23/08/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session the air temperature is 16 degrees C, while the track temperature is an equally cool 16 degrees. We're at Spa-Francorchamps and it wouldn't be Spa without some of the wet stuff... and we don't mean beer.
It is not raining now, but overnight rain has left the track wet. There is heavy cloud but also some sunshine in the distance. That said, the session is officially declared wet.
Tyre options are hard (prime) and medium (option), while there are two DRS zone, the first on the short pit straight and the second on the Kemmel Straight leading up the hill to Les Combes. Detection points are before the chicane and the other on the run down to Eau Rouge.
There is only one reserve driver on duty this morning, Heikki kovalainen standing in for Charles Pic at Caterham.
Kimi Raikkonen, who was off sick yesterday, is one of the first out, along with Vergne, Ricciardo, Gutierrez and Bianchi, all are on Inters except the Marussia driver who is on full wets.
One by one the drivers take to the track and one by one, the installation lap completed, they head back to the pits.
While Bianchi says the track is drying quickly, the Williams duo insist that some corners are still very wet.
Less than ten minutes into the session everyone has been out, Vettel the last to do so. The German, like his possible 2014 teammate (Raikkonen) completes two laps.
Fifteen minutes into the weekend, Bianchi posts the first time of the day (2:07.578), as Bottas and Button join him. The conditions catch the Finn by surprise causing him to run over the speed bumps at Les Combes.
Button posts 2:00.510 with Chilton crossing the line at 2:05.891 moments later. The McLaren driver, told that it is raining in the pitlane and that more rain is expected, warns that another lap will damage the rears. The cameras pick up a beautiful slide from Bottas.
As Kovalainen is warned of more rain, the cameras switch to Vettel and his new blonde locks.
Raikkonen is back on track, Lotus running its passive DRS system, though its unclear when benefit or feedback they'll get from running it in these conditions.
Like Les Combes, the chicane - formerly Bus Stop - is catching drivers out, Grosjean amongst those caught out. It is the first and third sectors that are damp, the second sector is fairly dry. To prove the point Massa clams it is too dry in parts for Inters but too wet in others for dry tyres.
After thirty-five minutes, it's: Button, Perez, Vergne, Ricciardo, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Chilton, Van der Garde and Bianchi. Those being the only times set so far.
As Button gets it all wrong at the chicane, Van der Garde informs his team that his rears are going off.
For reasons that are unclear, Raikkonen aborts his lap and dives into the pits, the Finn appearing to have suffered a problem on the run to the chicane. Back in the pits his car is immediately encircled by mechanics and others in order to keep prying lenses at bay.
As Kovalainen says the rain is not going away, Hulkenberg insists that it is "completely dry" in S2.
At half-time, Webber is the first driver to take to the track on dry (prime) rubber. His rear end covered in flo-vis, the Australian is naturally cautious through the slippery first sector.
As expected he is quickest in the relatively dry second sector, however the conditions in the first and final sectors mean he can only manage 2:10.191.
As he begins another lap he is joined by teammate Vettel. Again quickest in S2, this time the Australian improves to seventh with a 2:03.956.
As Vettel posts 2:04.815, Perez and Bottas switch to prime rubber, as do Button, Vergne and Ricciardo.
On the Inters, Vettel goes quickest in S2, crossing the line at 2:01.066 to go second. However, he subsequently spins at La Source, the German pushing to the absolute limit.
As more drivers switch to the dry (prime) tyres, Button remains quickest, the McLaren driver raising the bar with a 1:58.940. Perez, who has improved to 59.004, is involved in a silly squabble with Grosjean.
With all but Raikkonen on track, and thirty minutes remaining, Button's engineer warns that more rain is on the way.
Ricciardo goes quickest (58.350), ahead of Button, Vergne, Rosberg, Webber, Perez, Gutierrez, Maldonado, Alonso and Bottas.
A 58.2581 sees Hamilton go quickest only to be leapfrogged by his former teammate (Button) who crosses the line at 57.337, the McLaren driver revelling in the changing conditions. Elsewhere, Perez is told not to let anyone past, to keep pushing before the rain arrives.
Alonso posts 56.077 but this is soon beaten by Perez (55.518), with the Force India duo going fourth (di Resta) and fifth.
Di Resta goes quickest, the Scot banging in a 55.224, the track clearly getting drier, in every sector, despite the threat of more rain. That said, the chicane continues to catch drivers out. Hamilton almost comes a cropper following a mistake by Gutierrez.
Raikkonen, who has missed out on much of the dry period, finally leaves the pits - just as it begins to rain. Elsewhere, as Perez makes a mistake at Pouhon, Alonso re-takes the top spot with a 55.198.
As the green sector times give way to yellows on the timing screen it is clear the rain is beginning to make an impact. All but the Lotus duo - currently twenty-first and twenty-second - head back to the pits.
With just over ten minutes remaining the rain is falling harder, all twenty-two drivers now back in their garages. As we ponder whether there will be any further running, Sutil, Vergne, Kovalainen, Van der Garde and Bianchi head down the pitlane, Hamilton also, but on Inters.
Having previously reported that Eau Rouge is "very wet", next time around the Dutchman proves the point by running wide and taking to the tarmac run-off.
The session ends with no further improvements, Alonso topping the timesheet ahead of di Resta, Sutil, Perez, Rosberg, Vettel, Gutierrez, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Bottas.
Massa is eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Vergne, Button, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Van der Garde, Chilton, Webber, Bianchi, Raikkonen and Grosjean.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.