25/06/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole free practice session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. It is bright and sunny.
Fernando Alonso topped the timesheets yesterday, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa. Vettel's 'lowly' position leading some to claim that the FIA's new rules are already taking effect. Time will tell.
While the Ferraris, Red Bulls, McLarens and Mercedes look good - at least at this stage - it is worth keeping an eye on the Renault duo, both Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov looking good yesterday.
Tyre on offer this weekend are the mediums - making their debut - and the soft. The softs, while around a second quicker than the mediums also appear to be good for a few laps - as witnessed by Alonso's constant improvements yesterday.
As we await the green light and watch Hamilton preparing to get into his car, one cannot help but feel that perhaps Niki Lauda had a point, maybe the Englishman does need a six race ban to bring him to his senses - at the very least he should be arrested by the Fashion Police…. Just look at those horrible, horrible overalls.
Jaime Alguersuari, who didn't take part in yesterday's second session due to an engine problem, is first out, while Paul di Resta also has a lot of work to do having missed much of the same session after Nico Hulkenberg crashed his car in the morning.
Vettel, sporting very prominent Red Bull logos on his helmet, is among the first out. Indeed, just four minutes into the session all but the McLarens have been out. Trulli complains that the circuit is still very dusty.
Sad to say but this circuit remains totally uninspiring, and even editing the picture gallery last night one is constantly reminded that this is essentially a street track plonked in the middle of the docks. Characterless, soulless and featureless.
The Ferrari drivers are running different front wings, a triplane for Alonso and a biplane for Massa.
After several minutes of total inactivity, d'Ambrosio and Trulli head down the pitlane, followed by Karthikeyan.
D'Ambrosio posts a 46.910 but moments later Trulli crosses the line at 45.364. Karthikeyan can only manage 49.950.
On his first flying lap Alguersuari posts a 42.477 to go quickest, the Spaniard quickly getting to grips despite yesterday's problems. That said, he has been given a new engine.
A big lock up sees Schumacher take to the run off area at Turn 2 as Heidfeld goes quickest with a 41.903. Next time around Schumacher posts 43.822 to go eighth having lost time passing Perez. Heidfeld improves with a 41.112.
Alonso goes quickest in the first two sectors finally crossing the line at 43.298 having eased off in the final part of the lap. Meanwhile, Schumacher improves to second with a 41.129.
Massa loses time behind a Hispania, as teammate Alonso goes quickest in S1. No sooner has Massa improves to 40.891 than his teammate posts a 39.743 having gone quickest in all three sectors.
Rosberg goes third and Hamilton sixth on their first flying laps, next time around the German goes second with a 46.605 while Hamilton fails to improve due to traffic.
No times as yet from Button or the Red Bulls, though the Englishman is on track. On his first flying lap the McLaren driver posts 40.069 to go third.
As Button begins his second flying lap and Alonso goes quickest in S2, the Red Bulls head down the pitlane. The Spaniard posts 39.506.
At half-time, it's: Alonso, Massa, Button, Rosberg, Heidfeld, Hamilton, Schumacher, Sutil, Petrov and Barrichello.
On his first flying lap Vettel goes sixth (40.217) and Webber third (39.738) as Button improves to second with a 39.529.
Next time around Vettel crosses the line at 38.999 eclipsing Alonso's best by 0.507. Webber, who improves to second with a 39.285, complains of massive oversteer.
Another improvement from Vettel (38.694) as the German goes quickest in the final two sectors. No doubt Charlie and the boys are working hard in the FIA transporter.
Schumacher is one of the first to make the switch to the option tyre, the German improving from eleventh to second with a 38.799. Meanwhile, as Vettel goes purple in S1, he is told; "we need a little more in sector one".
Di Resta locks up in Turn 2 but keeps it all under control. Elsewhere, Rosberg is on a hot lap going quickest in the first two sectors. The German (on options) crosses the line at 38.580.
On his first flying lap on the softer rubber Massa goes 0.001s quicker than Rosberg in S1. He is quickest again in S2 finally crossing the line at 38.277 - not the best looking lap but it did the trick.
In the stands the fans are cheering as Alonso goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 37.678.
With 12:10 on the clock we should be in for a few blistering laps from the Red Bulls and McLarens. Indeed, it's almost like Q3… or at least how qualifying used to be.
As one would expect, there are plenty of PBs now the guys are on the softer rubber but no purples. Heidfeld improves to sixth (39.113) while Button improves from eighth to third with a 38.326 - 0.648s off Alonso's pace. Kovalainen goes sixteenth with a 41.267.
Hamilton's first lap on softs is compromised when Schumacher accidentally gets in his way. Next time around, even without traffic, Hamilton is off the pace suggesting that he's running a heavy fuel load in anticipation of the leading phase of Sunday's race.
As one might expect, Vettel is the first driver to post a purple, the Red Bull driver going quickest in S1. He's quickest again in S2 finally crossing the line at 37.258 despite losing time behind a Lotus in the final sector.
Sutil and Maldonado have a little fun, the German a little more aggressive than he really needs to be at this stage of the weekend.
As Webber fails to improve, Vettel, worryingly goes quickest in S1, however, yellow flags in the final sector - the result of Kobayashi having a massive slide and brushing the barriers - cause him to back off.
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Alonso, Massa, Webber, Button, Rosberg, Hamilton, Schumacher, Petrov and Heidfeld.
Sutil is eleventh, ahead of Perez, di Resta, Kobayashi, Buemi, Barrichello, Maldonado, Alguersuari, Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock, Liuzzi, d'Ambrosio and Karthikeyan.