26/05/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 25 degrees, while the track temperature is 44 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
Unsurprisingly, it was Sebastian Vettel who set the pace this morning, ahead of Alonso, Rosberg, Massa, Hamilton and Button. However, it wasn't all good news for Red Bull as Mark Webber failed to complete a single timed lap due to a gearbox selection problem.
There were problems for Liuzzi and Schumacher also, both ending up in the barriers.
We didn't see the supersoft (option) tyre this morning but that will change this afternoon.
The lights go green and Glock is first out, followed by d'Ambrosio, Alguersuari, Petrov and Kovalainen. Sadly, not for the first time this year the Live Timing has failed.
In no time at all there are ten names on the timing sheets with Buemi at the top, ahead of di Resta, Maldonado, and Kovalainen.
Maldonado has a massive lock up heading into Ste Devote and unsurprisingly he has to take to the escape road. Elsewhere, Petrov goes quickest with an 18.471.
On his first lap Massa posts 26.474 to go thirteenth, however, next time around he goes quickest in all three sectors, crossing the line at 17.483.
Alguersuari takes too much speed into Ste Devote and gives the barriers a gentle nudge. He heads back to the pits for a new nose.
As if to prove how busy it is out there, Alonso almost runs into the back of his Ferrari teammate at Rascasse. Rosberg posts 16.917 to go quickest and Button takes second (17.091).
A 16.408 is all Alonso needs to take the top spot as Button consolidates third with a 16.922. Meanwhile, Hamilton is told that he needs to make improvements in all three sectors. In response the Englishman goes quickest in S1 however, he loses almost 3s in the second sector.
Vettel goes thirteenth with a 19.046 as Hamilton tries it again, this time posting a 17.036 to go fourth.
Twenty minutes into the session, Liuzzi and Schumacher have yet to make an appearance, both drivers having crashed out this morning, albeit not too heavily. Indeed, Liuzzi is strolling along the pitlane, seemingly without a care in the world.
As Maldonado improves to seventh with a 17.633, Schumacher finally leaves the pits. The Venezuelan is one of the first to use the option (supersoft) tyre. Kovalainen uses the slip road at Ste Devote.
Massa does well - or should we say is very lucky - to stay out of the barriers at the hairpin, the Brazilian pushing just a little too hard on a track where mistakes rarely go unpunished.
Webber - currently ninth on 18.373 - is told that his KERS isn't working.
Game over for di Resta, the Scot heading straight down the escape road and parking up at the Nouvelle Chicane. It's subsequently revealed that the Force India driver, like Webber in FP1, has a gear selection issue.
Barrichello (options) improves to seventh (17.570) as Kobayashi (also on options) fails to improve on tenth (17.706).
Perez (option) fails to improve as Vettel (also options) goes quickest in S1 and S3, crossing the line at 15.739 to go quickest. Massa (options) continues to push it to the very limit, crossing the line at 16.455 to go third. Replay shows him really thumping the kerbs at various points on the track. It looks spectacular but it costs time and places unnecessary strain on the car.
Although the supersofts are only meant to be good for one very hot lap he improves to 15.667. Elsewhere, Massa continues to push hard, the Brazilian taking second with a 15.781 - just 0.14s shy of Vettel.
Alonso (option) goes quickest in S1, and again in S2. The Spaniard, not looking as exciting as his teammate, crosses the line at 15.123 to go quickest. Webber (option) can only manage a 16.807 which puts the Australian fourth.
Pirelli is expecting a 1.2 - 1.4 difference between the soft and supersoft.
Unseen, Button has gone second with a 15.448, the Englishman, like his counterpart at Ferrari, looking good today.
Rosberg improves to second with a 15.321 as teammate Schumacher begins his first flying lap on the option rubber. The German goes seventh (16.819), easing off for a slow lap before another hot lap.
Trulli, running behind Petrov, cuts the chicane at the Swimming Pool. Schumacher improves from seventh to sixth with a 16.603.
With 27:30 on the clock, eighth placed Hamilton is one of the only drivers yet to make an appearance on the option rubber. Massa begins a long run on high fuel as Ferrari looks ahead to the opening stint of Sunday's race.
Finally on the supersoft rubber, Hamilton posts PBs in the first two sectors and goes quickest of all in S3. At the line it's 15.456 which puts him fourth.
Rather than easing off however, the McLaren driver maintains his pace, immediately going quickest in S1 of his next lap. However, he eases off in the second sector.
Again Hamilton goes quickest in S1, however, this time there is no easing off he posts a PB in S2. At the line the Englishman posts 15.228 more than good enough for second.
With 18:20 on the clock, the usual suspects fill the bottom of the timesheets, joined by di Resta. The Lotus duo are both around 3.3s off the pace, while the Virgins are 4s and Virgins 6s.
Most drivers now on longer runs, heavy fuelled, on the supersoft rubber. No serious concerns regarding tyre degradation which suggests we could be looking at one, possibly two, stops, on Sunday.
Kovalainen and Trulli cut chicanes while Button heads down the escape road at the Nouvelle Chicane.
With 5:14 on the clock, other than Liuzzi, who hasn't completed a lap, only Buemi isn't on track. It's very busy out there.
Petrov returns to the pits minus his front wing having clouted the barriers on the right hand approach to the Nouvelle Chicane. Elsewhere, Kovalainen is the latest to go off at Ste Devote, the Finn appearing to lose control on the marbles.
The session ends with no significant improvements, Alonso leading the way, ahead of Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Vettel, Massa, Schumacher, Webber, Sutil and Heidfeld.
Petrov is eleventh, ahead of Perez, Barrichello, Buemi, Maldonado, Kobayashi, Alguersuari, Kovalainen, Trulli, di Resta, d'Ambrosio, Glock, Karthikeyan and Liuzzi.
To check out our Monaco practice gallery, click here.