11/09/2009
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second session, the air temperature is 28 degrees C, while the track temperature is 37 degrees C. It remains bright and sunny.
McLaren led the way this morning, with Brawn looking strong, while Toyota finished 19th and 20th, the Japanese team reverting to the sort of form we saw in Valencia.
The lights go green and the Toro Rossos are waiting at the end of the pitlane and ready. In the Ferrari garage, Michael Schumacher, who has signed a new three-year deal with Ferrari, watches the monitors as Giancarlo Fisichella performs a practice start at the end of the pitlane.
Many of the drivers experienced problems at the first chicane this morning, sometimes leaving their braking just that little too late, sometimes caught out by the new higher kerbs. Unlike previous years, due to the ban on in-season testing - the drivers have little info available in terms of set-up. As if to prove a point, both Grosjean and Webber miss the first chicane.
Within five minutes of the session getting underway there are eleven names on the timesheets with Kubica leading the way from Kovalainen and Liuzzi.
Ten minutes into the session all but Glock, Vettel and Sutil have posted times. Kovalainen leads the way followed by Liuzzi, Button, Kubica and Raikkonen.
No sooner has Button gone second than he is leapfrogged by teammate Barrichello who crosses the line at 25.513.
Having watched from the sidelines for much of this morning, in an attempt to save his engine, Vettel is eager to get to work in this afternoon's session and on his fifth lap goes third with a 25.722.
The only man who hasn't been out is Sutil, who is having the engine changed in his Force India.
A 24.902 sees Heidfeld go quickest on the softs as Hamilton improves to third with a 25.405. Next time around the German improves with a 24.693.
Finally on track, Sutil wastes no time in picking up where he left off this morning, going third overall with a 25.399. Next time around, the German, on mediums, improves to second with a 24.809 having gone quickest overall in the second sector.
Heidfeld complains that he is losing time at Turn 6, the first Lesmo, as Hamilton fails to improve on third.
From out of nowhere, Trulli produces a 25.072 to go third, while Glock remains fifteenth.
Kubica (softs) goes quickest in the second sector, however, he loses a heap of time when Nakajima goes wide through the Parabolica throwing up clouds of dust.
At half-time, it's: Heidfeld, Sutil, Trulli, Hamilton, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Kubica, Kovalainen, Liuzzi and Grosjean.
It's a BMW 1-2 as Kubica takes the top spot with a 24.622, however, moments later Sutil spoils the party with a 24.314.
The drivers are now concentrating on long runs as opposed to fast times, there is the occasional personal best in a sector or two but nothing significant.
Glock goes fourth with a 24.983 as Hamilton, who went quickest overall in the first sector, fails to improve following a poor final sector.
Webber, who has only completed 11 laps due to an electrical problem, is back on track (on softs) and seeking to improve on twentieth (25.968). Next time around he improves to 25.673, which puts him nineteenth, three places behind his Red Bull teammate.
Buemi goes sixth (24.884) as Glock posts 24.634 to go third, the German having gone quickest overall in the second sector. Elsewhere, Webber moves up to fifteenth, ahead of Button, Grosjean and Vettel.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Michael Schumacher is is the Ferrari garage appearing to give advice to Fisichella who is preparing to go out.
Kovalainen (medium) posts personal bests in the first two sectors and again in the third, crossing the line at 24.714 to go fifth.
As Grosjean hoes quickest in the first sector, Kovalainen improves to second overall, the Finn posting 24.482, just 0.168s off Sutil's time. Grosjean stops the clock at 24.518 to go third.
Alonso goes quickest in the first sector as Webber and Vettel both post personal bests. As Grosjean goes quickest overall (24.163), Alonso loses time behind Trulli but still manages to go second overall with a 24.297.
For a brief few moments, it's Renault first and second until Sutil posts 24.295 to go second. Next time around the German is the first driver to break into the 1:23s, crossing the line at 23.924.
The session ends with Sutil quickest, ahead of Grosjean, Alonso, Kovalainen, Kubica, Glock, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Nakajima and Buemi.
Hamilton is eleventh, ahead of Liuzzi, Trulli, Webber, Alguersuari, Barrichello, Rosberg, Vettel, Button and Fisichella.
Buemi completed the most laps (44), ahead of Kovalainen (41), Kubica and Trulli (40).
An interesting session, though it bears little relationship to what we saw this morning.