20/06/2009
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole free practice session, the air temperature is 13 degrees C, while the track temperature is 16 degrees. It is overcast, and slightly colder than yesterday. Following overnight rain, and a shower earlier this morning, the track is damp and the session has been declared wet. It is thought that there will be further showers not only during this session but in qualifying. Inters look to be the choice for the early stages of this session.
While the Red Bulls were dominant yesterday, it was difficult to draw any real conclusions, while the fact that the Brawns were not at the top of the timesheets doesn't, by any stretch of the imagination, mean that the Brackley outfit is finally losing ground.
Much of the reason for yesterday's topsy-turvy timesheets was down to the weather, the strong winds and cool temperatures. Consequently, according to Bridgestone, the soft tyre could well be the better qualifying and race tyre, however, if the temperatures are warmer the hard tyres could look like a more attractive race tyre.
As for KERS, having tried the system on Kovalainen's car yesterday, McLaren has opted to drop it for the remainder of the weekend. Therefore, after all the money invested - and Mosley's concern with budgets - only Ferrari is using it at Silverstone.
The Force Indias lead the way once the lights go green, with Kubica, Massa, Trulli and Piquet in hot pursuit.
Seven minutes into the session, all but Buemi have been out. The Force Indias come out for a second exploratory lap before returning to base.
Twelve minutes in the session, with most drivers hanging around, talking to crew or friends, Vettel is the only driver on track, the German having topped the timesheets in both sessions yesterday. If it is wet here this weekend, the Red Bull driver has to be favourite.
Massa goes out, but, unlike his predecessors, having completed another exploratory lap he stays out for a second. Kubica and Piquet also on track. As Massa and Kubica head back to the pits - still no times set thus far - the sun is beginning to break through.
Twenty-three minutes into the session, Piquet posts the first time of the day, crossing the line at 1:28.756. Next time around, the Renault driver gets it down to 25.989. Heidfeld is also on track.
As Piquet raises the benchmark with a 23.852, Heidfeld goes second with a 33.668.
Rosberg (drys) goes second (25.663) and Nakajima third (26.461), as more cars leave the pits, however, still no sign of Buemi.
Hamilton leaves the pits, the Englishman on hard (dry) tyres. Elsewhere, Bourdais goes fourth.
No sooner has Nakajima gone quickest than Bourdais and Rosberg both improve, pushing the Japanese driver down to third. All but Piquet, Kubica, Vettel and Buemi on track.
Glock goes quickest (21.840), however, Rosberg is on a hot lap, subsequently crossing the line at 21.375. Hamilton goes fifth, Massa eighth and Button ninth.
All but Buemi on track as Massa goes second with a 21.784 before being demoted by Glock.
Webber goes fourth, the Australian sporting the 'platypus' nose while his teammate - yet to post a time - is running the 'old' nose.
Alonso goes second, ahead of Nakajima, Massa, Webber, Sutil, Hamilton and Raikkonen.
A 20.601 sees Massa go quickest, as Hamilton asks where he's losing time. "First and second sectors," he's told, "three-tenths in each".
Its hard to keep pace as the times tumble, Nakajima and then Webber both beating Massa's previous best. Elsewhere, Buemi finally makes an appearance.
Vettel's first flying lap of the day sees the German go sixteenth (21.936), his car now sporting the new nose.
Trulli goes quickest and Button third with just under fifteen minutes remaining.
Vettel improves to third, 0.27s quicker than his teammate, as Buemi returns to the pits having yet to post a time.
A 19.983 sees Vettel go quickest ahead of Trulli, Nakajima, Button, Webber and Massa. Barrichello still down in fifteenth. Next time around, Vettel improves to 19.809.
Buemi is back on track, the Swiss driver the first to switch to the soft option tyre. The Toro Rosso driver's first timed lap is 23.934, improving to 22.024 next time around.
Quickest in the final sector, Massa (softs) goes second overall, as Hamilton (also softs) goes seventh. Next time around, the Brazilian goes quickest (19.596), as Glock goes third and Hamilton fourth.
In the closing moments of the session, it's fast and furious, as the times tumble. When the smoke settles, Trulli is quickest, ahead of Rosberg and Nakajima. Elsewhere, Glock has a moment on the exit of the Becketts complex.
For a brief moment it looks as though Nakajima will have the honour of heading the timesheets, however, his thunder is stolen by teammate Rosberg who posts 18.899.
Therefore, Rosberg is quickest, ahead of Nakajima, Trulli, Vettel, Massa, Raikkonen, Glock, Alonso, Webber and Barrichello.
Hamilton was eleventh, ahead of Button, Piquet, Bourdais, Sutil, Fisichella, Kovalainen, Heidfeld, Buemi and Kubica.
Rosberg and Heidfeld completed the most laps (20), ahead of Nakajima, Massa and Glock (19), Piquet and Kovalainen (18).