01/09/2012
NEWS STORY
You will be delighted to know that after yesterday's washout conditions are much improved this morning. Indeed, it couldn't be more different, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and people are wearing summer clothing.
That said, there was rain during the night, and for this morning's GP3 session there were still many damp patches all around the circuit.
Of course, this means that the drivers are going to be kept very, very busy over the next sixty minutes, having to fit in today's programme together with all the work that should have been carried out yesterday. A "Herculean task" as Marussia puts it.
Though there was little action of worth yesterday there was enough running for Felipe Massa to lose an engine, Mark Webber to require a gearbox change - resulting in a five place grid penalty - and Michael Schumacher to make a pig's ear of entering the pitlane resulting in a fine.
As we await the start of the session the air temperature is 12 degrees C while the track temperature is 20 degrees. Still cool/cold… but dry. There are still a few damp patches.
Unusually for a Saturday, Alonso's car features flow-viz paint on its front wing, Ferrari, like its rivals, with much to catch up on after yesterday's downpour.
As expected the drivers are keen to get to work, within moments there are thirteen drivers on track. All are on the harder rubber, the exceptions being di Resta, Raikkonen, Maldonado, Schumacher, Button, Hamilton, Alonso, Hulkenberg and Ricciardo.
While the Saubers and Marussia return to the pits, Vergne, Kovalainen, Petrov and a host of others remain on track for a second lap.
Vergne crosses the line at 1:58.079 but this is soon beat by Senna's 57.562. We're in business.
A 56.957 sees Webber take the top spot, while teammate Vettel goes third with a 57.753. Both Red Bulls are on the harder rubber.
Senna re-takes the top spot with a 53.647, the Williams driver joined by his teammate at the top of the timesheets as Maldonado bangs in a 56.025.
In the McLaren garage the mechanics change the ride-height on Hamilton's car.
Going quickest in all three sectors Senna consolidates his top spot with a 52.562, the Brazilian watched keenly by Valtteri Bottas. Maldonado goes second with a 55.608.
A mistake at the chicane means that Raikkonen can only manage ninth (56.545), two spots ahead of Schumacher (56.822).
Hulkenberg improves to second with a 56.097 ahead of Vettel, Maldonado and Webber.
Button leaves the pits, leaving behind Massa, Hamilton and Alonso as the only drivers not on track.
Rosberg pulls off to the side of the track at Fagnes, the German complaining that he has lost drive. The marshals push his car to safety. A disaster for the Shanghai winner.
Obviously inspired by his teammate's performance yesterday, Glock goes second with a 55.070. Indeed, moments later the Frenchman makes it a 2-3 for Marussia when he posts a 54.231.
At 41:50 all but Senna and Kovalainen are on track, Massa slotting straight into second place with a 51.885. Moments later teammate Alonso goes third (53.446) edging out Pic and Glock. Yes, Pic and Glock.
In the Lotus garage a clearly frustrated Raikkonen complains; "we are learning nothing". The Finn, who had hoped to be using his team's new 'device' this weekend, is one of several drivers to run wide at Les Combes this morning, the corner catching out numerous drivers yesterday also.
A 50.936 sees Alonso go quickest as Vettel gets it all wrong at the chicane. Button tells his team that they need to look at the car's balance… Captain No Grip is back. The Englishman is currently eighteenth (56.610), one spot ahead of his teammate.
Worth noting that Pic and Glock, who remain fourth and fifth, were on the harder rubber. Alonso's best was set on the softer tyre. The team is running a number of updates this weekend, though it is early days it appears that they are paying off.
At half-time, it's: Alonso, Massa, Senna, Pic, Glock, Hulkenberg, Vettel, Perez, Webber and Grosjean.
Schumacher complains of "graining", the German one of five drivers currently on track. Complaints also from Kovalainen whose DRS is not working properly.
Perez (option) posts a 49.637 to go quickest however, the onboard camera reveals that he is working the car very, very hard. Teammate Kobayashi goes second, 0.550 slower.
Having gone quickest in S2, Grosjean maintains a strong pace in the final sector crossing the line at 49.580 to go quickest, albeit just 0.057s ahead of Perez.
As Vergne improves to fourth, having gone quickest in S3, Webber posts a 49.614 to take the top spot. In the Mercedes garage Schumacher watches his monitor intently.
With 20:25 on the clock Vettel heads down the pitlane on a brand new set of options. Button (prime) improves to seventh (50.142) while Hamilton (also prime) goes eleventh (50.274).
As Alonso (prime) goes second (49.480), Massa goes quickest in s1. A mistake in S2 sees the Brazilian lose a whole heap of time, while Hamilton, despite his hard work, fails to improve.
Webber re-takes the top spot with a 49.164 as teammate Vettel goes quickest in S2. At the line the world champion posts 49.292 to go second, as Massa, once again, goes quickest in s1.
Raikkonen finally gets down to business, the Finn popping in a 49.523 to go fourth. The top four, Webber, Vettel, Alonso and Raikkonen all having posted their best times on prime rubber. Fifth placed Perez posted his time on options, as did Grosjean, Kobayashi and Massa who fill the next few places.
Still down in seventeenth, Schumacher posts a PB in S1. The German, on primes, maintains the pace in S2 finally crossing the line at 49.921 to go eighth.
"Slight understeer but still got a nervous rear," complains di Resta who is currently tenth.
With just under nine minutes on the clock, as the teams prepare for their final pre-qualifying runs, Rosberg's car is back in the Mercedes garage, mechanics removing its floor. Vettel asks for a suspension change but is informed that there isn't enough time.
Perez re-takes top spot (48.850) with teammate Kobayashi going second (48.863) moments later.
As di Resta goes fifth (49.382), Alonso goes quickest in S1, teammate Massa going even quicker moments later. At the line, Alonso posts 48.542 to go quickest while Massa goes fourth (49.092).
A 49.091 sees Button edge out Massa by one-thousandth of a second, teammate Hamilton losing time following a mistake at Les Combes.
Raikkonen goes second (48.683) as attention switches to Webber, the Australian using all the track and then some. The Red Bull driver goes seventh (49.164) while Hamilton improves to twelfth.
The chequered flag is waved but all twenty-three drivers are still on track.
A rear lock-up means Vettel fails to improve on ninth, however, nobody else looks set to improve. Indeed, they don't.
The session ends with Alonso quickest, ahead of Raikkonen, Perez, Kobayashi, Button, Massa, Webber, Grosjean, Vettel and di Resta.
Maldonado is eleventh, ahead of Hamilton, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Ricciardo, Senna, Kovalainen, Pic, Glock, Petrov, de la Rosa, Karthikeyan and Rosberg.
An interesting session which, not for the first time, poses more questions than it answers.