13/04/2007
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 32 degrees C, and the track temperature is 48 degrees. It remains hot and sunny, but the tracks remains 'dirty', covered in dust and sand,
The lights go green and the two BMWs lead the way, followed by Schumacher, Sato, Albers, Davidson, Kovalainen and Liuzzi. We know from the team radio chatter that Kovalainen will be doing two laps then stopping for a practice pit stop.
Unlike the first session, the drivers dispense with the installation laps and get straight down to business. Once the dust has settled - in every sense - Liuzzi is quickest, ahead of Heidfeld, Speed, Kovalainen, Fisichella, Davidson and Sato.
A big lock up for Coulthard, as Raikkonen leave the pits.
We're only seven minutes into the session, yet we have already had twenty cars go out.
As Raikkonen begins his first flying lap, Alonso goes quickest in the first two sectors. The Spaniard crosses the line at 34.211 to go quickest, with teammate Hamilton slotting in neatly behind. Raikkonen can only manage ninth (36.828).
Massa is finding it no easier out there than anyone else, indeed conditions appear to have slightly worsened since this morning. The Brazilian goes seventh, behind Alonso, Hamilton, Kubica, Liuzzi, Heidfeld and Speed.
Kovalainen posts 34.868 to go third, just ahead of his teammate who takes fourth with a 34.969.
Just five cars on track now and one of them is Massa, who is running on the harder compound. Clearly the Brazilian is on a long run, and not aiming for a chart-topping time.
Heidfeld has completed the most laps thus far (10). The German also posted the most laps in the first session (30).
Another massive lock-up for Massa, who is really pushing the F2007. Elsewhere, Button is attempting to improve on sixteenth. Ho does, the Englishman posts 36.126, which promotes him to twelfth.
Webber takes a trip out into the desert, having completely run out of track, while Hamilton goes quickest of all in the final sector. The Englishman remains second quickest, just 0.202s down on his teammate.
Despite the excursions, Webber improves to fifth, posting 35.255. Meanwhile, Alonso is on a hot lap, going quickest in the first sector.
Raikkonen (on hard) improves to seventh, 1.069s, as Hamilton and Alonso (both medium) fail to improve.
That said, next time around the Spaniard goes quickest in the second sector. He fails to improve, but Raikkonen posts a personal best in the first sector. The Finn goes fourth (34.950), the hard compound seemingly the tyre to have at this point in time.
Massa is on track, the Brazilian going quickest in the first sector. He loses time in the second sector as he lines up Barrichello, finally crossing the line at 34.431 to go second. He's on the medium compound. Elsewhere, his teammate is struggling, as is Albers who gets dreadfully out of shape.
Massa posts 34.043 to go quickest, however, moments later he's joined at the top of the timesheets by Rosberg, who posts 34.189.
Trulli spins and is lucky not to be hit by a passing Toro Rosso (Liuzzi). Elsewhere, the Hondas are back at the wrong end of the timesheets,
Wurz is on a good lap, as is Webber. The Austrian improves to fifth (34.861), but is almost instantly demoted by the Australian Red Bull driver.
Most laps thus far, Coulthard, who has completed 20. The Scot is currently fifteenth, two places behind Anthony Davidson.
He's only quickest in the second sector, but that's more than enough to give Alonso back the top spot. The World Champion crosses the line at 33.784.
In the Toyota garage, Jarno Trulli asks if he can go back to the soft set-up. "We don't have time," is the response. The Italian is currently seventeenth, 2s off the pace, but four places ahead of his teammate.
Raikkonen is on track, running with the medium compound. Personal bests in the final two sectors are enough to move him up to second, 0.189s off Alonso's best. The Finn begins his next lap by going quickest in the first sector, however, a mistake in the second appears to kill his hopes of improving.
Next time around the Finn loses time behind a Toro Rosso, once he's alongside he makes his frustration quite clear.
It's all over for Button, who, having first gone wide, suddenly has flames shooting from the back of his car. This is bad news not only for the Englishman but also Massa who is right behind him. The Brazilian spins, either to avoid the impromptu barbecue or due to oil left on the track by the detonating Honda engine.
Moments later, there is an impending feeling of disaster when the 'parked' Honda begins to roll backwards. Thankfully it stops.
Obviously, this weekend, much like last weekend, is going to be about damage limitation for the Brackley team.
With twenty-three minutes remaining, it's: Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Hamilton, Kubica, Webber, Wurz and Kovalainen.
Wurz (medium) goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 33.973 to go third. Teammate Rosberg is sixth, a good start for the Grove outfit. That said, the German has an excursion across the wide open spaces.
Talking about his problem, Button pulls no punches; "it's not working," says the Englishman, "and this is just the icing on the cake," he adds, referring to the engine failure and subsequent conflagration. Understandably, her looks thoroughly hacked off.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Hamilton is on track running mediums. In the Ferrari garage the mechanics are working on the rear of Raikkonen's car.
The Englishman posts a personal best in the first sector, as does Sato. In the second sector Hamilton goes quickest, finally crossing the line at 1:33.540 to go quickest. In the press room the British media looks like something out of the Blue Oyster Bar.
Coulthard almost runs over a member of the Toyota crew who isn't paying due care and attention.
As Kubica goes second (33.732), Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector. The Finn crosses the line at 33.5287 to take the top spot.
Further down the timesheets, Trulli and Davidson are both on good laps. The Englishman goes ninth, but is bumped down by the Italian moments later. The performance of the Super Aguris merely adds to Honda's misery. What say the Brackley team buy the SA02 chassis back? Or better still protest them.
Four minutes remaining, time for some last minute charges.
Massa goes wide, Wurz gets all out of shape, it's the same old story. Moments later, Fisichella goes wide and as he gets back on track almost collects Raikkonen who is right behind him. We've had a number of near misses today.
To add to his problems, both Spykers improve, dropping Button to the foot of the timesheets.
The session end, much as it begun, with lock-ups, slides, spins and excursions.
Raikkonen is quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Kubica, Massa, Alonso, Wurz, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Coulthard and Trulli.
Barrichello is eleventh, ahead of Kovalainen, Davidson, Webber, Fisichella, Sato, Liuzzi, Schumacher, Sutil, Speed, Albers and Button.
To check out our Bahrain free practice gallery, click here