28/02/2013
NEWS STORY
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As expected, conditions for the first day of the final test have been cold and damp, with much of the same expected tomorrow.
Despite the slippery nature of the track, and the unseasonable temperatures, there have only been two red flags thus far, Romain Grosjean spinning off at T12 around twenty minutes into the session and Esteban Gutierrez clouting the barriers at T3 later in the morning.
Just as the circuit looked to be drying out it began raining again and has continued in varying degrees of intensity ever since.
Resigned to the conditions and aware that one of the opening races may well be run in such conditions the teams have buckled down, some drivers appearing to revel in the conditions. At one stage, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton were slipstreaming one another on the main straight, further heightening anticipation of the season ahead.
Morning Times - All Times Unofficial
| Name | Team | Laps | Time | Gap |
| Hamilton | Mercedes | 43 | 1:41.614 | 102.478 mph |
| Massa | Ferrari | 40 | 1:41.848 | 0.234 |
| Vergne | Toro Rosso | 38 | 1:42.155 | 0.541 |
| Webber | Red Bull | 44 | 1:43.649 | 2.035 |
| Di Resta | Force India | 33 | 1:44.444 | 2.830 |
| Gutierrez | Sauber | 47 | 1:45.020 | 3.406 |
| Grosjean | Lotus | 29 | 1:45.147 | 3.533 |
| Bottas | Williams | 44 | 1:45.457 | 3.843 |
| Pic | Caterham | 31 | 1:47.521 | 5.907 |
| Perez | McLaren | 23 | 1:48.562 | 6.948 |
| Chilton | Marussia | 34 | 1:50.253 | 8.639 |
Check out our Thursday gallery, here.