20/04/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. As one might expect, the circuit being in the middle of the desert, it is sunny, with 47% humidity.
Tyre for this weekend are medium (prime) and soft (option), as used in Australia and China.
The only third/reserve driver on duty today is Valtteri Bottas who is in Bruno Senna's Williams.
Whatever one might say about the unrest in Bahrain, and the insistence that all is well, the fact that there are just 58 people - yes fifty-eight - speaks volumes. Unif1ed has its work cut out.
Vergne is first out when the lights go green, followed by Karthikeyan, Grosjean, di Resta, Ricciardo, Webber, Pic, Vettel, Glock, de la Rosa and Webber.
Following his problems in China, Vettel is now using the new exhaust layout, as used by his teammate last week.
Despite its problems with its updates in China, Lotus is persisting, running back to back comparisons today, Raikkonen and Grosjean handed a pick 'n' mix of new parts and old parts including front wings and floors.
Five minutes into the session, all but the Mercedes duo have been out. Button and Kobayashi having completed two installation laps. Replay shows Kovalainen locking-up and running wide at Turn 10, the track very dusty/sandy.
Fifteen minutes into the session, Webber is back on track, as is Vettel, Glock and Perez, though all appear to be out for second installation runs.
Rosberg comes out for a second run, the German joined by Pic and Hulkenberg. Very little action for those 58 fans. Rosberg is warned of a strong headwind just before the main straight.
Twenty minutes into the session, Hulkenberg posts 1:36.855 to officially get the weekend underway, moments later teammate di Resta posts 37.380. While German subsequently improves to 35.544 the Scot ups the ante with a 35.194.
As Ferrari reveal that that they are going to sit back and wait for "more decent track conditions", Lotus warns of possible sand storms.
Kobayashi posts 36.991 to go third, as Grosjean and Pic head down the pitlane.
Having posted a 35.935, Grosjean subsequently improves to 34.847, while Kobayashi posts 35.929. The Frenchman runs wide at Turn 10 kicking up a cloud of dust and sand.
The HRT duo go fifth and sixth, de la Rosa crossing the line at 38.877 and Karthikeyan 40.811. Thirty-five minutes into the session only six drivers have posted times.
A 34.609 sees Raikkonen go quickest, despite a wobble at Turn 10, as Maldonado goes fifth and Vergne seventh. Webber and Vettel are also on track.
Vettel goes straight to the top of the timesheets with a 34.311, Webber posting 35.304 to go eighth.
Massa has a big wobble as Alonso goes ninth (35.436), while Vettel goes quickest in the first two sectors finally crossing the line at 33.877. Webber takes third with a 34.792.
At half-time, it's: Vettel, Raikkonen, Webber, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, di Resta, Perez, Maldonado, Alonso and Bottas. No times from the Marussias, Caterhams, McLarens or Mercedes.
Webber makes it a Red Bull 1-2 with a 34.552, however, moments later, Schumacher (34.483) and then Rosberg (34.249) split the Milton Keynes duo.
Button goes fourth with a 34.519, leaving Pic and Hamilton as the only drivers yet to post a time. That said, both drivers are on track.
Hamilton's first flying lap sees the McLaren driver go second, the Englishman posting 33.933. Button improves with a 34.277.
A 33.572 sees Hamilton go quickest, the Englishman serving notice of his intentions tomorrow and on Sunday. When the McLaren driver heads back to the pits his right-front has noticeable graining.
With 29:00 on the clock, it's: Hamilton, Vettel, Rosberg, Button, Schumacher, Webber, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Hulkenberg and di Resta. Effectively business as usual, other than the Toro Rossos, both of which are over 2.6s off the pace. All running has been on the prime tyre thus far.
Di Resta is told to disable his KERS, the Scot advised that it is working intermittently. As he makes the necessary adjustment, the Scot subsequently runs wide.
Hulkenberg improves to fifth (34.344), as Bernie Ecclestone pays a visit to his team.
A close up shows Schumacher's right-front tyre looking extremely 'cut up'. Moments later, the German suffers another big lock-up.
Alonso and Massa are currently thirteenth and fifteenth, however, Ferrari always uses Friday purely as a test so no chance to measure the Italian outfit against the competition at present.
Red Bull crew are painting the underside of the front wings with flow-viz paint. Other crew members attempt to block TV crews and photographers seeing anything.
With just under eight minutes remaining both Force India drivers switch to the option rubber, the first drivers to do so.
A wobble and then a spin for Glock at Turn 1, as di Resta improves to third (34.150) and Hulkenberg sixth (34.344) on the softer rubber.
While di Resta completes his 26th lap - the most of any of the drivers - Hamilton watch from the pit wall, the Englishman - who tops the timesheets - having settled for just 11 laps. Both Toro Rossos remain over 2.6s off the pace.
While Mike Gascoyne admits that tyre degradation is big, particularly on the second runs, Ferrari admits that thirteenth and fifteenth isn't good.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Vettel, di Resta, Rosberg, Button, Hulkenberg, Schumacher, Webber, Raikkonen and Grosjean.
Perez is eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Alonso, Bottas, Massa, Kobayashi, Vergne, Kovalainen, Petrov, Ricciardo, Pic, Glock, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan.
There are further warnings of a sandstorm this afternoon.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.