26/11/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole practice session, the air temperature is 27 degrees C and the track temperature is 38 degrees. It is bright and sunny, but with rain forecast both today and tomorrow, all eyes are on the sky.
Lewis Hamilton set the pace in yesterday afternoon's session, which is when we saw drivers finally switch from the medium (prime) tyre to the soft (option). However, based on yesterday's evidence the softer rubber is not significantly quicker, maybe around a second.
As in Abu Dhabi, there are fears the DRS zone is in the wrong place. With the detection zone in the middle of the Senna S (Turn 2) it's feared that we might not see as much overtaking in the first corner as we're used to as drivers will fear losing back the position once they his the activation zone.
In many ways it was business as usual with McLaren and Red Bull leading Ferrari and Mercedes. A number of drivers complained of handling problems, while seventh placed Jenson Button was unhappy with the softs.
Behind the 'big four', Force India, certainly on yesterday's evidence, appears to have the edge over Renault, with Sauber and Toro Rosso next up ahead of Williams. Lotus is running a new rear wing this weekend, better suited to DRS, which the Malaysian team is convinced will help it close the gap.
Talking on updates, a number of teams, including Red Bull, are running new components with an eye on next season. Then again, with both titles secured, the Austrian outfit can afford to.
Among the updates, Renault is running a new front wing on Petrov's car, the seventh revision this year. Williams is running different rear wings for its drivers, Barrichello sticking with the older version.
Three-time world champion Nelson Piquet is spotted in the paddock. The Brazilian is driving his old Brabham here this weekend - let's hope he doesn't put it into the wall. Oh, that's the other one.
Kobayashi heads the traffic jam at the end of the pitlane, and moments after the lights go green there are thirteen drivers on track.
Meteo France claims that there will be no rain in the next hour, however, there are no such guarantees regarding qualifying.
Four minutes into the session, all twenty-four drivers have been out, only Kobayashi and Alonso staying out for a second lap. Having completed that second installation lap both drivers return to their garages.
Senna is the first driver out for a second run, the Brazilian subsequently joined by d'Ambrosio.
The Renault driver crosses the line at 1:16.622, d'Ambrosio posting a 19.616. Elsewhere, Petrov leaves the pits, followed by Glock and Kobayashi.
Petrov posts 15.836 to go second but subsequently improves to the top spot with a 14.654.
Rosberg, Button, Vettel and Hamilton head down the pitlane as Ricciardo goes third ahead of Liuzzi, d'Ambrosio, Glock and Kobayashi.
On his first flying lap, having gone quickest in S2, Hamilton crosses the line at 13.988 to take up where he left off yesterday. Button goes third with a 14.663.
Vettel posts a 13.754 having gone quickest in S2, however, Hamilton is on a quick lap, the Englishman going quickest in S1. Another quick sector (S3) sees the 2008 champ go quickest with a 13.508.
Button bangs in a 13.442 having gone quickest in the final two sectors, while Rosberg goes fourth and Schumacher sixth.
Buemi crawls back to the pits, the Swiss one of several drivers yet to confirm his plans for next season.
Having gone quickest in the first two sectors, Vettel is unable to maintain the pace in S3, nonetheless, his time of 13.186 is good enough to take the top spot back from Button.
With many teams expecting it to be wet tomorrow, some expecting it to be very wet, there is going to be a great gamble in terms of set-up.
As Schumacher goes fifth, twenty-five minutes into the session, Buemi, Alonso and Massa are the only drivers yet to post a time. That said, both Ferrari drivers are on track.
Massa's first flying lap sees the Brazilian go twelfth (15.287) while teammate Alonso can only manage twenty-third (23.189).
Next time around Massa improves to ninth only to be demoted when Alonso posts 14.350 to go seventh.
While Vettel, Button, Webber and Hamilton remain in their garages, Alonso improves to fifth (13.776), edging ahead of Schumacher, Rosberg, Sutil, di Resta and Massa.
Buemi reveals that his car has developed a hydraulics leak which is seriously going to compromise his session this afternoon and thereby tomorrow's race. Other than his seat for 2012, the Swiss wants to move his team up the standings in the all-important, financially speaking, Constructors' Championship.
With 21:00 on the clock, Schumacher is the first of the big guns to switch to the soft rubber. Having gone quickest in S3, the German improves to fourth with a 13.393. Moments later, Rosberg, also on softs, goes quickest in S1 going on to post 13.286 and thereby take third. Neither driver improves on their subsequent lap.
Sutil improves to fifth with a 13.390, Force India determined to overhaul Renault in the championship this weekend. While the two teams are separated by 17 points, Force India have taken 45 points from the last 8 races while Renault has managed only 7.
Webber (medium) goes quickest with a 13.154 but is instantly demoted by Sutil (softs) who crosses the line at 13.113.
With 11:22 on the clock, d'Ambrosio is the only driver on track, the Belgian making the most of the empty track before the final assault.
Alonso is among the first drivers to return to the track for what is the traditional rehearsal for qualifying. The Spaniard immediately goes quickest in S1. He's quickest again in S2, finally crossing the line at 12.765 to go quickest overall.
Massa loses time in traffic, the Brazilian wasting time in an unnecessary spat with Glock. That said, on this, the shortest purpose built track on the calendar, traffic is a problem.
Hamilton goes quickest (12.622) having gone quickest in the first two sectors. Elsewhere, replay show Alonso really struggling in Turn 12.
A 12.508 sees Vettel go quickest, the top four covered by 0.257. Hamilton responds by going quickest in S1 but a poor second sector means he fails to improve.
The TV director picks up on a very miserable Buemi, the Swiss facing an uphill battle this afternoon and tomorrow.
Vettel consolidates his top spot with a 12.460, the world champion quickest in the first two sectors.
Barrichello is up in twelfth, while teammate Maldonado is down in fifteenth. A good performance from the Brazilian who looks likely to saying farewell to F1 this weekend.
PBs in all three sectors se Button go second, while Webber, following a poor middle sector, can only manage third.
At the end of the pitlane, Schumacher and Massa have a moment as the two carry out practice starts.
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Button, Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Sutil, Rosberg, Schumacher, di Resta and Massa.
Petrov is eleventh, ahead of Barrichello, Alguersuari, Kobayashi, Maldonado, Perez, Senna, Trulli, Kovalainen, d'Ambrosio, Liuzzi, Ricciardo, Glock and the hapless Buemi.