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Massa sets the pace as Hamilton crashes out

NEWS STORY
04/04/2008

Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 30 degrees C, and the track temperature is 42 degrees. It remains bright and sunny, with the wind picking up just a little.

Almost immediately, Glock gets it all wrong, making full use of the Bahrain International Circuit's generous tarmac run-offs.

Trulli is first to post a time (37.587) but this is soon beaten by Vettel, who crosses the line at 37.155. However, Bourdais, who is constantly showing signs of improvement, takes the top spot with a 36.297.

While we saw little of the soft option tyres this morning, this afternoon most of the drivers appear to be using, certainly at this time in the session.

A beautiful slide from Alonso, who just about keeps his R28 under control. Great to watch.

Bourdais is quickest, ahead of Fisichella, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Alonso, Webber, Piquet, Vettel, Nakajima and Barrichello… and we're still only ten minutes into the session.

Despite having been top of the timesheets - Heidfeld has just demoted him with a 34.526 - Bourdais feels the car is terrible, and "all over the place".

Massa and Raikkonen are both on track, and while the Brazilian can only manage third (34.855), his Finnish teammate goes fastest in all three sectors, finally crossing the line at 33.550. However, all eyes are now on Hamilton, who begins his first flying lap of the session.

On softs, like almost all the other drivers, Hamilton goes straight to the top of the timesheets, posting 33.068. Meanwhile, Rosberg is having problems, blaming it all on the wind.

Raikkonen appears to have difficulty passing Piquet, eventually opting to pull back. One wonder whether this will lead to problems for someone later in the weekend.

Hamilton improves with a 32.961, as Kubica goes fourth, just ahead of his BMW teammate.

Kovalainen improves to fourth with a 33.606, slipping in behind Hamilton, Raikkonen and Bourdais.

Despite suffering all manner of problems, leading to one of his typical (amusing) rants, Coulthard goes fifth quickest in the Red Bull, edging out the BMWs. Teammate Webber is currently tenth, but looks set to improve.

Massa, currently twelfth, goes quickest in the middle sector, finally crossing the line at 32.722 to go quickest. Elsewhere, Davidson heads off into the sand dunes, probably humming the theme tune to Lawrence of Arabia.

Bourdais leapfrogs Raikkonen, the Frenchman looking very, very impressive, even if the weekend has only just got underway. That said, the World Champion posts personal bests in the first two sectors, crossing the line at 33.137 to re-take third spot. Next time around the Finn takes bumpy ride over the unforgiving Bahrain kerbs.

At half-time, it's Massa, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Bourdais, Coulthard, Kovalainen, Kubica, Trulli, Button and Nakajima.

Rosberg, currently seventeenth, posts a personal best in the first sector, before going quickest overall in the second. At the line, following a disappointing final sector, the German posts 33.516 to go sixth. Elsewhere, Vettel's back end gets horribly out of shape.

Webber is back on track, unlike Fisichella, who goes wide following a massive lock-up.

Whereas we saw little of the soft option tyres this morning, this afternoon we have seen little of the harder option compound.

Rosberg improves to third (33.022), as Alonso attempts to improve on seventeenth. Meanwhile, despite having completed 17 laps, Vettel is at the foot of the timesheets with the Super Aguris. He improves, but only as far as twentieth.

Felipe Massa is back on track, as are Raikkonen and Kovalainen. In the second sector the Brazilian goes quickest, maintaining the pace to consolidate his place at the top of the timesheets with a 32.393.

To add to Alonso's frustration, Piquet goes seventh with a 33.247. However, all eyes are on Raikkonen who goes quickest in the first sector. At the line the Finn posts 32.447 which is good enough for second, a Ferrari 1-2. Twenty-three minutes remaining.

There are no significant improvements as drivers appear to concentrate on longer runs as opposed to fast lap times. Certainly, one hopes this to be the case as far as Alonso is concerned for the Spaniard remains in nineteenth, 2.3s off the pace.

Heidfeld is also at the wrong end of the timesheets, but we know from experience that this is BMW's tactic, opting for set-up and tyre evaluation rather than quick times.

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