27/07/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 45 degrees. It remains sunny and very, very warm, ideal conditions for F1… and particularly the likes of Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button topped the timesheets earlier, reaffirming the apparent return to form we witnessed in Germany. However, world championship leader Fernando Alonso, who finished third fastest, appeared to have things under control.
On the other hand, both Red Bulls were over 1.7s off the pace. A normal Friday test programme or a sign that the FIA's closing of the engine mapping loophole is starting to hurt?
Having made way for their teams reserve drivers this morning, this afternoon Bruno Senna, Nico Hulkenberg and Narain Karthikeyan are in action.
Tyres this weekend are medium and soft, though the option tyres didn't make an appearance this morning.
When the lights go green the Marussia duo lead the way. Shortly after, the Caterhams head down the pitlane followed by Raikkonen, Senna and Maldonado.
Pic posts the first time of the afternoon, the Frenchman crossing the line at 32.688. however, this is soon beaten by Raikkonen, Kobayashi, Kovalainen and Senna (27.505).
Less than four minutes into the session there are already eighteen drivers on track.
Rosberg goes quickest with a 26.689 as a succession of drivers run wide at Turn 14.
Having gone quickest (24.110), Grosjean runs wide on to the grass and clouts the barrier ripping off his nose at Turn 7.
In the Ferrari garage the Do-It-All boys are using lots of flo-vis paint on Alonso's car, making use of a sheet to keep paint of the main body of the car.
As the Lotus crew get to work on Grosjean's car, teammate Raikkonen goes quickest with a 22.950. The Finn is now running with the passive F-duct system that he ran this morning and in Germany.
As Button goes second (23.558), all but teammate Hamilton have posted a time. However, the Englishman is on track and moments later posts 23.924 to go fourth.
Momentarily deposed by Alonso (23.300), Button posts 22.963 to re-take second.
Hamilton goes third with a 22.990 but is instantly leapfrogged by Alonso (22.899). Vettel is quickest in S1 but loses pace in the next two sectors.
As Massa goes quickest (22.831) to make it a Ferrari 1-2, Kovalainen is told that there is a rain shower heading towards the circuit and that now might be the time to try the options. Moments later the stewards confirm that rain is about 10km away and moving in.
Speedy work by the Lotus crew sees Grosjean back on track, the Frenchman barely having lost any tracktime following his earlier mishap. Along with Kovalainen, the Frenchman is first to switch to the softer rubber.
Senna, currently eighth, and on mediums, improves to sixth with a 23.219, the Brazilian showing no sign of having missed out by being replaced by Bottas in FP1.
A big wobble for Ricciardo as the Toro Rosso duo continue to struggle, both over 1.8s off the pace at this stage.
Having posted PBs in the first two sectors, Webber eases off in the final turn having lost time in traffic. Elsewhere, Button is on track on the softer rubber.
Complaining of "massive understeer", Grosjean is told to pit immediately. Elsewhere, as Schumacher is told that light rain is expected in ten minutes, Kovalainen runs over some debris.
On his second lap on softs, Button goes quickest in S1. He loses pace in S2 finally crossing the line at 22.747 to go quickest by 0.084s.
Aware of the impending shower, more and more drivers switch to the softer rubber. The exceptions being Hamilton, Vettel, Schumacher and Webber.
Raikkonen goes quickest in S2, the Finn crossing the line at 22.770 to go second. However, all eyes are on Alonso who, having gone quickest in S2, crosses the line at 22.582 to take the top spot by 0.165s.
Hamilton switches to the soft rubber, the Englishman immediately going quickest in S1. As he maintains the pace in S2, Vettel is given a list of options, does he want to do another lap or come in. As Hamilton fails to improve, losing time in the final sector, Vettel opts to stay out.
A 22.180 sees Raikkonen go quickest however, Massa and Hamilton are both on hot laps. The Brazilian goes third (22.653) only to be demoted when Hamilton takes second with a 22.427.
In the Sauber garage Perez clearly has problems, mechanics swarming over his car.
Massa goes second with a 22.417 but again he is demoted, this time when Hamilton pops in a 21.995. Elsewhere, Schumacher says there is some rain but that it is light. As if proof were needed, Kovalainen spins at Turn 7 and takes a trip through the gravel.
Race Control confirms that the rain shower will be short and light. Though in some places it appears to be quite hard. Indeed, between Turns 5 and 9 it is quite wet. One by one the drivers return to the pits.
At 40:47, it's: Hamilton, Raikkonen, Senna, Massa, Alonso, Button, di Resta, Vettel, Grosjean and Schumacher.
For a short while Rosberg is the only driver on track, however, after running wide at T7 and being told that his tyres are not at their best he returns to the pits. In the pitlane all is silent.
On the hill surrounding the natural amphitheatre the rain is clearly a lot harder than Race Control predicted.
Vergne leaves the pits on a set of full wets, shortly after, as the rain eases, he is joined by Hamilton, Senna, Schumacher and Rosberg, all on inters. Schumacher goes off at Turn 12, the Mercedes sliding across the run-off and into the barrier… the German making no attempt to steer the car, reduced to the role of passenger. Game over.
While the rest head back to the pits, Kobayashi heads out on full wets. In the McLaren garage Hamilton climbs out of his car. Moments later, Vettel heads out on inters.
More and more drivers head out, some on inters, some on wets, Glock (inters) is lucky not to repeat Schumacher's mistake, the Marussia driver caught out by the standing water at T12.
Problems at McLaren as Button is sent out too early. The crew run down the pitlane to retrieve the MP4-27.
While Button eventually gets back to work, his team revealing little about the earlier problem, Hamilton watches from the pit-wall. Back on track, or rather not, Petrov is having all manner of problems, unable to keep his Caterham on the (wet) black stuff.
Button returns to the pits claiming that a couple of the rivers running cross the track are too much for the intermediates.
With the conditions variable around the circuit, it's a gamble as to what tyre to use, witness excursions for Senna and Rosberg among others.
With 4:30 on the clock, most drivers are on inters, Massa and Hulkenberg complaining that parts of the track are too dry for inters.
In the dying moments of the session, DRS is re-enabled, and while there is a clear dry line on some parts of the track in others it is still very wet.
Hamilton remains quickest, ahead of Raikkonen, Senna, Massa, Alonso, Button, di Resta, Vettel, Grosjean and Schumacher.
Rosberg is eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Hulkenberg, Webber, Kobayashi, Vergne, Ricciardo, Perez, Petrov, Kovalainen, Glock, de la Rosa, Pic and Karthikeyan.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.