Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 28 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 32 degrees.

There has been a rain shower in the break between session but for the most part the track has dried. However, we are expecting more rain, lots of it, for the remainder of the weekend. Indeed, according to Race control there is an 80% chance of rain over the next ninety minutes.

Despite having been left run down due to "partying", Lewis Hamilton showed no lingering after effects this morning, leaving the opposition, including teammate Nico Rosberg, for dust.

Indeed, the Briton was 0.519s quicker than his teammate who has Sebastian Vettel breathing down his neck.

Whilst the Ferraris are the main opposition to Mercedes, based on this morning's running, Red Bull is up there, ahead of Williams and Toro Rosso.

Interestingly, Daniel Ricciardo ran the upgraded Renault engine this morning, whilst teammate Daniil Kvyat ran with the 'standard' version. While the Australian was quicker, the difference between them was not significant.

There lots of offs and lock-ups this morning, the most significant being a spin for Kimi Raikkonen which totally destroyed his tyres.

Revised kerbing at a number of corners have also caused problems, Hamilton amongst the early critics of the changes.

Having handed his car over to Jolyon palmer earlier, Romain Grosjean is back in his car this afternoon. Incidentally, Lotus was fined a thousand euros for unsafely releasing Palmer into the past of Jenson Button in FP1. Money the Enstone squad can ill afford.

Tyre choices this weekend are medium (prime) and soft (option), this being the third successive race at which this combination has been used.

There are two DRS zones, the first detection point is at the apex of T2, with activation shortly after T3, while the second has its detection point just after T13, with activation after T15.

The lights go green and Ericsson is first out of the blocks, followed by teammate Nasr.

No time for installation laps this afternoon, in no time at all there are seven, eight, nine names on the timesheet, Verstappen heading, Sainz, Nasr, Ericsson and Maldonado.

It's raining very lightly consequently a spin from Rossi brings out the yellow flags.

A 14.906 sees Vettel go quickest as the Mercedes duo head down the pitlane. Moment later, as Rosberg goes quickest in S1, Bottas posts 14.621.

Rosberg goes quickest (13.793), the German having gone quickest in all three sectors. Attention turns to Hamilton.

When he asks about the rain, Ericsson is told to continue and work his tyres, "there's nothing on the radar yet," he is told.

Hamilton posts 13.947 to go second, 0.154s off his teammate's pace.

"Please get me a good gap," asks Hamilton as he struggles in the traffic. He should have seen the A12 yesterday!

Button calls for "new gloves" at his next stop. That's a new one.

Having found some clear space, Hamilton improves to 13.634 having gone quickest in the first two sectors.

As Kvyat reports rain in S2 and S3, asked about the conditions Rosberg says "the rain is no problem". Indeed, he closes to within 0.136s of his teammate.

Twenty minutes into the session, Alonso is the first driver to switch to options. With the track to himself the Spaniard improves to eighth with a 15.129.

As a light rain continues to fall, Bottas heads down the pitlane on options, Nasr also. The Finn posts 13.603 to go quickest.

A problem for Alonso who runs wide in T4 then stops at T10, "I have no power," he says as smoke pours from the rear of his car.

Out comes the red flag as marshals remove Alonso's stricken McLaren from the side of the track.

Replay has McLaren telling the Spaniard "stay less than 50% throttle," before quickly telling him to "stop the car, stop the car!"

Back in the pitlane, Alonso walks straight through the McLaren garage, not a work spoken to anyone.