02/03/2012
NEWS STORY
Following a foggy start to the day, Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne tops the timesheets as the teams break for lunch on the second day of the final test at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The start of the session was delayed by around half-an-hour this morning as thick fog enveloped the track, organizers subsequently deciding to extend this afternoon's session until 17:30.
What running there was, was compromised by a number of red flags, pace-setter Vergne and world champion Sebastian Vettel being responsible for two of them.
Other red flags were caused by Pastor Maldonado and Michael Schumacher, indeed, the German was responsible for halting proceedings twice, once when his car stopped on track and again when he went off at Turn 5.
Other than Schumacher and Maldonado, who have completed 19 and 20 laps respectively, the remaining eight drivers have each completed more than 30 laps.
Vergne's best time was set on softs, a subsequent faster laps on super-softs ruined when his car stopped on track.
Alonso, currently second quickest, set his best on hards, while fifth placed Kovalainen, recovered from the food poisoning which prevented him running yesterday, posted his best time on the super-soft rubber around half-an-hour before the break.
Mid-Sessions Times - All Times Unofficial
| Name | Team | Laps | Time | Gap |
| Vergne | Toro Rosso | 31 | 1:23.126 | 125.270 mph |
| Alonso | Ferrari | 35 | 1:23.447 | 0.321 |
| Grosjean | Lotus | 34 | 1:23.528 | 0.402 |
| Vettel | Red Bull | 38 | 1:23.536 | 0.410 |
| Kovalainen | Caterham | 34 | 1:23.828 | 0.702 |
| Hulkenberg | Force India | 33 | 1:23.893 | 0.767 |
| Hamilton | McLaren | 30 | 1:24.111 | 0.985 |
| Schumacher | Mercedes | 19 | 1:24.663 | 1.537 |
| Maldonado | Williams | 20 | 1:25.801 | 2.675 |
| Kobayashi | Sauber | 35 | 1:26.111 | 2.985 |
Check out our Friday gallery, here. More pictures to follow.