12/11/2011
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole free practice session, the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 41 degrees.
While McLaren were quickest in both of yesterday's sessions, Red Bull were up there and appeared comfortable. With Pirelli using the two sessions to test an experimental soft tyre, direct comparisons were difficult.
While Ferrari, particularly in Massa's case, continues to have problems with its wobbly front wing, a problem which totally baffles the Maranello outfit, it was clear that Alonso was really having to fight the car in order to keep it on track. Indeed, in the latter stages of the session the Spaniard went off and hit the barriers… in exactly the same spot where Vettel had gone off earlier.
Drivers, team bosses and sections of the media continue to hype the Yas Marina circuit, but for us it remains characterless and totally uninspiring, the over generous run-offs making a mockery of any comparison with tracks such as Monaco.
When the lights go green it is Senna who leads the way, followed by Alguersuari, Buemi, Trulli, Ricciardo, Kobayashi and Kovalainen.
Five minutes into the session, all have been out, Button, Webber and Hamilton the last to take to the track.
D'Ambrosio is the first driver to emerge for a second run, the Belgian unsure whether he has a seat next season - a situation not helped by the fact that Jean-Eric Vergne was in his car for yesterday morning's session.
As the Virgin driver begins his first flying lap, Kovalainen and Perez head down the pitlane.
D'Ambrosio posts 1:49.573, however, having gone quickest in the first two sectors it's clear that Perez is about to go a lot faster. Indeed, the Mexican crosses the line at 44.566, over five seconds quicker than his Belgian rival. Kovalainen goes second with a 46.777.
Massa is the first of the big guns to go out, though Hamilton and Button soon join him.
Perez improves (43.905) and di Resta goes second, but a 43.132 sees Massa go straight to the top of the pile. Back in the pits, mechanics are still working on Alonso's and Webber's cars.
As Button goes quickest (42.163), Hamilton goes quickest in S1. The Englishman is quickest in S2 also, finally crossing the line at 47.165 having lost a lot of time in the final sector. Replay shows the McLaren driver getting involved in a little spat which sees Schumacher running wide.
Schumacher goes third (43.175) but is demoted when Hamilton posts 41.283 and Sutil 43.075, the Force Indias looking good this weekend.
Button re-takes the top spot with a 40.993 while Massa's 42.162 reclaims third. Still no times from Trulli, Vettel, Alonso or Webber.
Lotus report that gearbox problems for Trulli mean that he will not be running in this session. A disaster for the popular Italian.
With 33:10 on the clock, the Red Bulls and Alonso are finally on track. Currently, the McLaren duo have a 1s advantage over their nearest rival (Massa).
On their first flying laps, Webber goes third (41.969) and Vettel fourth (42.001). Alonso can only manage eighth (42.640).
Having improved to third (41.416), Vettel goes quickest in S1, however, a poor second sector means he fails to improve. Moments later, he is leapfrogged by teammate Webber who crosses the line at 40.995.
Perez goes fifth (41.794) the Mexican the first to switch to the soft (option) rubber.
A 40.938 sees Vettel go quickest, the German having completed 6 laps on this run.
Replay shows Alonso lose it between 5 and 6, the Spaniard lucky not to clout the bollards. Elsewhere, Barrichello, who suffered an engine failure yesterday, has an oil leak.
Having gone quickest in the two final sectors, Hamilton goes quickest, the 2008 world champion crossing the line at 40.661.
Massa is back on track on softs, the Brazilian having switched back to his original non-wobbly front wing. The Ferrari driver immediately goes quickest (40.631), Rosberg, also on softs, going third (40.670).
Having gone quickest in S3, Sutil posts 40.561 to go quickest overall, the German, obviously, on softs. Elsewhere, Williams confirms that Barrichello's session is over thanks to that oil leak.
Massa re-takes the top spot with a 40.183 as Rosberg goes quickest in S2. Subsequently crossing the line at 40.135 the German leapfrogs his Brazilian rival.
Moving into the final phase, when drivers will focus purely on qualifying, Rosberg remains quickest, ahead of Massa, Sutil, Hamilton, Vettel, Schumacher, Button, Webber, Kobayashi and Petrov.
Going quickest only in the final sector, Webber goes quickest overall with a 39.668, Alonso taking second with a 39.918.
Vettel, having posted a PB in S1 and again in S2, crossing the line at 39.731 to go second.
As Hamilton posts PBs in the first two sectors, Webber and Alonso are both on very quick laps also.
Hamilton posts 39.177 having gone quickest in S3, however, all eyes are on Alonso and Webber. The Australian loses time in traffic, almost tripping up over his teammate who is warming his tyres, nonetheless, he crosses the line at 39.457.
As Schumacher goes wide at Turn 9, Vettel looks set to improve having gone quickest in S1. The German posts 39.403 to go second but immediately goes quickest in S1 of his next lap.
A late charge sees Hamilton consolidate his position with a 38.976 while teammate Button can only mange third (39.429).
Though Vettel fails to improve, teammate Webber posts 39.427 to take third. Nonetheless, Hamilton remains quickest, McLaren having dominated each of the three practice sessions.
So, to sum up, Hamilton is quickest, ahead of Vettel, Webber, Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Massa, Sutil, di Resta and Schumacher.
Senna is eleventh, ahead of Kobayashi, Perez, Petrov, Buemi, Alguersuari, Maldonado, Kovalainen, Barrichello, Glock, Liuzzi, d'Ambrosio, Ricciardo and Trulli.