06/07/2012
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session the air temperatures is 17 degrees, while the track temperature is 17 degrees. After the rain the dominated this morning's session, you probably won't be surprised to learn that it has continued for much of the break and is still falling.
In a session in which we learned very little, and the teams were unable, and unwilling, to run their numerous updates, Romain Grosjean was the pace-setter, ahead of Ricciardo, Hamilton, Perez, Massa and Webber. Alonso and the Force India duo, which included test driver Jules Bianchi standing in for Hulkenberg, all failed to post a time.
With four minutes to go before the lights go green, there is just one poor soul on the McLaren pratt perch.
All we saw this morning were the full wets, nobody making the switch to inters. While it is likely that wets will remain the order of the day this afternoon also, it's worth noting that teams are limited to three sets per car for the entire weekend.
The lights turn green but there is no desire anywhere along the pitlane to get to work. Indeed, Petrov is told that the rain will get heavier and that therefore he'll be spending a bit more time hanging around.
Four minutes into the session, Glock heads down the pitlane, followed, shortly after, by Alonso.
In the McLaren garage, Lewis Hamilton follows the example of a number of other drivers, sticking an orange star to his helmet in tribute to Maria de Villota.
A nasty, twitchy moment for Massa as he arrives at the Hangar Straight, lots of standing water, lots of little rivers across the track.
Glock posts a 2:11.964, while Alonso returns to the pits, as does Raikkonen.
Senna, who is now on track, is told to abort if he feels it is too wet. He is advised that this is what Raikkonen has done. "I am coming in," says the Williams driver, having posted a 2:10.215, "there is no point being out here at the moment".
"If drivers are not going out it's because they can't get much data from wet running, not to save tyres," say Pirelli who earlier today reveals that neither the wets or inters suffer from degradation.
Glock remains on track, the German getting down to 2:10.700 as he gives the fans something to look at. That said, he too soon comes to realise that there's nothing to be gained by continuing and heads back to the comfort and safety of his garage.
There then follows a period of total inactivity, five minutes become ten, becomes fifteen.
Finally, at 45:10, as the bored fans in the stands resort to Mexican waves, Kobayashi heads down the pitlane. Game on?
As the Japanese begins his first flying lap he is joined by Pic. At the line its 2:04.198 which all the motivation needed for Perez, Alonso and Massa to join him. Interestingly, Alonso is on inters.
As the Ferrari return to the pits, both performing practice starts, Perez raises the bar with a 2:00.395 which is soon beaten buy his teammate's 1:59.405.
As Petrov begins his first flying lap, Vettel heads down the pitlane. Kobayashi crosses the line at 58.894.
With 32:27 on the clock there are still only seven names on the timesheets; Kobayashi, Perez, Senna, Kovalainen, Petrov, Hulkenberg and Glock.
Massa posts 2:00.565 to go third as Hulkenberg struggles. Meanwhile, the cameras switch to Senna who has crashed and brought out the red flags. He loses the rear at the start of the Hangar Straight, the car heading across the track and clouting the barriers ripping off the left-front wheel and pretty much of the rear end in the process. As seen earlier there is a slight camber as one comes on to the straight and as a result there is a little 'river' across the track. It has caught out a number of drivers today and now Senna.
The session re-starts at 15:08 (local time) meaning that there are twenty-two minutes remaining.
Again, Kobayashi is eager to get to work, the Japanese joined by Vergne, di Resta, Alonso, Ricciardo and Rosberg. Alonso and the Toro Rosso duo in inters.
Going quickest in the first two sectors, Kobayashi raises the bar with a 57.613. Moments later, Rosberg goes second (58.237), di Resta fourth (59.827) and Alonso tenth (2:03.380).
A nasty bit of oversteer for Hamilton who does well to control it. Shortly after, Schumacher takes to the grass.
No sooner has Rosberg improved with a 58.018 than Hamilton goes quickest with a 56.345, both on the full wets.
As Hamilton runs wide, Maldonado has a big twitch heading into Abbey. Conditions are still atrocious out there.
Schumacher improves to fifth (57.701) ahead of Button, while di Resta posts 59.429 to go ninth.
Alonso (thirteenth) remains the highest placed driver on inters.
Moments for both Alonso and Raikkonen as the clock ticks down to 5:00. Still no times from Grosjean, Vergne, Ricciardo, Webber or de la Rosa.
As Vettel and Glock battle they are joined by Button, at one stage the Red Bull cutting right across the Marussia. On Inters, Vettel is very slow, the German almost looking nervous.
Schumacher (wets) improves to third with a 56.545, out-pacing his teammate by 0.022s. Elsewhere, Raikkonen (inters) is still struggling but, nonetheless, goes eighth and thus becomes the highest placed runner on the compound.
Alonso makes full use of the generous run-off at Abbey As Kobayashi goes quickest in S2. The Japanese, who has switched to inters, subsequently dives into the pits. Elsewhere, a 360 for Perez at Luffield while Alonso loses his front wing after a spin and close encounter with the barriers at Stowe.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Kobayashi, Schumacher, Rosberg, Perez, Button, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg and Alonso.
Di Resta is eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Vettel, Vergne, Massa, Glock, Senna, Petrov, Pic and Karthikeyan. No times from Grosjean, Ricciardo, Webber or de la Rosa.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.