16/03/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session - the first of the season - the air temperature is 21 degrees C and the track temperature is 22 degrees.
The session begins at 12:30 (local time) and while the track had almost dried out following overnight rain there was another brief shower around half-an-hour ago. Five minutes before the start there are a few more drops of rain in the air. "Track conditions will not be great at the beginning," admit Ferrari.
All twenty-four drivers should be taking part this morning, HRT having passed scrutineering and the parts needed for Pedro de la Rosa's car arriving at the eleventh hour.
As we await the pitlane lights to give the go, there is a horrendous oil patch on the track between turns 3 and 4, courtesy of one of the support races. The session is declared wet.
The lights finally go green and after a short wait Vergne gets things going, the Toro Rosso shod with inters. Shortly after, he is followed by Ricciardo, Maldonado, Glock, Senna and local hero Webber.
It might be a new season, but the timing screens are playing up as usual, numbers giving way to hieroglyphics.
More and more drivers pour on to the track, some, noticeably Rosberg, opting for full wets.
Seven minutes into the session all but Schumacher and de la Rosa have been out. Replay shows Rosberg running wide between turns 11 and 12. The German and Massa are the only drivers to have completed two laps however, nobody has posted a time as yet.
As one would expect, drivers are complaining of low grip. Then again, when was the last time a driver complained of too much grip?
Sixteen minutes into the session, after almost ten minutes of total inactivity, Ricciardo heads down the pitlane. Still no sign of de la Rosa coming out.
As Ricciardo begins another lap, he is joined by Massa, Vergne and Vettel.
The Australian crosses the line at 1:47.448 to post the first time of what will be a long, long season.
As Ricciardo improves with a 42.490, Vettel goes second with a 44.870. Moments later the German has a huge wobble.
Vergne goes quickest (41.629) but is quickly leapfrogged by his teammate's 41.001, Vettel heads back to the pits. Schumacher waits impatiently in the Mercedes garage.
As the Toro Rosso duo trade best laps, Alonso goes quickest in S1 and S3, crossing the line at 37.941 to take the top spot.
Not for the first time there's a problem for HRT, Karthikeyan crawling around the back of the circuit with what is clearly an engine problem. Engine problem as in "no power".
Rosberg goes second (39.744), only to be demoted by Webber (38.421), Ricciardo remains fourth, ahead of Vergne, Vettel and Kobayashi.
Next time around, Rosberg goes quickest the German posting a 37.147. Countryman Hulkenberg, on his first lap, goes seventh with a 42.037.
Pic's first lap is a full 25s off the pace, while Kobayashi takes the top spot with a 36.906.
In the Lotus garage the crew is working furiously on Raikkonen's car, removing the entire steering column. The Finn is one of 13 drivers yet to post a time.
Approaching halftime, Pirelli believes it wont be too long before the slick tyres make an appearance. The two compounds this weekend are medium and soft.
At halftime, it's: Kobayashi, Rosberg, Alonso, Webber, Senna, di Resta, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Vettel and Pic. Indeed, these are the only drivers to have posted times.
Karthikeyan's problem was due to the engine temperature rising and then cutting out as a safety measure.
Perez is the first driver to make the switch to slick rubber, the Mexican returning to the pits after just one lap.
Several minutes later, after another period of zero activity, Kobayashi heads down the pitlane on slicks. The Japanese driver immediately gets on the pace, going quickest in the first two sectors of his first flying lap. At the line it's 31.751, over 5s quicker than his previous best, which was itself the best time thus far.
Ferrari tweets that "UK TV stars are outside our garage". Thankfully, they are referring to Sky F1's team, including Martin Brundle, and not the 'stars' of The Only Way is Essex or My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.
Webber improves with a 34.613, and Senna 34.941, as Schumacher leaves the Mercedes garage.
A big lock up for Kobayashi, while Vettel gets hampered by Maldonado. Elsewhere, Webber goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 30.520.
Kobayashi re-takes the top spot, the Sauber driver posting 29.722. That said. Moments later, on one of his first flying laps, Schumacher posts 29.656.
The timing screens, which have been playing up since the start of the session, now freeze completely. Pathetic. Then again, they've only had five months to prepare for this.
Rosberg posts 28.683 but is demoted when his teammate crosses the line at 28.235.
With 22:44 on the clock, there are still no times from Glock, Massa, Button, Petrov, Karthikeyan, Raikkonen, Hamilton or de la Rosa. That said, all but Button, Raikkonen and the HRTs are now on track.
Hamilton posts 29.987 to go sixth, as Webber goes second with a 28.467. Alonso is fourth (29.291), ahead of Kobayashi, Hamilton, Perez, di Resta, Senna and Vettel.
A 28.290 sees Hamilton improve to second, the McLaren driver closing to within 0.055s of pace-setter Schumacher. Elsewhere, Button is on track, the Englishman starting his first flying lap of the season.
As Vergne spins, and Hamilton is told that it's in the final sector that he's losing out, Massa is stranded in the kitty litter at Turn 9. His session is over.
Replay shows the Brazilian losing the car after running a little wide and taking to the grass in the entry to the corner.
Button goes seventh with a 29.944, but moments later he is demoted when Ricciardo bangs in a 29.670 to take sixth. Nonetheless, the McLaren driver goes quickest in S1 of his next lap, finally crossing the line at 27.650, out-paving Schumacher by 0.585s.
As the clock ticks down to 7:21, Raikkonen finally leaves the pits, leaving the HRT duo as the only drivers not to post a time. Glock is currently 11s off the pace and teammate Pic 35s.
As Button improves with a 27.642, Raikkonen begins his first flying lap since 2009. The Finn crosses the line at 32.519, which puts him twentieth. Teammate Grosjean is currently eighteenth (31.332).
Another improvement for Button (27.560), however, teammate Hamilton is on a fast lap, however the Englishman loses a heap of time behind a very slow Rosberg. Next time around, with no hold-ups, Hamilton bangs in a 27.805.
At the very end of the session, Alonso has a moment coming out of the final corner, the rear end snapping out and almost catching the grass.
The session ends with Button quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Schumacher, Alonso, Webber, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Maldonado, Raikkonen and Kobayashi.
Vettel is eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, di Resta, Senna, Perez, Grosjean, Kovalainen, Massa, Vergne, Petrov, Glock and Pic.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.