22/08/2008
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
One of the big problems this morning was the dust that covers the track, dust which caused a number of drivers - including Lewis Hamilton - to spin. Thankfully, all the incident took place where there were run offs as opposed to safety barriers.
The lights go green and as ever a Force India leads the way, Giancarlo Fisichella, who is followed by Heidfeld, Bourdais, Piquet, Glock, Trulli and Nakajima.
Fisichella posts the first time of the afternoon (44.842), but this is quickly beaten by Heidfeld and then Bourdais, who raises the benchmark with a 43.623.
Fisichella goes quickest and promptly spins, however, it is now local hero Fernando Alonso who goes quickest, the Renault crossing the line at 42.950.
Just seven minutes into the session and the action is fast and furious, with fourteen cars on track and the times tumbling. Bourdais (21.146) is quickest, ahead of Vettel and Alonso.
Hamilton, Kovalainen and Massa are on track, only Raikkonen and the Red Bulls haven't made an appearance yet.
On his first flying lap, Hamilton goes second with a 41.373, as Massa can only manage tenth and Kovalainen eleventh.
Ten minutes into the session Heidfeld informs his crew that people are walking across the run off area after Turn 10.
Hamilton takes the top spot with a 40.671, as Massa goes third, 0.743s off the Englishman's pace.
Quick! Someone tell Adrian Sutil that he's driving a Force India! The German goes fourth with a 41.721, ahead of Vettel, Kubica and Alonso.
Eighteen minutes into the session, Raikkonen heads down the pitlane.
On his first flying lap the Finn goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 40.878 to go second. Meanwhile, Heidfeld goes fourth.
Raikkonen improves to 40.776, as the Red Bulls remain in the garages, neither Webber nor Coulthard having made an appearance yet. Elsewhere, Glock's rear end gets all out of shape but he somehow keeps it under control.
From out of nowhere, Nico Rosberg produces a 40.607 to go quickest. However, his joy is short-lived for Raikkonen posts 40.536.
The tyre options here are soft and super-soft and Kovalainen is the first - to our knowledge - to try the super-softs. Elsewhere, Coulthard is on track and immediately goes fifteenth.
For reason of clarity, we will refer to the tyres as hard (soft) and soft (super-soft).
Kovalainen makes a slight improvement to eighth (41.466). Early day, but at this stage there appears to be little between the two compounds.
Massa is the first driver to break the 1:39s barrier, the Brazilian posting 39.976.
A big, big slide and spin from Nico Rosberg who is very lucky not to collect Mark Webber. On what looks like being a miserable weekend for the Red Bull driver, that would have capped the lot. Rosberg returns to the pits.
At half-time, it's: Massa, Raikkonen, Kubica, Rosberg, Hamilton, Nakajima, Sutil, Fisichella, Alonso and Vettel.
Glock - on softs (super-softs) improves from sixteenth to seventh, crossing the line at 40.933.
Vettel fails to improve on the softs (super-softs), so all eyes are on Raikkonen when he fits set of white striped boots. Elsewhere, Piquet runs wide.
Raikkonen goes quickest with a 39.679, as Kovalainen also improves, moving ahead of Kubica into third.
Hamilton improves to third with a 40.134 to take third place from his teammate. Elsewhere, Massa (hards) goes quickest in the final sector but fails to improve. Next time around he goes quickest in the first sector, but again he fails to improve.
On the other hand, Glock does improve. The Toyota driver goes fourth, ahead of Hamilton, with a 39.967.
With twenty minutes remaining, more and more drivers are running on the soft (super-soft) compound. Meanwhile, Massa - still on hards - finally manages to leapfrog his Ferrari teammate, crossing the line at 39.678, one-thousandth of a second quicker than Raikkonen.
It has to be said, and we appreciate that this is the first day of practice at a brand new track, but it is absolutely characterless and bland. One would never know that this event is taking place in one of Europe's most modern, glamorous cities.
Webber and Massa both make full use of the run offs.
Alonso has completed the most laps thus far (33), ahead of Button (30) Bourdais (29), Rosberg, Sutil, Heidfeld and Piquet (27).
Kovalainen (softs) posts personal bests in all three sectors, improving to third overall with a 39.954. The Top 6 are covered by just 0.471s.
Moments later, Hamilton, also on softs, goes quickest in the final sector to re-take the third spot. The Top 3 are covered by 0.034s.
Heidfeld almost trips up over a Toyota, the German's subsequent hand signal making it clear that he is less than impressed.
With five minutes remaining, 'home boy' Alonso goes quickest with a 39.497, which will hopefully have the local rushing out to buy the remaining tickets for tomorrow and Sunday.
Raikkonen (hards) goes quickest in the first sector, but fails to improve due to a poor final sector.
From out of nowhere, Jenson Button produces a 39.546 to go second to Alonso, one can almost hear Nick Fry rehearsing his post-session speech.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, crossing the finish line at 39.477 to go quickest.
The session ends with Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Alonso, Button, Massa, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Glock, Kubica, Piquet and Fisichella.
Other than the fact that there doesn't appear to be much between the two tyre compounds, and the fact that the dusty track surface continues to cause problems, the only other thing we can think of is that it would be nice to see some advertising hoardings on the trackside walls, if only to give the place some colour, some atmosphere. Monaco it aint!