15/04/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 34 degrees. It is bright but remains muggy, humidity being 68%.
As one might have expected, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull led the way this morning, the German finishing 2.106s quicker than Lewis Hamilton, while teammate Mark Webber was 0.615s off the pace.
There were no major incidents, other than Maldonado beaching his Williams and Heidfeld wiping the nose off his Renault. As in the first two races the tyre options are hard (prime) and soft (option) but the softer rubber wasn't seen this morning.
The lights go green and first out is Alguersuari. The Spaniard didn't take part in this morning's session, instead his car was driven by Daniel Ricciardo. Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil also watched from the pitwall as their teams' reserve drivers had fun.
Hamilton is also out early, the McLaren, though the biggest threat to Red Bull, appeared nervous and skittish this morning.
As Alguersuari posts 43.655, Paul di Resta confirms that he is unlikely to get out this afternoon due to a fuel pressure problem though his crew is working hard in an attempt to rectify the situation.
Hamilton posts 40.840 but this is soon beaten by his McLaren teammate who crosses the line at 40.207. Heidfeld goes third, ahead of Alguersuari and Buemi only to be leapfrogged by Schumacher who goes third with a 42.366.
Just six minutes into the session there are already seventeen names on the timesheets.
Hamilton raises the benchmark with a 40.121 as Rosberg posts 40.479 to go third. Alguersuari loses grip on the marbles as he exits Turn 9, the Toro Rosso performing a nifty little 360.
Having gone quickest in all three sectors, Button goes quickest with a 39.431. Massa posts 40.406 to go third while teammate Alonso takes sixth with a 41.043.
Petrov gesticulates as a very slow Massa ruins his lap. The Russian clearly gaining confidence race by race.
Vettel's first flying lap sees the German go nineteenth (44.959) while Webber posts 46.433. Next time around the German improves to seventeenth while the Australian posts 45.802. The Red Bull duo are on high fuel runs looking ahead to Sunday.
A 40.258 sees Alonso go third, ahead of Heidfeld, Massa, Rosberg and Schumacher. Still no times from the Hispania duo or di Resta.
Rosberg goes quickest in all three sectors, taking the top spot with a 38.912, 0.519s clear of Button. After eight laps, Vettel complains that his rear tyres are beginning to go.
Maldonado is one of the first drivers to switch to the option rubber, the Venezuelan immediately going third with a 39.667. Vettel now complains of a vibration.
As Maldonado returns to the pits, having gone quickest in the first sector of his in lap, teammate Barrichello is still sown in fifteenth position. The Grove outfit is trying a new exhaust on the Brazilian's car.
Massa is the first of the big guns to switch to the soft rubber, the Brazilian currently seventh on 40.406. In the first sector the Ferrari driver goes quickest with a 26.0, then a 29.8s in S2. At the line it's 38.507 which sees the 2008 championship runner-up go quickest.
As the Force India crew continue to work on di Resta's car, Alonso heads down the pitlane on soft rubber. Liuzzi has yet to make an appearance in this session.
Though he fails to improve his overall time, Massa goes quickest in the first and final sectors.
More and more drivers now switching to the options, Rosberg being the latest. The German immediately goes quickest in all three sectors, crossing the line at 37.943, over half-a-second faster than Massa.
Buemi pops up in sixth with a 39.771 as Heidfeld writes off another front wing, this time in Turn 1. However, unlike the earlier session, he keeps the car going and starts the long journey back to the pits. However, shortly afterwards, having taken to an escape road, he cuts the engine in fear of it overheating and grinds to a halt.
Buemi reports that his KERS isn't working. The Swiss is told to return to his garage.
As the Renault crew push Heidfeld's car back to the pits, replay shows Massa running wide. Meanwhile, Ferrari reports a hydraulics issue on Alonso's car.
Now on the options, Webber posts PBs in all three sectors, going fourth overall with a 39.327. Moments later, Kobayashi, also on softs, goes fifth with a 39.538. Still very difficult to tell these compounds apart, the current colour markings simply are clear enough.
Schumacher goes quickest in S2, finally crossing the line at 38.105 to go second overall. The German also benefiting from a tow from Maldonado's Williams.
With 30.0 on the clock, Vettel is on track on the option rubber. The German immediately goes quickest in S1 though this is quickly beaten by Hamilton who is also on the soft rubber, as is Button. Hamilton continues to eclipse Vettel's sector time, the Englishman ultimately crossing the line at 37.854 while his teammate goes second with a 37.935. Vettel - seemingly on a heavier fuel load - goes fifth with a 38.155.
After that one flying lap, Hamilton complains that his "tyres are finished". In the Ferrari garage, a worried Alonso is in a huddle with several senior team members including Aldo Costa.
While Hamilton heads back to the pits, Button goes quickest in S1 and Vettel quickest in S3. This, of course, raises questions as to Hamilton's temperament. Vettel goes quickest, despite the extra two laps and the heavy fuel load, with a 37.688. Button fails to improve having lost time in traffic in S3.
Heidfeld is back on track however, he is clearly struggling with the Renault. The German posts PBs in all three sectors, crossing the line at 38.805 to go eighth.
Cameras pick up the marbles at one of the corners. Contrary to predictions, it looks as though tyre wear could be as high as witnessed in Malaysia.
With 15.15 on the clock, Webber heads down the pitlane. He joins a queue of drivers all waiting to perform practice starts.
Webber runs very wide very quickly at Turn 13. Meanwhile Schumacher is warned that his engine is too hold; "please adopt lift and coast" he is told.
Great work by the Ferrari crew means that Alonso can get out for a couple of late laps on the option tyres. The Spaniard, currently fourteenth on 39.779, chops across in front of Karthikeyan his frustration clearly getting the better of him. Glock , who has also had limited running, gets out for a couple of late laps, as does Liuzzi. Indeed, everyone got out in the end bar di Resta.
Fantastic footage as Liuzzi's Hispania is able to pull away from Alonso, courtesy of the fact that the Spaniard is on a longer run and the Italian is using his DRS. Great stuff.
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Button, Rosberg, Schumacher, Massa, Sutil, Heidfeld, Petrov and Webber.
Kobayashi is eleventh ahead of Maldonado, Buemi, Alonso, Alguersuari, Barrichello, Perez, Kovalainen, Trulli, Karthikeyan, Liuzzi, D'Ambrosio, Glock and di Resta.
The numbers tell us that Hamilton was only 0.166s off Hamilton's pace. However, let's not forget that the Englishman was only able to get one lap out of his option tyres.
To check out our Shanghai practice gallery, click here.