29/09/2006
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 28 degrees. It remains cool, overcast, and somewhat damp. Indeed, some are predicting rain before the end of the session.
The lights go green, and first out is Montagny, followed by Yamamoto, Ralf, Ammermuller, Jani, Vettel, Sato, de la Rosa, Davidson and Heidfeld. After just one minute there are fifteen drivers on track.
Although Davidson posts the benchmark (40.411), this is soon beaten by Massa (38.142), as more and more drivers pile onto the Shanghai track.
Heidfeld goes second, ahead of Ralf, as more than twenty drivers lap the 3.3 mile track.
Michael Schumacher is on track, as Button goes fourth, behind Massa, Heidfeld and Wurz. The action is fast and frantic.
The seven-time World Champion goes second, just 0.042s down on his Ferrari teammate.
A 38.045 sees Webber go third, albeit 1.4s down on Massa, as Alonso heads down the pitlane.
As Alonso starts a 'hot lap', he's reminded - via the team radio - that his tyres will be cold. He responds by weaving left, right, left, generating heat into his Michelins.
The Renault crosses the line at 1:38.642, to go eighth, 2.043s down on Massa. However, on his next lap he goes quickest in the first sector - Michael sits in his car, carefully watching his monitor, his eyes show no emotion.
Alonso loses a little ground in the second sector, but crosses the line at 1:36.739, to go third. Elsewhere, teammate Fisichella has gone seventh. The Italian is quickest through the speedtrap, ahead of Alonso, Michael and Massa.
A fine rain is falling, it's not heavy, indeed, it is hardly noticeable, but it's raining nonetheless.
After twenty minutes, Sato, Kubica and the McLaren duo are the only drivers not to have posted a time.
A big lock-up by Fisichella has Flavio Briatore shaking his head - and not in an approving manner.
Probably trying to make it up to his boss, Fisichella improves to fourth with a 37.718, though he's still around a second slower than his teammate.
Massa is back on track, as is Michael.
Coulthard throws out what looks to be a white plastic bag that he's found in his car, it blows across the track. If that had been Fernando he's have penalised for being a litter-bug. Bet that's one the stewards hadn't thought of.
At 'half-time', it's: Massa, Michael, Alonso, Fisichella, Webber, Heidfeld, Button, Wurz, Vettel and Montagny. Yes, Montagny! No times from Sato, Kubica, Raikkonen or de la Rosa.
The stewards declare the session "wet", as the fine rain continues to fall.
A 37.011 sees Wurz go fourth, thereby splitting the Renaults. Elsewhere, Sato posts 41.315 to go twenty-fourth.
Pedro de la Rosa posts his first time of the day, the Spaniard crossing the line at 38.562 to go tenth.
Vettel improves to sixth, ahead of Webber, Heidfeld, Button and de la Rosa.
With twenty minutes remaining, there are only five drivers on track - Wurz, Premat, Montagny, Davidson and Liuzzi.
It is clear that drivers are struggling for grip, though the WilliamsF1 engineer is a little over-the-top when he says that they are "barely managing to survive".
Kubica finally posts a time (40.011), but it is only good enough for twentieth. Next time around he improves to seventeenth.
As Raikkonen leaves the pits, Ammermuller goes fifth (37.678), which seems to indicate that the track is drying.
Raikkonen goes eighteenth (39.197), as Montagny improves to eighth… in a bloody Super Aguri!
Taking up where he left off in Italy, Sebastian Vettel goes quickest, the BMW test driver posting 1:36.491.
Davidson and Wurz are both on hot laps, and though the Englishman goes fourth (36.719), the Austrian goes quickest, with a 35.947.
As Alonso fails to improve, Vettel goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 35.579, to go quickest. Elsewhere, Alonso spins, his Renault appearing to suffer massive oversteer.
Wurz and Davidson are both on hot laps (again), indeed the Austrian goes quickest (35.539). The Honda test driver however, can only manage third (35.714).
The session ends with Wurz quickest, ahead of Vettel, Davidson, Massa, Michael, Alonso, Montagny, Ammermuller, Monteiro and Fisichella.
Funny weather, and an equally odd session, with the teams no doubt frustrated by the conditions, which were neither one thing nor the other.
To check out our Shanghai practice gallery, click here