11/05/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
Whilst the Ferrari isn't running too many updates, Fernando Alonso posted the fastest lap this morning, though it was noticeable that (Bahrain winner) looked remarkably comfortable in the Red Bull.
Kamui Kobayashi was third quickest, and while Jenson Button was fourth, both McLaren drivers are clearly unhappy, both complaining about understeer.
Schumacher was the best placed Mercedes driver while both Lotus drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, are very much on the pace and looking confident.
While Bottas, Clos, Bianchi and Rossi were on duty this morning, this afternoon the regular drivers - Senna, Karthikeyan, di Resta and Kovalainen - are back in their cockpits.
We didn't see the soft (option) tyres this morning but that will change this afternoon as drivers look ahead to tomorrow afternoon and Sunday.
The lights go green but it is a couple of minutes before an engine fires up, such is the familiarity with this track. Eventually, it is Vergne who breaks the deadlock. He is subsequently joined by Ricciardo, Grosjean, Petrov, Senna and Perez. In fact, in no time at all there are 16 drivers on track.
Vergne posts a 27.146 but this is quickly beaten by his Toro Rosso teammate who crosses the line at 26.622.
As Perez goes quickest (25.532) and Vergne second, Button goes eighth overall (29.668), only to be demoted when Vettel shoots straight to the top of the sheets with a 25.000. The guy means business.
A 25.123 sees Hamilton go second, as more and more drivers pour on to the track. Indeed, all but Hulkenberg and the HRTs are on track.
Schumacher goes quickest with a 24.859 as Button continues to complain about understeer in S2, exactly the same complaint as his teammate in FP1. Elsewhere, Webber goes fourth with a 25.118.
Alonso really sliding the Ferrari around, as Schumacher goes quickest in S1. Replay showing the Ferrari really taking a pounding from the kerbs.
"Unbelievable understeer," complains Button, his brief stop for adjustments clearly not having done the trick. The team has been running its new high nose and also the old nose, but neither driver appears to be happy with either.
Alonso takes the top spot with a 24.739 as teammate Massa posts 25.011 to go fourth. No significant upgrades for Ferrari here but whatever work they've been doing on the car seems to be paying off.
The Lotus duo, now on their second run, ran the new front wings on their previous run.
One of the first to switch to the options, Vergne goes quickest with a 24.733, Senna, Ricciardo and Vettel also on the softer rubber.
Ricciardo improves to third (24.769) but all attention is on Vettel. At the first split the German is 0.249s up on Vergne, while at the second it's 0.816. The world champion crosses the line at 23.563 to go quickest, over a second quicker than Vergne's pace-setter.
A typically aggressive Kobayashi (softs) goes second, the Sauber driver crossing the line at 24.214, 0.651s down on Vettel.
In the HRT garage Karthikeyan looking very frustrated as the mechanics work on hi car - which is in pieces. According to the Spanish outfit it is an electrical issue.
Maldonado goes third with a 24.468 as Hamilton begins his first flying lap on the softer rubber. The Englishman is quickest in S1, while at the second split he is 0.260s off the pace - this being the sector where he and his teammate are struggling. At the line it's 24.027 which is 'only' good enough for second, 0.464s off Vettel's best.
Webber, now on softs, goes quickest in S1, as Alonso, Massa and Schumacher persist with the harder rubber. Button has also yet to make the switch. Webber goes third with a 24.065.
Now on the softer rubber Button goes quickest in S1, however, again, like his teammate, he loses ground in S2. Nonetheless, a strong final sector (he's quickest) sees him go quickest overall, crossing the line at 23.399, 0.164s quicker than Vettel. Hamilton feels that his problem might be about gearing, feeling the ratios are "way too long".
Perez, finally on the softs, posts PBs in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 24.422 to go seventh. With tyres expected to be critical on Sunday, the Mexican is going to be well worth watching.
Rosberg, the first of the Mercedes drivers to make the switch to softs, posts a PB in S1 before going quickest overall in S2 - where the McLarens are losing out. At the line it's 23.771, putting the Chinese GP winner third overall.
Webber and Schumacher are both back out, now both on the softer tyres. Indeed, the Ferrari duo have also made the move to the yellow banded tyres.
Schumacher improves to sixth overall (24.080) though his lap didn't appear to be anything special. Webber fails to improve suggesting that he's on a higher fuel run, probably looking ahead to the start of Sunday's race.
A PB from Alonso in S1 before the Spaniard backs off in S2. Elsewhere, Grosjean, now on the softs also, goes quickest in S1. At the second split the Frenchman remains up on Button however, a poor final sector means he can only manage fifth (23.964).
A second flying lap from Alonso sees PBs in the first two sectors, the Ferrari finally crossing the line at 24.600 to go thirteenth.
Webber gets it all wrong in Turn 4, the Australian taking a long, long run through the gravel which he subsequently dumps all over the track, endearing him to his rival drivers. Elsewhere, Raikkonen goes fifth with a 23.918 as the Enstone outfit - and its drivers - continue to impress.
Having finally made it out of the pits, Karthikeyan grinds to a halt at Turn 3. He and his teammate deserve better than this - it must be soul destroying.
As Grosjean leaves the pits on used softs, Hamilton runs very wide in the final corner.
With 25:00 on the clock, it's: Button, Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Webber, Schumacher, Kobayashi and Hulkenberg.
Both Ferraris now on longer runs, hards for Massa and softs for his teammate. Elsewhere, HRT admits it faces a tough task this afternoon tracing the route of Karthikeyan's problems.
Even with 15:00 remaining, Red Bull is experimenting, Webber leaving the pits with flow-viz paint on the front and back of his car.
Kovalainen is the latest to take to the kitty-litter, the Caterhams looking thoroughly unremarkable thus far.
Now on longer runs, the Lotus duo look impressive while Schumacher is also banging in some respectable times.
Senna has completed the most laps (37), ahead of Rosberg and Kobayashi (35) and Maldonado (34). The Lotus duo continue to be quickest through the speed-trap, ahead of Perez, di Resta, Rosberg and Schumacher.
With 6:53 on the clock all but Glock and Karthikeyan are on track.
Schumacher complains of a lot of vibration, elsewhere, another detour for Hamilton.
The yellow flags are out after Senna spins at Turn 13, leaving the Williams driver facing in the wrong direction.
The session ends and while there are no further improvements the times posted on the longer runs point to Red Bull and Lotus looking to be in good shape.
However, overall it is Button who is quickest, ahead of Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Webber, Schumacher, Kobayashi and Hulkenberg.
Massa is eleventh, ahead of Perez, Maldonado, Alonso, di Resta, Vergne, Ricciardo, Senna, Kovalainen, Petrov, Glock, Pic, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.