20/04/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 31 degrees C, while the track temperature is 40 degrees.
The big news is that following this morning's session, Force India's Deputy Team Principal, Robert Fernley, has said that his team is to conduct "limited running" in today's second session.
Noticeably, the Indian outfit was the only team to use the softer (option) tyre in this morning's session, and it now appears that this is because it wishes to carry out all its basic work in order that it can leave the track during daylight hours.
Thus far, thankfully, the Silverstone-based outfit is the only team to have experienced the problems in Bahrain first hand, members of its crew being caught up in a firebombing incident on Wednesday night which, though nobody was injured, resulted in two crew members asking to be allowed to return to the UK.
During the course of this morning's session, clearly having been notified of the team's intentions, Bernie Ecclestone paid a visit to the Force India garage accompanied by circuit boss Zayed Al Zayani.
Watched by a crowd from the main grandstand which originally consisted of 58 but later swelled to around 150, the Force India cars finished third and sixth quickest this morning.
Whilst giving his full support for the Grand Prix, Fernley said that safety is paramount and that following Wednesday's incident team members have expressed concern about travelling at night.
Lewis Hamilton was the pace-setter this morning, ahead of Vettel, di Resta, Rosberg, Button, Hulkenberg, Schumacher, Webber, Raikkonen and Grosjean.
A minute or so after the lights go green, Karthikeyan heads down the pitlane. Further up the pitlane the Force India garage is looking a little sparse.
Karthikeyan gets the ball rolling with a 41.710, as Maldonado, Pic, Glock, Vergne, Ricciardo, Petrov and Kovalainen get to work.
In no time at all there are eight names on the doors, Maldonado quickest ahead of Vergne and Ricciardo. Elsewhere, Hamilton and Button are on track, watched by Ron Dennis - the Woking team being around 50 percent owned by Bahrain.
Button goes eleventh with a 40.476 as Perez goes quickest (35.905) ahead of his Sauber teammate. Button subsequently improves with a 34.500. Hamilton completes a couple of installation laps before heading back to the pits.
As Rosberg heads down the pitlane he's warned that the track is slippery at Turn 8. Indeed, a few corners seem slippery with offs and lock-ups aplenty.
A 34.366 sees Webber go quickest as Schumacher goes third, Alonso fourth and Rosberg fifth. Elsewhere, Vettel is on track.
Rosberg improves with a 34.346 but Schumacher goes quickest in S1. The German posts PBs in the next two sectors crossing the line at 34.329 to claim the top spot.
As Webber goes quickest in S1, Vettel does the business in S2. Ultimately the Australian fails to improve, while his teammate bangs in a 33.639, almost 0.7s quicker thn the seven-time champion.
Replay shows Massa really fighting with the car, as Hamilton, Senna and the Force Indias remain the only drivers yet to post a time.
Interestingly, Bernie Ecclestone has said that if Force India has concerns but wants to stay late at the track he will travel back to their hotels with them. Personally, we'd rather take our chances with the protestors.
Kobayashi, on softs, posts a PB is S1, as Vergne (also softs) goes sixth overall. Moments later, a 35.114 sees Hamilton go fifth only to be demoted when Kobayashi posts 34.411.
Force India officially confirms that it will not be participating in this session, citing "logistical reasons".
"We need to put the car back as it was," Hamilton tells his crew. Elsewhere, Rosberg and Vettel are on track on softs. As one would expect, Vettel is quickest in the first two sectors, however he loses time in the third, crossing the line at 33.525. Rosberg is quickest in S1 and S2, finally crossing the line at 32.816 having done the treble.
Webber gores second (33.262) having posted PBs in all three sectors. Elsewhere, Raikkonen aborts what would have been a good lap after making a mess of Turn 10. Shortly after, a similar mistake sees Alonso mess up his first flying lap on softs.
"We can see the (soft) tyres are useless now," Alonso is told, "so maybe we should run them with high fuel". However, the Spaniard disagrees, claiming that it is worth doing another couple of laps. On the harder compound, Button complains of grip issues in S2.
Having gone quickest in S1, Schumacher backs right off after coming up behind a slow Caterham. Elsewhere, Paul Hembery and Pirelli colleagues in earnest discussion. Shortly after, the cameras pick up Ferrari's Hirode Hamashima (ex Bridgestone) in equally earnest discussion with senior Pirelli crew member ass they study Alonso's tyres.
Drivers are now focussing on longer runs, most running on the soft rubber though Hamilton has yet to switch from the primes. His teammate however, is now on softs, and his first lap (34.246) is 1.4s off Rosberg's pace.
With 26:00 on the clock, Hamilton is on track on softs. At the first split, having lost time behind Alonso, he's down on Rosberg. At the second split he's a whole half-a-second off the pace. At the line it's 33.747 which sees him go fourth.
A massive lock up for Webber, the Australian near the end of an eight lap run on the softs.
With 21:00 on the clock, it's: Rosberg, Webber, Vettel, Hamilton, Schumacher, Button, Kobayashi, Alonso, Grosjean and Perez. At the other end of the timesheets both Williams are over 2.6s off the pace while Caterham looking much improved.
Hamilton is back on track but on high fuel, looking at the opening stages of Sunday's race. His first timed lap of a nine lap run sees him 8.1s off Rosberg's pace.
Schumacher and Vettel are almost racing, the Mercedes driver locking-up as he attempts to keep the Red Bull at bay.
As the tyres reach the end of their shelf lives, there are some very, very scrappy laps, not least Schumacher's.
The session ends with no significant improvements, Rosberg quickest, ahead of Webber, Vettel, Hamilton, Schumacher, Button, Kobayashi, Alonso, Grosjean and Perez.
Ricciardo is eleventh, ahead of Massa, Raikkonen, Vergne, Maldonado, Petrov, Kovalainen, Senna, Glock, Pic, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan.
Maldonado completed the most laps (38), ahead of Rosberg and Kovalainen (both 35). Kobayashi was quickest through the speed-trap (198.8 mph) ahead of Raikkonen and Grosjean (197.6 mph), Hamilton and Button (196.9 mph) and Rosberg (196.3 mph).
Check out our Friday gallery, here.