06/09/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second session, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees. Following this morning's bright sunshine, this afternoon it is even brighter... and warmer.
Tyre choices on this the fastest track on the calendar are hard (prime) and medium (option). There are two DRS zones, one on the main pit straight the other on the run from the second Lesmo to the Variante Ascari.
Lewis Hamilton was the pace-setter this morning but it was tight, indeed, so tight the top fifteen drivers were covered by just 1.029s.
This afternoon we will see the option tyres make their debut here which will mean higher lap times - the cars were averaging over 150 mph this morning - and a more strung out field.
No major problems this morning, though the first and second chicanes caught out a number of drivers as did Ascari and the Parabolica, all legendary turns on a legendary circuit.
Having given over their cars to reserve drivers this morning, Adrian Sutil, Giedo Van der Garde and Jules Bianchi are back in action this afternoon.
In the moments before the lights go green mechanics are working furiously on Webber's car which has a KERS problem, the Australian unlikely to be seen in the opening phase of the session.
Like this morning, Chilton is first out, though he has Button and Raikkonen for company, Perez also amongst the eager beavers.
In no time at all there are seven names on the timesheets, Perez heading Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Button and Vergne, the Mexican having posted a 26.700.
Vergne misses the first chicane, with Raikkonen spinning there moments later. Elsewhere, Bianchi heads through the gravel at Ascari.
Soon all but Webber, Alonso and Hamilton are on track, whilst Raikkonen, who has had a nose change - the car, people, the car! - raises the bar with a 25.725, the Finn at the wheel of the longer wheelbase E21. Grosjean, in the standard wheelbase Lotus, goes second (26.090).
No messing about from Vettel who goes straight to the top of the sheets with a 25.616 as Vergne runs wide in the first Lesmo.
Going purple in all three sectors, Vettel ups the ante with a 25.038, elsewhere, Alonso is running suspiciously close to his Ferrari teammate bringing back memories of last year when they attempted to use slipstreaming to their advantage... but with limited success.
Rosberg, having gone quickest in S2, goes second overall (25.699), the German clearly missing out in S1. Elsewhere, Webber leaves the Red Bull garage.
As Ricciardo switches to options, twenty minutes into the session, Alonso goes second with a 25.543.
Lots of drivers, including Button and Massa, complain that they are struggling with their cars, the Englishman with the rear of his car, the Brazilian with understeer.
Currently on 26.599, Ricciardo begins his first flying lap on the options, unfortunately he locks-up into the first chicane. As he aborts the lap, Bottas and Chilton follow suit and switch to the softer rubber.
Ricciardo's second lap on the soft rubber is equally unconvincing, the Toro rosso driver making a mistake in the final sector.
Bottas is unhappy with his straight-line speed, the Finn losing around 15 mph compared to Vettel.
Webber posts a 25.253 to make it a Red Bull 1-2, as Vettel leaves the pits on a set of options. The German immediately goes quickest in S1 and again in S2, finally crossing the line at 24.721.
Webber and Rosberg also switch to the options, as Grosjean weaves his way through the marker boards at T1 having made a mistake.
Vettel improves again, this time stopping the clock at 24.453. Moments later, Webber posts 25.076, 0.623s off his teammate's pace.
As mechanics change the rear suspension on Raikkonen's car, Hamilton (options) goes fourth with a 25.340, albeit 0.887s off the pace.
As Hamilton complains that he still has massive understeer, Grosjean has a massive lock-up at the first chicane totally compromising his lap.
At half-time, it's: Vettel, Webber, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Perez and Massa.
A massive cloud of dust is kicked up as Raikkonen runs wide in the Parabolica, moments later Maldonado also runs wide sending even more detritus into the atmosphere. Just before hand, the Venezuelan's engineer confirmed that drivers are getting their best times on their second and third laps on the options.
With just over half-an-hour remaining, attention switches to Sunday afternoon and high fuel running, Mercedes one of the first to switch to this programme, Rosberg on primes and Hamilton on options. Interestingly, Red Bull is running a similar programme.
Bianchi runs wide in the second Lesmo, kicking up a cloud of stones and dust, as drivers continue to push to the very limit. Shortly after, Perez takes a bone-rattling ride over the speed bumps having missed the second chicane.
With attention now fully focussed on Sunday and high fuel runs, it's worth noting that Vettel's advantage over the opposition - the closest of which is his own teammate - is 0.623s.
Maldonado misses the first chicane and Hamilton, who was right behind him, also has to take to the escape road.
After his long run on primes, Vettel is back on track on a set of options. Elsewhere, yet another lock-up for Hamilton, the Mercedes suffering a clear brake balance issue. Problems for Massa also, the Brazilian suffering a gear selection issue.
Hamilton's latest excursion is coming out of the Parabolica, the Mercedes sending up a cloud of dust.
Ass Vettel posts a series of times almost metronomic in their consistency, Alonso runs off into the gravel at the second Lesmo. Elsewhere, Rosberg gets it all wrong at the first chicane.
With a couple of minutes remaining, the Williams duo are well off the pace, as are the Force Indias and Saubers along with the usual suspects. At this point in the weekend, Vettel looks untouchable.
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Webber, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Massa, Button and Perez.
Di Resta is eleventh ahead of Gutierrez, Sutil, Maldonado, Vergne, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, Bottas, Chilton, pic, Van der Garde and Bianchi.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.