26/05/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening practice session the air temperature is 24 degrees C and the track temperature is 29 degrees.
This week we finally get to see Pirelli's supersoft tyre which will be run as well as the soft (prime) tyre. The Italian manufacturer says the supersoft is only good for one really hot lap, consequently it is thought we will see the twelve teams adopt a range of different strategies. Pirelli also insists that marbles will not be so much of a problem here as in previous races.
Prior to this weekend, the supersofts have only ever been used in the second pre-season test in Barcelona.
After days of dithering, the FIA has given the OK for the use of DRS here - it can be used on the main straight only on Sunday - but its use is not permitted in the tunnel. Most drivers still believe that its use anywhere her could cause problems, therefore the sport's governing body has said if there are problems it will review the situation.
While overtaking is nigh impossible here, there are none of the fast corners that suit Red Bull and McLaren is sounding mighty confident. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Ferrari.
Other than the usual problems that need to be faced here, a truck fire on Tuesday night meant that new asphalt had to be laid at the notorious Ste Devote, a slippery corner at the best of times.
The only reserve driver running in this session is Ricciardo, the Australian being given Alguersuari's car, thereby adding to the pressure on the young Spaniard.
The lights go green and Kovalainen leads the way, followed by d'Ambrosio, Ricciardo, Trulli, Petrov and reigning world champion, and world championship leader, Sebastian Vettel.
A previous winner here, Trulli, like Perez, stays out for a second installation lap.
Five minutes into the session all but the Mercedes duo have been out.
While most teams have brought upgrades here - as is usually the case at Monaco - only Ferrari and Renault appear to be running them today, both sporting revised rear wings.
Unlike previous races, today there are no extra sets of tyres available - only two sets of prime (soft) and one option (supersoft).
With the Mercedes duo having finally completed their installation laps, we enter a long phase of total inactivity, other than the odd wave to the crowd or a nod to the camera.
Fifteen minutes into the session, Karthikeyan is the first driver to come out for a second run. With his team threatening to protest the majority of its rivals this weekend, the Indian can possibly sense a handful of points. Then again, maybe not.
Button joins the Hispania driver on track, only to dive into the pits, at which point teammate Hamilton comes out for another quickie.
Karthikeyan posts the first time of the day, the Hispania driver crossing the line at 1:38.718. Next time around the Indian improves to 32.260 - the other 23 drivers look on.
As Karthikeyan steadily improves - raising the benchmark with a 27.772 - Perez heads down the pitlane. Twenty-six minutes of the session gone and only one name on the timesheets.
Understandably, Perez goes straight to the top of the timesheets, the Sauber driver, who scored his first F1 points last weekend, crosses the line at 23.206. Karthikeyan improves to 26.043.
D'Ambrosio is the third driver to post a time, the Virgin driver stopping the clock at 30.989 as Perez, who goes quickest in the first two sectors, loses time in the third after a massive lock up.
As Karthikeyan returns to the pits, having completed 13 laps, Maldonado, Liuzzi, di Resta and Kobayashi get to work.
Race Control warns that there is water on the track towards the end of the pit straight. That said, it is unclear where the water is coming from. Back in the 80s there were problems one weekend when water poured on to the track in the tunnel after the fire sprinklers went off in the Loews Hotel kitchen above the tunnel.
A 21.902 sees Maldonado go quickest, ahead of Kobayashi (22.630), Perez, di Resta, Liuzzi, d'Ambrosio and Karthikeyan.
As di Resta improves with a 22.510, Webber leaves the pits, the first of the big guns to come out for a second run.
Having gone quickest in the first two sectors, Kobayashi posts 21.299 only to be leapfrogged by Maldonado with a 21.287. Moments later the Venezuelan ups the ante with a 21.064 as Kovalainen makes good use of the run off at Ste Devote.
On his first flying lap Massa goes quickest (20.825) as Webber returns to the pits after a very, very slow out lap.
Barrichello asks about his brake temperatures as Kobayashi improves with a 21.001.
That damp patch on the pit straight appears to be coming from underneath the track, possibly a broken pipe.
As Massa improves with a 20.490, Red Bull reveals that Webber's session is over, the Australian suffering a major gearbox problem.
From out of nowhere, Sutil produces a 20.394 as Alonso, Hamilton, Button and Schumacher leave the pits.
Another hot lap (18.582) from Massa, the Brazilian going quickest in all three sectors and eclipsing Sutil by 1.8s.
Fifty minutes into the session the red flag is brought out as Race Control announces that repairs are to be carried out on the main straight where the water is seeping through. Last year, we experienced problems with the drain covers here.
This is brilliant. Four men are on the main straight, one of them has a large turnkey which he uses to make some adjustments. However, if it really is a leaking pipe the track will need to be dug up. Meanwhile, replays show Massa getting up close and personal with the barriers at various points around the track.
The session restarts at 10:54, di Resta the first driver to return to work.
With 34:40 on the clock, it's: Massa, Sutil, Vettel, Kobayashi, Barrichello, Maldonado, Buemi, Trulli, Kovalainen and di Resta.
Hamilton is flying. Having gone second with his first flying lap (20.168), he goes quickest in S1 of his next lap. At the line it's 18.770, just 0.188s shy of Massa's best. Button posts 19.721 to go third.
Other than Webber, the only other driver that hasn't posted a time is Nick Heidfeld.
Thirteenth placed Rosberg goes quickest in S1 as teammate Schumacher posts 19.492 to go third.
As Hamilton goes quickest in the first two sectors, Alonso posts 18.728 to go third. However, Hamilton crosses the line at 18.136 to take the top spot.
Rosberg goes quickest (17.991) having been quickest in the two final sectors. However, the McLaren duo and Alonso are also on hot laps.
Alonso takes the top spot with a 17.619 as Liuzzi brings out the yellow flags at the Nouvelle Chicane having had an argument with the Armco on the inside of the approach.
Heidfeld has posted a time, the German is currently seventeenth on a 22.848. Teammate Petrov is twenty-second (25.686).
Alonso improves to 17.492 and Massa makes it a Ferrari 1-2 with a 17.801 however, Hamilton posts a 17.350 to put the Maranello pair back in their place.
As is often the case, the drivers are now focussing on longer runs with a heavier fuel load. Not Massa however, who re-takes the top spot with a 17.316. Vettel and Petrov also look set to improve. The German posts 17.850 to go fourth while the Russian fails to improve on ninth (19.229).
Inevitably, Vettel goes quickest, the world champion crossing the line at 17.309, just 0.003s quicker than Massa. Back in the Red Bull garage the crew swarm over teammate Webber's car like worker bees.
With 8:00 on the clock the drivers begin their final runs. Not for Schumacher however, who thumps the barriers sideways on at Ste Devote appearing to have absolutely no grip at the front.
Meanwhile, Rosberg goes quickest (17.109) ahead of Rosberg (17.139), as Button complains that his KERS button on his steering wheel isn't working. No such problems for Vettel who crosses the line at 16.781 having gone quickest in the two final sectors.
Having gone quickest in S1, Hamilton's hopes of an overall improvement are thwarted when he is stuck behind Buemi. Meanwhile, Alonso goes quickest in S1. He loses time in the second sector but total commitment in the third sees the Spaniard post 16.732 to go quickest.
As ever however, Vettel has something in reserve, the German crossing the line at 16.619 to deny his Ferrari rival by 0.113s.
As the cars line up on the grid to perform practice starts, the final order is: Vettel, Alonso, Rosberg, Massa, Hamilton, Button, Maldonado, Sutil, Petrov and Schumacher.
Heidfeld is eleventh, ahead of Buemi, Barrichello, Ricciardo, Kobayashi, Perez, Kovalainen, Trulli, di Resta, d'Ambrosio, Glock, Liuzzi, Karthikeyan and Webber.
To check out our Monaco practice gallery, click here.