22/06/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session the air temperature is 25 degrees C, while the track temperature is 33 degrees. It is a little bit warmer than this morning, but over the next couple of days it is expected to get a lot hotter. It remains very, very windy, a strong tailwind down the main straight.
Pastor Maldonado was quickest this morning in a session in which the top nine were covered by less than 0.3s
This being Valencia, it was unsurprising to see plenty of lock-ups and offs this morning as drivers struggled for grip on what is a notoriously dusty track.
After an early KERS problem, things subsequently improved for Jenson Button, the McLaren driver finishing fourth.
However, looking very, very good were the two Red Bulls, Sebastian Vettel having won here for the last two years.
Having handed over their cars to reserve drivers Bruno Senna and Nico Hulkenberg are in action this afternoon.
The lights go green and Grosjean is first out, the two Lotus both over 0.5s off the pace of the leading nine this morning. As Kobayashi, Raikkonen, Perez, Pic and Ricciardo head down the pitlane mechanics are swarming over Schumacher's and Rosberg's Mercedes.
Tyre options this weekend are medium and soft, the softer rubber yet to appear today.
With thirteen drivers on track, Grosjean is the first to post a time, the Montreal hero crossing the line at 45.049. Moments later, Perez posts 42.627 to go quickest.
Looking as good as he did in this morning's session, Maldonado goes quickest with a 41.133. However, moments later, Kobayashi bangs in a 41.085 despite the mother of all lock-ups in the final corner.
Webber complains of a problem with his downshift as teammate Vettel goes quickest with a 41.035.
Having gone quickest in the first two sectors, Button crosses the line at 40.744, the Englishman looking a little more comfortable today. It's understood he is using Hamilton's set-up here.
Maldonado re-takes the top spot with a 40.557 as Hulkenberg goes third ahead of Kobayashi and Perez.
Hamilton posts a 43.612 to go fifteenth, subsequently improving to seventh with a 41.246.
As Alonso goes quickest in S2, Button goes quickest in S1. The Spaniard goes second (40.582) while a poor final sector means his English rival fails to improve. Elsewhere, Massa goes fifth with a 40.871.
Alonso goes quickest with a 40.248 while di Resta goes second and Hamilton third. Moments later however, Webber takes second with a 40.315.
Drivers continue to lock-up, most notably at turns 2 and 12, Hamilton just oner of those caught out.
Twenty minutes into the session the Mercedes duo are finally on track. Along with Glock they remain the only drivers yet to post a time. Schumacher subsequently posts 40.506 to go seventh, on his first flying lap. Rosberg, on the other hand can only manage 44.818.
Schumacher appears to have been reading those claims that he is the dark horse this weekend, the German going quickest with a 40.169. Moments later however, he complains of a "drive problem" before noticeably slowing a returning to the pits. Rosberg has improved to eleventh (40.795).
Button, Kovalainen and Petrov are the first drivers to switch to the softer rubber, as Rosberg ups the ante with a 40.154.
On the softer rubber, Button posts a PB in S1, subsequently going on to go quickest overall in S2. At the line the McLaren driver posts 39.990 to go quickest. Elsewhere, as Webber runs wide after locking up, Rosberg goes quickest in the first two sectors finally crossing the line at 39.926.
With 52:40 on the clock, both Lotus are at the wrong end of the timesheets, along with the Toro Rossos, which were equally disappointing this afternoon.
Air temperature has increased by 3 degrees C and track temperature by 6 degrees.
Alonso, on softs, posts PBs in the first two sectors, as Massa, also on softs, goes quickest in overall in S1. The Spaniard goes quickest overall (39.733) as Massa goes sixth (40.244) following a major lock up and off in the final sector.
More and more drivers switch to the softer rubber, among them Rosberg, who immediately goes quickest in S1. However, his lap is ruined when de la Rosa goes off into the barriers at turn 14. It's a strange accident as the Spaniard didn't appear to make any effort to make the corner, though the tyre tracks on the circuit show he was down hard on the brakes. Yellow flags are waved but the session continues.
Just after half-time, it's: Alonso, Rosberg, Button, Hamilton, Schumacher, Vettel, Massa, Hulkenberg, Webber and di Resta.
Showing no ill affects of his previous problems, and on softs, Schumacher goes quickest with a 39.601. Meanwhile, having damaged a forward part of the underside on the Mercedes, mechanics patch up Rosberg's car with silver gaffa tape.
Grosjean posts 39.868 to go third while teammate Raikkonen goes sixth with a 40.004.
Webber and Vettel are now on softs, the Australian going fifth (39.901) and the German quickest (39.334). The top twelve are covered by 0.670.
Improvements from Hulkenberg, Kobayashi and Senna as Alonso returns to the harder rubber. Perez spins at turn 12 but is able to continue.
Hamilton, currently fourteenth, posts a PB in S1 however, his second sector is a little ragged. A poor final sector sees him fail to improve.
With 25:00 on the clock drivers are focussing on the opening stages of Sunday's race when they are running on a heavy fuel load.
The times being posted on heavy fuel suggests that the field is as close as it is on lighter fuel.
As the clock counts down to ten minutes, all but Kobayashi, Button, Hamilton and Petrov are on track… not forgetting de la Rosa.
Drivers come in to switch from one compound to the other, still looking ahead to Sunday afternoon. The difference between the two compounds is significantly higher than we've seen in recent races, and let's not forget that it will be much warmer on Sunday.
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Hulkenberg, Kobayashi, Schumacher, Senna, di Resta, Alonso, Grosjean, Webber and Rosberg.
Raikkonen is eleventh, ahead of Button, Maldonado, Hamilton, Massa, Perez, Petrov, Ricciardo, Kovalainen, Vergne, Glock, Pic, Karthikeyan and de la Rosa.
Check out our Friday gallery, here