Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 46 degrees. It remains is bright and sunny.

It's unusual to see Red Bull setting the pace on Friday, particularly in the opening session, yet that's what happened this morning with Mark Webber heading Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, who suffered an engine failure just five minutes before the end of the session.

We had no less than five second/reserve drivers in action this morning, however, this afternoon it's the usual suspects.

Romford born singer Jessie J walks through the paddock, the brunette looking her usual demure self, barely recognizable. Elsewhere, another singer Macy Gray looks just about as bored as anyone could possibly be.

As soon as the lights go green, like this morning Kovalainen leads the way. Within moments there are 13 drivers on track.

Despite suffering an engine failure this morning, therefore the need for a replacement, because its now a brand new powerplant, having been used previously, there is no penalty for the Spaniard. That said, if he suffers another failure - possible on a circuit which puts so much strain on the engine - he could be in trouble.

As more drivers pour on to the track, the first thirteen out post their times, Perez topping the bunch with a 16.712. Teammate Kobayashi is second, ahead of Alguersuari and Petrov.

The big guns are out and Button goes quickest (15.190), ahead of Alonso, Schumacher, Massa, Rosberg and di Resta. Moments later, Hamilton, wearing a new helmet that is virtually identical to that worn by Ayrton Senna, goes second with a 15.573.

Next time around the Englishman goes quickest, crossing the line at 13.852. Teammate Button consolidates second with a 13.898.

The cameras pick up Barrichello, who is complaining about a total lack of mechanical grip, the Brazilian also sporting what appears to be a Senna helmet. What with Bruno Senna that makes at least three of them.

Vettel goes third and Webber fourth, and with Alonso fifth, ahead of Schumacher, Massa and Rosberg, its pretty much business as usual as far as the big guns are concerned.

It's the same at the other end of the timesheets where HRT is propping up Virgin, Lotus and, sadly, Williams, who are clearly struggling here.

Kobayashi is the first driver to make the switch to the softer rubber, the Sauber driver immediately going sixth with a 15.492.

Massa posts 14.562 to split the Red Bulls, the Brazilian still on the medium rubber.

Perez, runs across the inside run off at Turn 10, a corner which appears to be catching out a number of drivers today.

Glock pulls to the side of the track, the German sidelined for the second time today. Virgin - soon to be Marussia - will not be sorry to see the end of this season.

Having gone quickest in S1, Button crosses the line at 13.898, closing to within 0.046s of his teammate.

TV director picks up Sam Michael in the McLaren garage, the former Williams man having swapped his (Abu Dhabi) white shirt for a black version.

Maldonado hauls the Williams up to fifteenth, eclipsing the Renault duo in the process.

Approaching half-time, drivers are now concentrating on longer runs on medium tyres, consequently there are no improvements. That said, a couple of drivers, Senna and Rosberg are running soft tyres, the German immediately going second with a 13.872.

Schumacher, like his teammate on softs, goes quickest with a 13.723.

As Kobayashi runs wide in Turn 4, Massa leaves the pits on a set of softs. Hampered by traffic the Ferrari driver fails to improve. Next time around, as the McLaren begin their first flying laps on softs, Massa once again fails to improve.

Hamilton goes quickest, however, his time (13.653) is only 0.070s quicker than Schumacher. However, rather than suggesting that Me4rcedes is closing the gap, this is probably more to do with McLaren playing about with fuel loads. The 2008 world champion subsequently ups the ante with a 13.392.