05/07/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today’s second practice session, the air temperature is 19 degrees C and the track temperature is 29 degrees. It is now much brighter with the sun making a serious effort to break through.
The big news this morning was Fernando Alonso’s failure to post a time, the Spaniard stopping on his installation lap with an ECU issue. The Spaniard returned to the track late in the session but another problem brought his morning’s work to an abrupt halt.
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were in a league of their own, the Mercedes pair outpacing Mark Webber by a second.
Other than Alonso there were no major shocks, certainly for a Friday, though, with an eye on the on-going tyre issue, it was noted that a number of drivers are encountering problems with a bump at Turn 1.
Thankfully there were no issues with the tyres so as a result the GPDA – ‘what do we want, non-exploding tyres, when do we want them, now!’ – can stand down. However, if there is an issue with the Pirelli rubber this afternoon’s session, when the cars run heavier fuel loads with an eye on Sunday – is when the cracks will begin to appear.
Talking of tyres, and we always are, the options are medium (prime) and soft (option).
It is when using the soft tyre – which wasn’t used this morning – when we will get an idea of how much this morning’s FIA directive is hurting the teams, Charlie Whiting have made it quite clear what is and what isn’t allowed in terms of tyre pressures and cambers. Also, the swapping of tyres – from side to side – has been banned.
Hulkenberg – understood to be working pro bono – is first out, followed by Chilton, Grosjean and just about everyone else including Alonso.
As in FP1, Raikkonen has a big moment coming out of the final corner while Gutierrez, like this morning, has problems at T1.
Within moments there are sixteen names on the timesheet, Raikkonen ahead of Button, Grosjean and Vergne. Alonso, happy to have finally completed a lap, goes thirteenth. Hamilton is the latest in a long line of drivers to get it wrong in T1.
As Webber goes quickest (32.333), Capt. No grip complains that he is struggling under braking. Hamilton goes second (32.749), ahead of Grosjean and Sutil.
Rosberg improves to fourth with a 32.492 as Webber raises the bar to 31.790, the Australian just a shade off Hamilton’s best this morning. A 32.154 sees Vettel make it a Red Bull 1-2.
Alonso runs wide and once back on track finds himself being shadowed by Vettel. Rosberg splits the Red Bulls with a 32.024, while, moments later, a 32.031 from Hamilton sees Vettel pushed down to fourth.
At 68:30, Chilton is the first driver to switch to softs, followed, shortly after, by Hulkenberg and Vergne.
Chilton improves from 22nd to 19th as Hulkenberg improves in the first two sectors but loses a heap of time in the third.
Webber is the first of the big guns to switch to the option rubber, the Australian immediately posting 30.874, almost a second between the two compounds. Moments later, Ricciardo (soft) goes fourth with a 32.124.
Webber and Ricciardo both improve, the Red Bull driver posting 30.683 and his countryman 31.855. Rosberg and Vettel also switch to the softer rubber.
A mistake at T1 (surprise, surprise) sees Rosberg wreck his lap while Vettel posts a PB in the first sector.
Going quickest in the two final sectors, Vettel crosses the line at 30.416 to take the top spot, the German desperately wanting to enjoy success on home soil. Moments later Rosberg posts 30.651, just 0.235s off the world champion’s pace.
A 34.279 sees Van der Garde leapfrog both Williams drivers, the Grove outfit looking at another pointless weekend.
Still early, but surprising to see the Lotus and force India duos so far down the timesheet. Then again, neither have run on the soft rubber.
Like Raikkonen this morning, a superb recovery from Sutil who runs wide coming out of the final corner. There is obvious relief in the Force India garage.
Both Ferrari drivers now on softs, Massa improves to fourth (31.282) only to be demoted by his teammate moments later, Alonso breaking the timing beam at 31.056.
At half-time, it’s: Vettel, Rosberg, Webber, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Vergne, Perez and Hulkenberg.
Raikkonen runs wide in T3, like his teammate the Finn is now running on the option rubber. While di Resta has yet to make the switch, Sutil, who has, posts 31.824 to go seventh.
With 35:00 on the clock, most of the drivers start focussing on longer runs with high fuel loads, attention now switching to Sunday afternoon. Di Resta, now on softs improves to eleventh, while Grosjean, also on softs now, goes fourth (30.843).
Marussia tweets: “We have concluded Jules' programme for today as he is feeling a little under the weather with a slight stomach upset. Better for him to rest.”
Rodolfo Gonzalez drove the Marussia in this morning’s session – which according to the team was always the plan – and could be drafted in to replace the French youngster if he doesn’t sufficiently recover.
Some drivers are unhappy with the softer rubber which drops off quite considerably (around five seconds) after as many laps.
After eight laps on his run, Vettel is lapping at 39.5, compared to his best of 30.416. Similar problems for Rosberg, after nine laps he’s posting 39.498.
A little moment for Webber as he dives down the inside of Grosjean, a driver who has a certain ‘history’. The Australia gesticulated his unhappiness with the Lotus driver.
The TV cameras pick up on Norbert Haug, a welcome visitor to the Mercedes garage.
With twelve minutes remaining all but Bianchi are on track. The times are improving but Mercedes is losing ground to Red Bull, Webber, in particular, looking very consistent.
After a mammoth run, almost 30 laps, Webber pits and changes to the softer rubber.
Raikkonen, on softs, who is having radio problems, is told to pit. The Finn gets the message, informing his team that he is suffering graining. Remember, Lotus was one of the teams quite happy with Pirelli’s original rubber, as was Force India. Along with Ferrari, the two teams were against Pirelli making changes.
The session ends with Vettel quickest ahead of Rosberg, Webber, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Button and di Resta.
Sutil is eleventh, ahead of Ricciardo, Vergne, Perez, Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, Bottas, Maldonado, Pic, Van der Garde, Bianchi and Chilton.