his fifth straight pole position later today.

1000: The Kers issue can't be troubling Vettel too much because he's just posted a flying lap of 1:26.037 - the fastest time today. And it's enough to see him finish at the top of the charts as the chequered flag comes down on the third and final free practice session for Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "It is definitely a Kers issue for Vettel because all the mechanics are wearing their rubber gloves that insulate them from the electricity. Vettel had to abort that run but they will keep him on that set of soft tyres, they can't afford to use another set, and send him back out. 'All set' means the battery is charged up. Of course, the battery is charged up when the car is under braking, but on this circuit there there aren't that many opportunities - there is the braking into 12 and then the first corner but not that many other areas. So they call it Kers harvest as they wait for the battery to charge."

0955: We're hearing of more Kers issues for Sebastian Vettel. Team-mate Mark Webber seems unaffected but this is the one factor that seems to be preventing Red Bull from pulling away from the field. It's turning into one of the season's key sub-plots.

Ferrari on Twitter: "Fernando is back complaining for some apparent loss of power. Now we check the car to see if there is something wrong."
The Spaniard actually cruised back to the pits in fifth gear on half-throttle. Quite a site.

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Mercedes have a bit of equipment that is effectively positioned underneath the driver's legs, under the tea-tray as we call it, and have to put a fan underneath the body of the car to keep it cool. I'm not sure exactly what it is. It could be Kers, it could be an oil cooler, but that is what was getting hot on Michael Schumacher's car earlier."

0952: And here come the Mercedes boys. Nico Rosberg tops the charts with a 1:26.44 before team-mate Michael Schumacher jumps above him with a 1:26.038. Sehr gut.

0950: Manually refresh your page and you should see the live leaderboard in all its glory. As you'll see from it, Ferrari's two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is now top of the pops following a 1:26.819 on the soft 'option' tyres. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button among the others emerging from the pits on the same rubbers.

0945: The resurgent Felipe Massa leapfrogs Vettel with a lap of 1:26.883 but the Ferrari man is on the soft 'option' tyres, whereas his Red Bull rival is using the hard 'prime' compounds. Vettel has improved his top time to 1:26.940, and they're the only men in the 1.26s.

Force India on Twitter: "Another one of my Force facts for you now - under braking for turn 12, the drivers experience 5.4g. They brake from 310kph down to 77kph."

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Great credit to Sebastian Vettel. We don't know whether he has taken Mark Webber's set-up or just opted for the baseline set-up that his crew have brought from the factory for him. But he has only done seven laps today, come back to the pits and was happy with the car. His crew have just adjusted tyre pressures and the rear suspension system and he is out again."

0940: Vettel dips back into the pits for a tyre-pressure check and he's probably a very happy man right now. The reigning world champion endured a forgettable Friday but it's shaping up to be a satisfactory Saturday. He leads Rosberg by more than two tenths after seven completed laps and has just set off on another stint in the glorious sunshine. Vettel, Rosberg, Webber, Petrov and Hamilton remain our top five.

mike_searle on Twitter: "Really looking forward to #BBCF1 this weekend, but my thoughts are with Seve Ballesteros this morning."
For those who haven't already heard, Spanish golf legend Seve Ballesteros has died after a protracted battle with cancer. Terribly sad news. Stay across bbc.co.uk/sport for reaction and tributes.

0930: Vettel and his patched-up RB7 fly round in a time of 1:27.134. That puts the German top of the timesheets - a familiar place. He's 0.224 seconds clear of Nico Rosberg and 0.257 seconds in front of team-mate Mark Webber. Vitaly Petrov is 0.332 seconds off the pace and Lewis Hamilton one tenth further back. Plenty of drivers testing out their upgrades, Kers power-boost system and DRS (moveable rear wing) overtaking aid.

0925: A first timed lap of the day for Sebastian Vettel - and his first time lap in the dry all weekend. The reigning world champion and standings leader goes fifth fastest. For those asking about our live leaderboard, we're experiencing a few technical issues which mean we've had to take it down. Massive apologies. I'll work doubly hard to keep you abreast of proceedings.

0920: D'Ambrosio is knocked off top spot pretty swiftly. Nico Rosberg has been in superb form this season and he's our current leader with a time of 1:27.358. Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and Kamui Kobayashi complete the top five. BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter Natalie Pinkham identifies Rosberg as her "dark horse" for Sunday's race.

Smile for the camera!

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Istanbul: "I happened across a clamour of excitement just before practice as Pirelli president Marco Tronchetti Provera met the drivers to see how they are faring with this season's unpredictable new rubber. The drivers posed with the president for a photograph - with Rubens Barrichello just making it in time - before the Pirelli man gave his assessment of the Italian company's return to F1. Provera said Pirelli had been asked to make the sport more attractive to viewers, to add more uncertainties and to make racing 'more emotive'. On those triple aims he commented: 'The target has been achieved'. Provera also said Pirelli, which has a three-year contract, is viewing its involvement in F1 as a long-term project, so long as it's not too costly. He added that he would be open to the idea of another F1 'tyre war' when rival companies supply tyres. The last one was between Bridgestone and Michelin and ended in 2006."

0915: The first man to get his name on the timesheets is Virgin's Jerome D'Ambrosio with a lap of one minute, 33.312. Only a few others on the track just now - Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, and Michael Schumacher among them.

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Istanbul: "Lewis Hamilton described Friday morning in Istanbul as 'killer boring' as McLaren chose not to run in the damp conditions. But he's now got a busy weekend ahead of him. The team spent Friday evening trying to improve the balance and set-up of the car, with both Hamilton and Jenson Button complaining that driving round Istanbul Park was a bit of a bumpy ride. Hamilton is looking to tease more speed out of the McLaren. 'In some normal Turkish weather we'll be competitive up the front," he said. "You will see some true pace from [Red Bull] today I'm sure. We're still in the fight, no problems at all.'"

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Is today is the day we see the understudy become the main player? Mark Webber is already three hours of practice time ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel, while over at McLaren Jenson Button was quicker than Lewis Hamilton yesterday. And can Felipe Massa continue his run of good form at Ferrari?"

Vettel's car is lifted away after a crash in Friday's first practice session

0900: Green lights all round Istanbul Park and off we go... Unsurprisingly, Sebastian Vettel is one of the first men to hit the track for an installation lap. That's his first dry run of the weekend after his dramatic crash in Friday's rain-affected first practice session. The damage to his Red Bull RB7 was significant enough to keep him in the garage all afternoon.

Team Lotus on Twitter: "Don't worry if you heard about a fire in one of our trucks last night. It was minor and only damaged some wiring inside the trailer. Fire hasn't affected anything to do with the cars or systems. We're all good to go for FP3, underway in 5mins!"

0859: Talking of Lotus, Natalie Pinkham reports a fire in the plant room of their truck this morning. Apparently it caused a fair bit of drama at the time, but there was no serious damage.

Team Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne on Twitter: "Lovely sunny day here in Istanbul. High track temperatures will be good for us in making the tyres work."

Force India on Twitter: "Saturday morning and we have glorious weather here at Istanbul Park. The sun is out and we look set for a dry qualy session this afternoon."

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Istanbul: "Morning. There is huge relief sweeping across the Istanbul paddock because... sunshine and unbroken blue skies have returned ahead of third practice. A flotilla of ferries, yachts, trawlers and wooden rowing boats were making the most of the mist-free waters of the Marmara Sea en route to the circuit. It was almost an idyllic late spring scene but is still quite cold. That means getting the tyres up to temperature for some qualifying simulations during final practice will be something the teams are focusing on. No one will be more desperate for some dry running than Sebastian Vettel after Red Bull's championship leader crashed out on a wet Friday morning. 'It makes things a bit more difficult,' says Vettel. 'But I don't think it will be a problem. We know the track well from other years. I'm still confident - it looks pretty close.'"

0855: Among the names you'll be hearing from throughout the day are BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz, his colleague Natalie Pinkham and, of course, our very own trackside correspondent Sarah Holt. Talking of whom...

0850: So, live TV coverage of FP2 arrives courtesy of the BBC Red Button and this very BBC Sport website at 0900, while audio coverage will be dished up by BBC Radio 5 live sports. The session lasts exactly one hour and, as always, it's compulsory that fine people take part. I'm afraid I can't offer you an F1 drive, but what I can do is get your name on this page. Just post a message using the Twitter hashtag #BBCF1, contact me directly @bbcsport_david or send a text message - yes, they do still exist in this era of modern technolody - to 81111 provided you're in the UK.

0845: Welcome, one and all, to the Turkish Grand Prix. Third and final practice starts in 15 minutes and should set us up nicely for an eagerly anticipated qualifying session at 1200. And then come Sunday, it's time to go racing. Be sure to make this page your home for the next couple of days. You won't be disappointed.

0840: OK, OK, a bit overdramatic, I know. But you get the picture. This time three weeks ago, Vettel had just secured his sixth pole position in seven races having won of the previous six grands prix. Suddenly, his garden is not looking quite so rosy.

0830: Twenty days after Sebastian Vettel's race-day cloak of invincibility was obliterated in China, the German's rivals have a prime opportunity to extinguish his stranglehold on qualifying as well. In a city so famously conquered in the 15th century, are we about to witness the destruction of our reigning world champion's empire?