23/03/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session for the Malaysia Grand Prix, the air temperature is 29 degrees C while the track temperature is 34 degrees. Humidity is 71 percent.
With its long straights and flowing corners, this is a track that, in recent years, has traditionally suited Red Bull, however, so it will be interesting to see how things develop this year.
Following the disappointment of Melbourne, Mercedes insists it is working hard on its tyre problem, while Ferrari has its own issues to deal with.
Only one reserve driver is in action this morning, Valtteri Bottas replacing Bruno Senna in the second Williams.
Vergne heads the queue at the end of the pitlane, and when the lights go green Kovalainen, Perez, Karthikeyan, Ricciardo and Kobayashi are among the drivers following the Frenchman on his installation lap.
Tyre compounds are hard and medium, while, as previously reported, following his nightmare in Melbourne, Massa has been provided with a new chassis.
Within five minutes everyone has been out, Maldonado, Rosberg, Schumacher, di Resta and Bottas completing two laps.
Ten minutes into the session both Toro Rossos are on track, along with di Resta. While Ricciardo returns to the pits, Vergne and di Resta remain on track, joined by Glock. The Scot posts 2:04.524 while Vergne dives into the pitlane.
A 44.935 sees Glock go straight to the top of the timesheet, as Pic and Karthikeyan head down the pitlane.
Glock improves with a 43.487 as Button heads down the pitlane, the first of the big guns to come out for a second run. Unsurprisingly, the Englishman is quickest in the first sector, and again in the second. As de la Rosa posts 2:25.817, Button crosses the line at 39.323, almost 47s quicker.
The circuit, which gets very little use throughout the year, is very dusty, as proven by Perez who runs wide on his way to posting a 42.858.
Raikkonen goes quickest with a 39.128 as Massa and Schumacher get to work.
As Pirelli claims that there will be rain later in the afternoon, Massa goes third (39.904) ahead of Kobayashi and Perez. Elsewhere, Grosjean is going very slowly, the Frenchman concerned that there is something wrong at the back of his car.
Schumacher's first flying lap sees the German go quickest with a 39.083, as teammate Rosberg, Alonso and Webber leave the pits. Grosjean is back in the pits, his problem appearing to be a broken hub.
As Webber goes fourth (39.657), Hamilton begins his first flying lap, the Englishman immediately going quickest in the first sector. Rosberg posts 39.323 - exactly the same time as Button - to go fourth, but is demoted to fifth when Hamilton goes quickest with a 38.598. Sam Michael watches intently from the pitwall.
Vettel leaves the pits with 55:00 on the clock, still no time from Ricciardo, Pic, Grosjean, Maldonado, Alonso or Bottas.
A 38.535 sees Vettel go straight to the top of the timesheet, ahead of Hamilton, Schumacher, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Button, Webber, Massa, Kobayashi and Hulkenberg.
Rosberg is one of the few to improve his time, the German posting 38.813 to take third. That said, moments later Hamilton re-takes the top spot with a 38.021.
A massive slide, beautifully held, for di Resta as the Scot improves to twelfth with a 40.001.
More misery for HRT as Karthikeyan stops on the back straight, much as he did in FP1 last week. With the Indian seemingly suffering a hydraulics issue, de la Rosa also appears to have problems, the Spaniard having been pushed back into his garage.
Although the sun is shining, it is reported that there are "lots of rain showers appearing on the radar".
Di Resta improves to seventh (39.298), two spots ahead of his German teammate.
With his hub issue resolved, Grosjean is back on track and improving to fifth with a 38.919. Elsewhere, HRT appears to be trying everything it can as de la Rosa complains of no rear grip. The Spanish veteran giving detailed feedback to his engineers.
Alonso, currently fifteenth, is back on track, however, though he improves his time his position remains the same. Teammate Massa is thirteenth.
With 32:00 on the clock, as Massa has a big lock-up, the air temperature has risen to 30 degrees C and the track temperature to 41 degrees. Humidity is now 61%. All but Pic have posted times.
Bottas is currently eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Massa, Kobayashi, Alonso, Vergne, Ricciardo, Perez, Petrov, Kovalainen, Glock, Karthikeyan, de la Rosa and Pic.
Raikkonen and di Resta have completed the most laps (17), as Schumacher is told that most drivers are losing their rears after 13 or 14 laps.
With 21:50 on the clock, the softer medium compound has yet to make an appearance.
Mindful of the rain that is sure to hit the track later, drivers are concentrating on longer runs with the hard tyre, looking ahead to Sunday afternoon.
Pic finally posts a time, the Frenchman going twenty-second with a 44.580.
Among the first to switch to the medium compound, Kovalainen improves to seventeenth (40.247), ahead of Ricciardo, Petrov and Perez.
In the Red Bull garage the mechanics are working on the floor at the rear of Webber's car. The Australian is currently sixth, 1.071s off the pace.
Having run wide a couple of times, the Lotus crew change the wing setting on Raikkonen's car. Elsewhere, the McLaren mechanics are trying to sort an oil leak on Button's car. In the Ferrari garage Alonso has his second nose change of the day.
While Button is unlikely to reappear again this session, Webber is back on track.
As Perez goes off making full use of the escape road, and Hamilton runs wide, the Force India crew cover the front wing of di Resta's car with flo-viz paint, making sure not to get any on the pitlane surface.
Nice job by Kobayashi keeping his Sauber on track as the rear end slips out.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Vettel, Rosberg, Schumacher, Grosjean, Webber, Raikkonen, di Resta, Button and Hulkenberg.
Bottas is eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Massa, Kobayashi, Alonso, Vergne, Kovalainen, Ricciardo, Petrov, Perez, Glock, Pic, Karthikeyan and de la Rosa.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.