23/09/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 30 degrees C and the track temperature is 31 degrees. It is 21:30 and the humidity is currently 72%.
Following the kerbing dramas that blighted the earlier session, we're told that because there isn't sufficient time the errant kerbs cannot be replaced in time and have therefore been removed, as has the kerb at the apex of Turn 13. However, it is hoped that the work to replace them can be done overnight. The main problem appears to be with the bolts (and fixings) that secure the kerbs to the ground.
Lewis Hamilton was quickest in the opening session, but the Red Bull duo were both on the pace, especially Sebastian Vettel.
The lights go green and Alguersuari leads the way, followed by d'Ambrosio, Ricciardo, Buemi, Kobayashi and Liuzzi.
Alguersuari posts the first time of the session, the Spaniard crossing the line at 1:52.627, however, teammate Buemi and Kobayashi go quicker, the Japanese driver posting 51.093.
Force India maintains the form seen in the opening session, di Resta posting a 51.465 to go third.
Following this morning's drama, when Kovalainen's front brakes caught fire, Lotus technical boss Mike Gascoyne reveals that the Malaysian team has gone "up a size" on its front brakes.
Kobayashi is lucky not to hit the wall as he heads into the escape road, as Alonso goes quickest with a 49.071. The Spaniard is pushing hard, really riding the kerbs at the chicane. Webber goes second (49.442), ahead of Massa and Rosberg.
Just ten minutes into the session and it's very, very busy, twenty drivers on track.
On his first flying lap, Vettel posts 48.171 to go quickest, out-pacing Alonso by 0.900s.
Two laps later, the German improves with a 47.688.
Tyre options this weekend are soft and supersoft, thought we've yet to see the latter thus far today.
Webber improves with a 48.135 to make it a Red Bull 1-2, as Button seeks to improve on eighteenth, as you would. A 49.751 sees the Briton improve to fourth. No such like for teammate Hamilton however, whose car is being worked on in the garage. The 2008 champ has only completed one lap.
Ominously, Vettel improves yet again, the German crossing the line at 47.375, putting 0.760s between he and his teammate.
Behind the leading five - Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Massa and Button - it's Kobayashi ahead of Rosberg, Sutil, Senna and di Resta.
Alguersuari rides his luck, or rather the mighty kerbs at the chicane, the second part being particularly nasty.
Hamilton, who apparently wasn't happy with the layout of his pedals, is back on track, almost thirty minutes into the session. In the Force India garage, di Resta watches impatiently as his mechanics work on his car.
Replay shows Kobayashi lightly clouting the wall after pushing a little too hard over the kerbs, moments after Hamilton also enjoyed a little kerb-inspired moment. The Briton slightly overdriving his car at this point.
Hamilton finally joins the big boys at the top of the timesheets, the McLaren star posting a 48.906 to go third. Asked how he compares to Vettel, the response is "one point six seconds". Not what you want to hear.
Drama for Button who locks up and is lucky not to go into the barriers at Turn 14. "After a few moments of inactivity he is told that he "can use reverse", "not working" is the terse response. He stomps away, helmet on, clearly not a very happy bunny.
Senna is the first driver to make the switch to the supersoft rubber, the Brazilian going seventh with a 50.241, around 1.2s better than his previous best. Moments later, Massa (option) goes quickest in S1, maintaining the pace in S2. At the line the Ferrari driver posts 47.120 to go quickest, improving by 2.2s.
Buemi clouts the wall at the exit of 21 and from behind it looks as though he's got away with it. However, a few yards later he pulls to the side of the track his right wheel front hanging limply from the Toro Rosso.
Alonso (options) goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 46.575 to go quickest. Hover, attention shifts to Vettel, who is also on options, who goes quickest in S1. Coming up behind Glock, the Red Bull driver opts to abort the lap.
Next time around Vettel again goes quickest in S1, posting a PB in S2. He's quickest again in S3, crossing the line at 46.374 to go quickest.
Hamilton posts a PB in S1 as the team inform him that one of the settings (toggle switch) is wrong. The Englishman subsequently backs off and aborts the lap.
Trulli is the latest in a long line of drivers to shed bits of bodywork as he falls foul of the unforgiving kerbs.
Schumacher is the first of the Mercedes drivers to switch to the softer rubber. The German, currently eighteenth, posts a PB in S1 and another in S2. At the line it's 48.418 thereby moving him up to sixth. Elsewhere, Hamilton, on his fourth lap on his options, goes third with a 47.115.
With around 18:00 on the clock, a number of drivers, including Alonso, run with full fuel with an eye to the start of Sunday's race.
Rosberg runs wide and over the kerbs at Turn 7, while Vettel posts 52.1 on a full fuel load.
With just 8:00 on the clock, di Resta waits in his car, the Scot having completed just 5 laps thus far. He finally leaves the garage at 2:32. Better late than never.
Maldonado takes full advantage of the huge run-off at Turn 13, the Williams driver and his teammate both over 4.5s off the pace.
A mighty effort sees di Resta improve to thirteenth with a 50.345, half-a-second off his teammate's pace but pretty good considering…
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, Webber, Schumacher, Sutil, Perez, Kobayashi and Button.
Alguersuari is eleventh, ahead of Senna, di Resta, Petrov, Rosberg, Barrichello, Maldonado, Kovalainen, Buemi, Trulli, Glock, d'Ambrosio, Ricciardo and Liuzzi.
Check out our Singapore practice gallery, here.