09/07/2010
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 43 degrees. It remains bright, sunny, hot and quite windy.
While Sebastian Vettel topped the timesheets this morning, little can be read into the times - other than the fact that the Red Bulls are quick here - for most teams are using today as a glorified test session.
That said, there was confusion when Ferrari, which had run Massa without the F-duct removed the device from Alonso's car. However, in this session Massa is running the device while Alonso isn't.
As expected, after all the work carried out here the track is quite bumpy with a number of drivers - most notably Hamilton - having moments at the revised Abbey which now turns right instead of left.
As previously reported, Sakon Yamamoto is in the second Hispania after Bruno Senna s dropped at the eleventh hour, though as yet the Spanish team has not explained why.
The lights go green and it is Lucas di Grassi who gets proceedings underway, joined, shortly after, by Glock, Yamamoto and Petrov.
Di Grass sets the benchmark, crossing the line at 1:42.543, however, moments later teammate Glock posts 39.164 and Petrov 35.806.
Next time around, having gone quickest in the first two sectors Petrov backs right off at Village as teammate Kubica goes second with a 37.714.
A 35.706 sees Button go quickest as Buemi goes third ahead of di Grassi and Kubica. In the Williams garage Sir Frank watches with interest, no doubt remembering his team's glory days, the Grove outfit having scored its first ever win here.
Kubica goes quickest (33.962) but is quickly demoted by Barrichello who crosses the line at 33.927. Meanwhile, despite having gone quickest in the first sector, Hamilton can only manage fifth (34.192).
For a brief moment Sutil is quickest (33.836), however, his time is quickly beaten by Alonso, Kubica and then Button who posts 33.200. Barrichello posts 33.058 to pout the Williams atop the timesheets.
Having gone quickest in the first two sectors, Hamilton loses a heap of time on the final sector behind Chandhok and subsequently fails to improve. Elsewhere, Alonso goes quickest with a 32.997.
As Alonso raises the benchmark with a 32.870, Massa makes it a Ferrari 1-2. Barrichello remains third, ahead of Button, Schumacher and Hamilton.
Webber goes quickest with a 32.118 and immediately goes quickest in the first two sectors of his next lap, however, a poor final sector sees him fail to improve.
As Webber improves with a 31.973, Vettel, who has gone second with a 32.509, gets it all wrong at Vale the German going cross-country and flat-spotting his tyres in the process. As he makes his way back to the pits Sebastian complains of "bad vibrations". Hmmm, now where could they be coming from?
Rosberg pops up in third with a 32.838, ahead of Alonso, Massa, Barrichello, Kubica, Button, Schumacher and Hamilton.
Schumacher is told by Andy Shovlin to "be careful" when using the engine whilst braking, as this could cause the engine to shut down.
The difference between the establish teams and newbies is even more marked here than at previous circuits. Currently, the top seventeen are covered by 2.670, while all the newbies are at least 5.3s off the pace. Kobayashi has yet to post a time.
Alonso splits the Red Bulls with a 32.446 as Kobayashi begins his first flying lap of the afternoon. The Sauber driver goes sixteenth with a 34.546 improving to fourteenth (34.373) on his next lap.
Webber raises the benchmark with a 31.957, throwing the gauntlet not just for McLaren and the rest but also for the German guy across the Red Bull garage.
With thirty-eight minutes remaining, Vettel re-takes second with a 32.023 having gone quickest in the final sector.
Rosberg crosses the line at 32.166 to go third, as the majority of drivers remain in their garages. However, reacting to the Mercedes upstart - and former teammate - Webber responds with a 31.234, at a stroke putting almost a second between himself and
Rosberg.
Vettel is back on track and like his teammate is on the soft (option) tyre, the Red Bull duo among the first to make the switch from hard (prime). Elsewhere, Hamilton takes to the grass as he exits Becketts.
Alonso (options) posts a personal best in all three sectors crossing the line at 31.949 to go third. Meanwhile his Ferrari teammate spins at Village doing his brand new set of soft tyres no favours whatsoever.
As Schumacher runs wide at Brooklands, Alonso splits the Red Bulls with a 31.626, closing to within 0.392s of Webber.
As Kovalainen seeks to consolidate nineteenth position, teammate Trulli has only completed 3 laps. Another disappointing weekend for the Italian looming?
At the start of a long run, Hamilton messes up at Becketts and takes to the grass, which won't have done his tyres any good.
Another lap, another off for Hamilton, this time at Maggotts, the McLaren appearing to have been caught out by the high cross winds. Shortly after, Massa follows suit at Becketts.
A frustrated Mark Webber watches the action from the back of the Red Bull garage, the Australian's session brought to an early end by a warning light that signals that something is amiss.
More misery for Lotus as Kovalainen pulls off track at Stowe. He tells his team that there's a problem with the power steering.
The session ends and Webber remains quickest, ahead of Alonso, Vettel, Massa, Rosberg, Schumacher, Petrov, Hamilton, Sutil and Barrichello.
Kubica is eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, Button, Kobayashi, Liuzzi, Buemi, de la Rosa, Alguersuari, Kovalainen, di Grassi, Glock, Chandhok, Yamamoto and Trulli.