25/07/2009
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole free practice session, the air temperature is 21 degrees C, while the track temperature is 26 degrees. It is cooler than yesterday and slightly overcast. Furthermore, the wind is picking up.
While the top nineteen drivers were covered by just 1.097s yesterday, the sessions were largely inconclusive. McLaren has clearly made a major step forward but it remains to be seen where they truly stand in comparison to Red Bull and Brawn.
Of the title protagonists, Button and Brawn appeared to be having a harder time of it that the Red Bull duo, the Englishman appearing to struggle just a little even though - tyre-wise - conditions this weekend should be perfect for him.
The driver really suffering however was Felipe Massa, who appeared to spend more time off track than on it.
Of the two tyre options available - soft and super-soft - the super-soft appeared to have the edge.
Hopefully, we will glean a little more regarding the true state of play over the next hour.
The lights go green and Fisichella leads the way, followed by Trulli, Vettel, Buemi and Glock. With a couple of minutes all bar Barrichello are on track.
While the majority of drivers head back to their pits after the obligatory installation lap, Hamilton completes two laps, as does Heidfeld. Barrichello goes out for his installation lap also.
There follows a period of total inactivity until, eleven minutes into the session, Trulli heads down the pitlane, followed, shortly afterwards, by his Toyota teammate.
Trulli working hard in order to generate heat into his tyres as more and more cars pour on to the track.
The Italian crosses the line at 1:30.122 to set the benchmark, however, this is almost instantly beaten by his teammate who posts 25.815. Alguersuari goes second, splitting the Toyotas with a 29.048.
Alonso goes quickest (25.577) as Rosberg goes second, ahead of Glock and Trulli. Alguersuari improves to fourth as Glock complains of a problem with his hydraulics.
A 24.473 sees Rosberg go quickest ahead of Buemi as Raikkonen begins his first flying lap of the day. Alonso goes second as Rosberg improves with a 23.659.
Buemi takes the top spot with a 23.633 but is soon eclipsed by Rosberg (23.443) who is looking very good this weekend. The German is said to be in talks with BMW regarding a seat in 2010.
McLaren is back on top as Kovalainen posts a 23.343, the Finn making the most of all the upgrades he didn't have in Germany plus a couple of others. Fellow-Finn Raikkonen improves to fourth.
Coming up to half-time, Buemi re-takes the top spot with a 23.123, however, it doesn't last for long as Kovalainen is the first driver to break the 1:22 barrier.
As Hamilton complains of 'bottoming', the reigning World Champion goes quickest with a 22.280, making it a McLaren 1-2.
Barrichello goes fourth and Button sixth as Webber holds tenth and Vettel thirteenth.
Webber improves to sixth with a 23.222 right behind the two Brawns. Elsewhere, Massa improves to tenth.
At half-time, it's: Hamilton, Kubica, Kovalainen, Buemi, Massa, Button, Barrichello, Webber, Sutil and Rosberg.
Alguersuari appears to be one of the first drivers to switch to the super-softs. The Spanish youngster goes eleventh (3.500) as Glock's session appears to be over, the German now standing on the pit-wall as his crew work on that hydraulics problem.
A 22.652 sees Alguersuari go second 0.372s off Hamilton's pace. Teammate Buemi is currently fifth.
As Alonso (super-softs) goes quickest in the middle sector, Rosberg goes third overall. However, the German is demoted when the Renault driver goes second with a 22.369.
Both Brawns improves, Barrichello to fifth and Button to sixth, as more and more drivers switch to the super-softs.
Alonso goes quickest with a 22.274, however, Hamilton - now on super-softs - goes quickest in the first sector, eventually crossing the line at 22.074.
The yellow flags come out when Sutil goes into the barriers at Turn 9. The German went wide at Turn 8 and subsequently lost grip due to the dirt on his tyres. The Force India crew has just over two hours in which to repair his car, which has sustained a fair bit of damage at the front.
With thirteen minutes remaining, and attention focussed on qualifying, super-softs are the order of the day.
Kovalainen goes third with a 22.414, bumping Alguersuari down to fourth. Moments later, however, Massa posts 22.339 to take third back from the Finn.
Next time around, Massa goes quickest in the first two sectors, ultimately becoming the first man to break the 1:21s barrier. Elsewhere, Vettel, currently fourteenth, is unhappy with his car and his "hot bum", the result of constant bottoming.
A 22.141 sees Buemi improve to third, ahead of Alonso and Alguersuari. However, it's all change as the sun breaks through, just as Hamilton (21.502) goes quickest and Barrichello third.
Rosberg goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 21.565 to go second. Raikkonen, who had posted a personal best in the first sector, aborts his lap.
Hamilton consolidates his top spot with a 21.207, the Englishman far more aggressive than we've seen for some time. Buemi improves to fourth, as Toro Rosso benefits from the Red Bull upgrades.
Rosberg goes second and Nakajima fourth, only to be demoted by Heidfeld, who crosses the line at 21.408.
Glock, his hydraulics problem clearly resolved, goes fifth with a 21.849. Elsewhere, Kovalainen, currently sixth, improves to fourth with a 21.655, the McLaren under-steering massively in the final corner.
At the death, Hamilton raises the benchmark with a 21.009, putting him 0.399s ahead of second-placed Heidfeld.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Heidfeld, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Buemi, Glock, Massa, Nakajima, Webber and Vettel.
Kubica finishes eleventh, ahead of Trulli, Barrichello, Piquet, Raikkonen, Alonso, Button, Alguersuari, Fisichella and Sutil.
Jarno Trulli completed the most laps (25), ahead of Heidfeld, Buemi and Fisichella, all on 23.
If we were hoping that this session would give us a better idea of the true form of the drivers we were wrong… or were we?
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