07/07/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole free practice session, the air temperature is 18 degrees and the track temperature is 17 degrees. It is unseasonably cool.
The good news is that it is not raining… yet. However, there are dark clouds closing in and the teams are already taking it as read that this afternoon's qualifying session will be wet.
The saddest thing about it all is the thousands of anxious fans still trying to get into the circuit despite organisers warning them to stay away. Furthermore, to add to the chaos, someone, in their infinite wisdom, has closed one of the lanes leading into the circuit.
It is far too early to be apportioning blame, but this is not good. Fans, having paid to attend an event should not be told to stay away - even if they are being offered refunds - because of the weather.
Despite BRDC president Derek Warwick's claim yesterday that Silverstone is the home of the British Grand Prix and that London isn't needed, a lot of fans will feel be disagreeing with him right now.
Romain Grosjean was quickest in yesterday's opening session, while Lewis Hamilton was quickest in the second. However, such were the conditions there was little we could really read into the times other than the fact that the standing water and 'rivers' across certain parts of the track made it exceedingly treacherous.
The opening phase of this session is sure to be busy, not only because of the chance of rain later, but because the teams will want to try the various updates they've brought here.
Indeed, there is a traffic jam at the end of the pitlane, Raikkonen heading a queue of twenty-two cars. Only Rosberg and di Resta remain in their garages. In his eagerness to get to work, Kovalainen overtakes a couple of drivers who are performing practice starts at the end of the pitlane, he could be in trouble for that.
Ricciardo is warned that rain is expected in "around fifteen minutes".
As he comes on to the Hangar Straight, a patch that caught a number of drivers out yesterday, not least Senna who crashed heavily, Raikkonen has a nasty wobble. There are still plenty of damp patches around the track.
No time for installation laps today, not for some drivers, within moments there are seven names on the board, Schumacher heading Grosjean, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Maldonado and Raikkonen.
Those drivers that pitted after their sole lap are soon back on track, pit crews keeping a worried eye on the sky. Schumacher raises the bar with a 34.187.
A 33.733 sees Rosberg go quickest, Maldonado improves to third ahead of Hulkenberg and Grosjean. Most are on the hard (prime) tyres, though a few (the Lotus duo) are on softs.
Webber goes fifth with a 35.664, the Wings for Life livery looking superb. Ferrari are running different wings for its two drivers. Alonso has the new version (natch!) while Massa sticks with the old one.
Button posts 34.583 to go fourth as teammate Hamilton takes seventh with a 38.093. Next time around the 2009 champ goes second with a 33.802.
"We're expecting rain in the next three minutes to five," Schumacher is told, "but it should only be light rain." To prove the point Di Resta spins at the start of the Hangar Straight.
Perez posts .4.545 to go fifth, with teammate Kobayashi posting 34.738 to go sixth.
At 44:27 all but Massa have posted a time, teammate Alonso having just gone eighth with a 34.922.
"Is my KERS working or not," asks di Resta. "It has failed," the Scot is told.
Massa leapfrogs his teammate with a 34.901 to go ninth. That said, Alonso subsequently improves to third with a 33.821.
Hamilton goes quickest in S1, following it up with a PB in S2. No sooner has Alonso posted 33.606 to take the top spot than his former McLaren teammate bangs in a 33.084 to usurp him.
Maldonado, who has been looking good here this weekend - what we've seen of him - goes sixth (33.888) as Pic slows to a halt on the racing line after Copse. The session is red flagged.
This is bad news not only for Marussia, which has been having a torrid time of it recently, but for the teams and drivers who want to get in some decent running whilst the weather holds off.
With the clock at 33:20, it's: Hamilton, Alonso, Rosberg, Button, Vettel, Maldonado, Schumacher, Perez, Kobayashi and Webber.
As the session resumes (at 10:26), the cameras pick up on the fact that Massa is now running the new front wing.
Rosberg is first out as the session gets underway again. Alonso is also eager to get back to work.
Unhappy with the cool conditions, the Lotus duo are currently eighteenth (Grosjean) and twenty-first (Raikkonen). However, all that is about to change as the Iceman goes quickest in S1, going on to post a 33.334 which puts him third.
A wobble for Alonso on the approach to Hangar, as Button goes quickest with a 32.851. The Englishman, like his teammate, on the softer rubber.
As the overhead camera picks up on the cars heading down the Hangar Straight, there's sunshine. Indeed, the bridge is casting a shadow. Wonder of wonders.
As Grosjean improves to fourth (33.010), Hamilton retakes the top spot with a 32.728. The McLaren driver, having asked where he stands in relation to his rivals, is told that he needs to find three-tenths in the second sector. Easier said than done.
Meanwhile, the sun has raised the track temperature to 24 degrees C, up from 17 degrees.
On the harder rubber, Grosjean goes quickest with a 32.471, however, Alonso (on softs) instantly bangs in a 32.167.
With 18:20 on the clock, both Mercedes are in the bottom half of the timesheets, though admittedly Rosberg is twelfth.
Alonso is told that rain is expected at the very end of the session. The Spaniard currently 0.301s quicker than his nearest rival (Grosjean), promptly spins after running over the wet kerb in the final corner (Club). He subsequently pits.
Hamilton goes quickest in S1, however, the cameras switch to Maldonado. Hamilton posts a PB in S2 - the sector where he needs to improve - while a poor S3 means he fails to improve.
With 10:00 on the clock all but Button, Glock and Karthikeyan are running the soft rubber.
Kobayashi goes quickest in S1, as Perez loses his front wing after a bumpy ride over the kerb, grass and front wing! Moments later the Japanese spins.
Now focussing on this afternoon, Raikkonen goes second (32.454) but is instantly demoted by his teammate's 32.358.
In the Mercedes garage, Rosberg is out of his car, his session over, as his mechanics change the floor on his car.
Having got his car running again, Pic stops on the Hangar Straight, marshals run to his aid in an effort to move him and prevent the session being red flagged again.
As Massa begins a hot lap, there are some massive, very ominous clouds in the distance. The Brazilian goes quickest in S2 but subsequently has to ease off due to the yellow flags for Pic.
Vettel, of whom little has been heard thus far, quietly pops up in third with a 32.240. Moments later however, he is demoted when Button (on hards) posts 32.320 to go second.
A late PB from Schumacher who goes fourteenth fastest overall with a 33.462.
McLaren tell Button that his time was very good; "on a seven lap old prime tyre". An unusual amount of information from the Woking team.
Despite traffic, Vettel puts in an impressive lap, and while he doesn't improve his time and remains fourth, the car looked good.
The session ends with Alonso quickest, ahead of Button, Grosjean, Vettel, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Maldonado, Perez, Kobayashi and Hulkenberg.
Senna is eleventh, ahead of di Resta, Webber, Schumacher, Vergne, Massa, Ricciardo, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Petrov, Glock, Pic, Karthikeyan and de la Rosa.