08/07/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session the air temperature is 18 degrees C, while the track temperature is 20 degrees. The sun has been trying to break through, indeed, at times it was even having a little success, however, minutes before the session gets underway, the rain begins to fall.
Buemi is informed that it will continue raining for the next twenty minutes.
Kovalainen is back in the Lotus, having handed it over to Karun Chandhok this morning, while Adrian Sutil gets his Force India back from Nico Hulkenberg.
After a couple of minutes, Glock is the first driver to come out. However, the German is barely halfway around the track when the heavens truly let rip. Opting for caution as opposed to valour the Virgin driver splashes his way back to the pits. Moments later Alguersuari heads down the pitlane on extreme wets. He is subsequently joined by teammate Buemi, both drivers complaining of aquaplaning.
After another ten minutes of total inactivity Kobayashi heads down the pitlane, the Sauber driver having crashed heavily this morning.
As Martin Whitmarsh and Stefano Domenicali enjoy a quick chat, trying to keep away from prying ears, Rosberg is told that the rain will continue for about fifteen minutes.
Twenty-five minutes into the session the cameras pick up on Alguersuari who has fallen asleep in the cockpit of his Toro Rosso.
Even though the sky is clearing, with large swathes of blue, the rain intensifies. Furthermore, there is quite a bit of standing water. While the drivers, team bosses and crew look bored stiff, spare a thought for those of us that have to live here… this is typical summer weather.
The reason for the lack of running is due to the fact that with the weather for the remainder of the weekend uncertain, they only have five sets of inters - one of which must be returned today - and three sets of full wets. Consequently, with an eye on Saturday and Sunday, the drivers want to save their wets where possible.
At half-time, with no times on the clock, the rain has stopped, a couple of engines fire up. A couple of moments later Rip Van Alguersuari heads down the pitlane. Shortly after he is followed by Buemi and Sutil.
When Alguersuari crosses the line at 2:04.096 the session finally appears to be underway, however, there are already reports that the rain is returning. Sutil posts 2:05.096 to go second.
Kobayashi, Perez, Rosberg all on track as Alguersuari improves with a 2:01.984 and Buemi posts 2:02.354.
Sutil breaks the 2m barrier with a 1:58.323 as Maldonado and Schumacher leave their garages.
Rosberg does magnificently to control his Mercedes when it suddenly snaps out of shape on a large patch of standing water going into Turn 2. Awesome reactions from the German.
Alguersuari raises the bar with a 55.583 as Rosberg goes fourth ahead of Kobayashi, Perez and Maldonado.
Barrichello complains about rear-locking and lots of standing water. Former teammate Schumacher goes quickest with a 55.397 as Kobayashi enjoys another cross-country detour.
With 25:40 on the clock, there are still only twelve names on the timesheets, most of the big guns waiting resolutely in their garages. As the rain begins to fall again, it appears we may not see much more running. While driver are keen to save their wet tyres - just in case - the teams see little point in running should the conditions be dry for the remainder of the weekend.
Petrov leave the Renault garage and a minute or two later Heidfeld, Webber and Alonso give the fans something to watch. It's a fair size crowd today and the fans deserve a bit more than they're getting for their money.
On his first flying lap Webber goes fourth (54.340), behind Buemi (53.619), Sutil and Alguersuari.
As Webber goes quickest with a 53.537, Alonso heads back to the pits after just one lap.
Schumacher goes quickest in S1 as Vettel heads down the pitlane. The Mercedes driver, on full wets, posts a PB in S2, subsequently crossing the line at 53.024 to go quickest by half-a-second.
Perez takes a detour across one of the expansive gravel traps, the Mexican really fighting his Sauber.
As Button heads down the pitlane all but Hamilton and Liuzzi have made an appearance.
Alonso is back on track having changed the nose on his Ferrari, like a number of other drivers he is using the same tyres he used this morning.
Webber goes quickest (52.587) having gone quickest in the first two sectors. Elsewhere, having gone sixth (24.274), Alonso goes quickest in S1. The Spaniard subsequently crosses the line at 52.869 to go second. Vettel goes seventh with a 54.545.
Hamilton and Liuzzi finally leave the pits, while Button is back in his garage having failed to post a time.
Massa goes quickest in S1, as replay shows Hamilton running wide across the run-off. The Brazilian goes fourth with a 53.593.
Out of his car, Vettel heads off for his debrief, his day's work over. Again, Massa goes quickest in S1, as Hamilton seeks to improve on 57.900. While the Brazilian fails to improve, having spun in S2, Hamilton goes eleventh with a 54.713.
Button is back on track and immediately he goes quickest in S1, like most other drivers he is on the inters. The McLaren driver posts 54.580 to go twelfth, thereby leapfrogging his teammate.
With exactly 1:00 on the clock, Schumacher goes quickest with a 53.325, all but Alguersuari and Maldonado on track.
Rosberg goes quickest in the first two sectors, crossing the line at 50.744 as Hamilton takes second (51.438). As the inters come into their own more and more drivers are improving.
As if to prove the point, Massa posts 49.967 to go quickest while Sutil goes sixth with a 51.738.
The session ends with Massa quickest, ahead of Rosberg, Kobayashi, Hamilton, Button, Sutil, di Resta, Barrichello, Perez and Buemi.
Petrov is eleventh, ahead of Schumacher, Kovalainen, Webber, Alonso, Heidfeld, Alguersuari, Vettel, d'Ambrosio, Maldonado, Trulli, Glock, Ricciardo and Liuzzi.
To check out our Silverstone practice gallery, click here.