17/03/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole practice session the air temperature is 19 degrees C, while the track temperature is 29 degrees. Thankfully, conditions are altogether different to yesterday, with bright sunshine. There's a strong breeze, and a few dark clouds in the distance, but they don't appear to be heading this way. In other words we expect a lot of running this morning as teams make up for the loss of running yesterday and ahead to qualifying and the race.
The McLarens topped the aggregate timesheets, however, it was the pace of the Mercedes, particularly that of Michael Schumacher, that surprised.
Ferrari is clearly struggling for grip, a cause not helped by Massa's off in FP1, while Red Bull has yet to show its hand, Christian Horner revealing that the team has yet to do any low furl running, and by that we mean any this year.
All in all, the mixed weather conditions meant few questions were answered yesterday, today, certainly this afternoon's qualifying session, should be entirely different.
Tyre options this weekend are the medium and soft, though we haven't really seen a lot of either of them thus far this weekend.
Petrov heads the queue at the end of the pitlane, and when the lights go green leads a train of eleven cars out on to the track, including Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Kovalainen, di Resta, Alonso, Vergne, Massa and Grosjean.
Webber and Vettel are among the early risers, the world champion, like many, performing a practice start at the end of the pitlane.
Advised that he is meant to be 'cold scrubbing' his tyres, Massa replies that his steering wheel feels funny.
The Mercedes duo stay out for a second lap, Rosberg running wide at one stage as does his teammate a few moments later, both incidents taking place at Turn 3.
Of course it wouldn't be F1, particularly a season opener, without controversy, and there is already talk of a potential protest from Lotus and Red Bull, two of several teams concerned by what is thought to be an f-duct device on the Mercedes.
Rosberg gets the session underway proper with a 1:26.982, while teammate Schumacher returns to the pits having flat-spotted his tyre.
As Rosberg eventually heads back to the pits, Petrov, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Kovalainen, di Resta and a few others come out to play.
Di Resta's 34.452 indicates the Scot is looking at a high fuel run, while Grosjean goes second with a 28.604, Lotus having done little real running yesterday. Pirelli claims the track is still quite slippery and dusty.
Massa goes fourth (29.381), only to be demoted when Button posts 27.802 to take second. Rosberg remains quickest.
On his first flying lap, Hamilton goes quickest in the first two sectors, and again in S3, crossing the line at 26.620 to go quickest overall. Button's 26.801 makes it a Woking 1-2.
Back on track, Schumacher immediately posts a 26.234, no doubt causing a sharp intake of breath in a few garages along the pitlane. Elsewhere, a spin for Massa, who loses the back end under braking at Turn 15.
A 27.031 sees Webber go fifth while teammate Vettel takes seventh with a 27.668.
As Kobayashi runs wide at Turn 3, which is catching out a lot of drivers, all but Glock, Maldonado and de la Rosa have posted times, 38:30 remaining.
Button complains of a spot on his front tyre, the McLaren driver told to return to base. Rosberg, who goes quickest in S2, is quickest again in S3, crossing the line at 25.929 to go quickest. Mercedes 1-2.
Lotus reveals that the steering on Raikkonen's car has been returned to the original set-up, the Finn unhappy with what the team gave him yesterday.
Senna takes to the grass at Turn 15, the Williams driver losing the backend as he exited the previous corner.
With 33:30 on the clock all twenty-four drivers have posted a time, both HRTs over 9s off the pace. That said, both Force Indias are 7s down on Rosberg as the duo focus on heavy fuel running. Both drivers have completed more laps than anyone else.
Coming up to halftime, it's: Rosberg, Schumacher, Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Webber, Kobayashi, Vergne, Grosjean and Ricciardo. Alonso is twelfth and Massa fifteenth.
As Hamilton seeks to close the gap on the Mercedes, Schumacher revives memories of the glory days, going quickest in the first two sectors and seemingly about to raise the benchmark ever higher until traffic ruins it all in S3. Nonetheless, his 26.078 puts him just 0.149s behind his teammate.
With 23:40 on the clock, Raikkonen, who has done minimal running thus far, improves to ninth (27.249). Elsewhere, Hamilton appears to be on a heavier fuel run, his times quite consistent.
We should see the soft tyres making an appearance very soon as the drivers switch focus from Sunday to this afternoon.
Hamilton goes quickest in S1, but loses time behind Kovalainen in S2, the Englishman subsequently aborting the lap. Meanwhile, Webber goes fourth having posted PBs in all four sectors.
Alonso is among the first, and certainly the biggest, to switch to softs, the Spaniard still struggling for grip, running wide at the end of his out-lap and again in Turn 2 of his flying lap. Teammate Massa is also on the softer rubber and also struggling for grip.
Vettel posts a PB in S1 and again in S2, like his teammate he is still on the harder rubber. At the line it's 26.211, moving the world champion up to third.
Next time around however, the German comes to grief at Turn 6, having lost the back end he is lucky to keep it out of the barriers. Nonetheless he is stuck fast in the kitty litter. Game over.
Massa, on softs remember, posts PBs in all three sectors but can only manage seventeenth (28.131). Teammate Alonso has now slipped to fifteenth (27.693).
As Grosjean begins his first flying lap on softs, immediately going quickest in S1, Hamilton is also on the softer rubber. The Frenchman goes quickest in S3 also, crossing the line at 25.758 to go quickest. Moments later, Hamilton posts 25.836 to take second.
As Button (softs) posts a PB is S1, Hamilton is told he needs to find time in S2. Elsewhere, Webber goes quickest in S2.
It's all over for Schumacher, the German going off at Turn 10 and becoming stuck in the gravel after a big lock-up. The incident is very similar to Vettel's off. With 4:10 on the clock the yellow flags are waved furiously.
The top five - Grosjean, Hamilton, Webber, Button and Rosberg - covered by just 0.171s. Neither Schumacher or Vettel completed a lap on the softs.
While the Marussias and HRTs are where we expect them, the two Caterhams are also off the pace, that said, only just behind the Ferraris.
A late charge, which only really saw him go quickest in S3, sees Hamilton go quickest overall, the Briton crossing the line at 25.681. Alonso improves to fifteenth with a 27.323.
Hulkenberg is another late improvement, the German posting 27.029 to go fourteenth, three spots ahead of his teammate. The Force Indias looking just a little wobbly today.
Hamilton is quickest, ahead of Grosjean, Webber, Button, Rosberg, Schumacher, Vettel, Maldonado, Perez and Ricciardo.
Vergne is eleventh, ahead of Raikkonen, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Senna, Alonso, di Resta, Massa, Kovalainen, Petrov, Glock, Pic, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan.