20/05/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session the air temperature is 22 degrees, while the track temperature is 32 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
Red Bull led the way this morning, Mark Webber posting a best time over a second quicker than his teammate. Nico Rosberg was third quickest ahead of Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez.
Pastor Maldonado was quickest through the speed-trap, at a shade over 200 mph, however, his session ended when he lost the back end of his Williams and went off into the gravel.
Pirelli has brought a new hard compound tyre here, Michael Schumacher completing 30 laps on a set demonstrating that it is more durable than the previous compound.
The lights go green and Jaime Alguersuari is ready and waiting, the Spaniard having been sidelined with an engine problem in the latter stages of this morning's session. He is followed by d'Ambrosio, Kobayashi, Karthikeyan, Glock, Buemi and Perez.
Alguersuari posts a 29.858 however, this is soon eclipsed by Perez who crosses the line at 29.280.
Seven minutes into the session, Massa goes quickest with a 27.056, however, teammate Alonso posts a 25.707 to make it a Maranello 1-2. Heidfeld goes third, ahead of Alguersuari, Kobayashi and Barrichello.
There are 23 drivers on track, however, no sign of Lewis Hamilton who spent much of the morning in his garage as his crew worked on the rear end of his car.
Button splits the Ferraris with a 25.769 as teammate Hamilton finally leaves the pits. Elsewhere, Petrov slips into fifth, behind his Renault teammate, with a 28.025.
Having previously posted 31.399, Hamilton goes quickest with a 25.326, the McLaren driver bettering Alonso's time by over 0.2s.
Still no sign of the soft (option) tyres as Hamilton runs wide in his efforts to improve on his previous best. Petrov moves up to fourth and Glock nineteenth.
Maldonado is the first driver to switch to the soft rubber, the move reflected in his time of 25.974 which sees him go fourth.
For once a driver appears happy and confident with his car, Buemi claiming that his STR6 has "more potential".
On the options, Petrov goes quickest (24.786) having gone quickest in the final two sectors.
Button makes excellent use of his DRS to pass Rosberg on the main straight - the zone where it will be permitted on Sunday - the Englishman consolidating his fourth place with a 25.495. Meanwhile, Kovalainen cuts across in front of Maldonado, no doubt causing the Williams driver to take a deep breath.
Glock locks up and runs wide into the gravel trap, however, the German is able to continue. Meanwhile, Button complains of a total lack of grip at his rear end.
At 48:10, Vettel leaves the pits on softs, the German is currently fourteenth (28.333). On his first flying lap, the world champion goes quickest in the first sector. He's quickest again in the second eventually crossing the line at a mighty 22.826 - almost 2s quicker than second placed Petrov.
Hamilton and Alonso both on hards as Webber starts his first flying lap on softs. Meanwhile, having gone quicker in the first two sectors, a poor final sector means Vettel fails to improve.
Webber goes quickest in S1, and again in S2. At the line the Australian posts 22.470 thereby snatching the top spot from his teammate by 0.356s.
Perez goes fourth (24.814) then improves with a 24.483, the Mexican looking really good today. Hamilton, still on hards, posts PBs is the first and final sectors, posts 25.62 to consolidate his sixth place.
Lots of oversteer for Schumacher (softs) as Massa takes a long trip through the gravel at Turn 5. "That was close," the Brazilian tells Rob Smedley.
Rosberg goes third (23.586) having posted PBs in all three sectors, as Button starts hi first lap on the option rubber. At the first split he's already 0.3s down on Webber. At the line the McLaren driver posts 23.188 to go third, a significant improvement on his previous best (25.495).
With half-an-hour remaining, Hamilton begins his first flying lap on softs, the Englishman 0.2s down on Webber at the first split. At the second split the McLaren driver is quickest overall, finally crossing the line at 22.509 just 0.039s slower than Webber.
Alonso is the next of the big guns to try the soft rubber, as most of his rivals now switch to longer runs in anticipation of the opening phase of Sunday's race.
Alonso posts 23.568 which is only good enough for fifth, as Massa begins his first lap on the softer rubber. Matching his teammate's pace in the first sector he loses pace in S2 and S3, finally crossing the line at 24.278 to go eighth.
In the Force India garage, Sutil waits patiently in his car as his crew work around him, the German having only completed 8 laps thus far.
Alonso is left mighty unimpressed when he is cut up by fellow Spaniard Alguersuari. The Ferrari driver makes his frustration clear to his Toro Rosso rival.
Button is another driver left unimpressed, spending much of a lap behind a Russian Renault driver who appears to have forgotten how to use his mirrors.
With 7:13 on the clock all but Heidfeld and Massa are on track. With so many cars on track it is inevitable that there are a few queues with Glock heading a particularly long one. This is probably indicative of what we'll see on Sunday.
Sutil has problems with Glock while Karthikeyan makes life difficult for both Hamilton and Kovalainen, the Englishman having to run wide when the Hispania drivers appears not to see him.
There are no significant improvements in the final phase of the session, indeed, all the second sessions on Fridays this year have ended this way as teams tens to focus on longer runs on the option tyres rather than going for pace.
Mark Webber remains quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Schumacher, Massa, Kobayashi and Heidfeld.
Perez is eleventh, ahead of Petrov, Buemi, Barrichello, Alguersuari, Maldonado, di Resta, Kovalainen, Sutil, Trulli, d'Ambrosio, Glock, Karthikeyan and Liuzzi.
To check out our Barcelona practice gallery, click here.