05/07/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today’s opening practice session the air temperature is 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 19 degrees. It is overcast but dry.
For those of you hoping that tyres might have been demoted to the backburner, we have bad news. Last night, the drivers’ union – the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association – issued a statement warning that if there are any repeats of the failures we witnessed at Silverstone they will boycott the event.
Insisting that much of what happened at Silverstone was due to the drivers and teams, citing aggressive kerbs, tyre swapping, camber and tyre pressures, Pirelli have made numerous changes, including returning to a Kevlar belt. However, it might not be until later in the weekend, when fuel loads increase, that the tyres are put under similar pressure to that encountered last week.
While some say that the GPDA threat is an empty one, the fact is that F1 doesn’t need a repeat of what happened last weekend.
And talking of tyres, which we always are these days, the tyres available this weekend are medium (prime) and soft option.
Charlie Whiting has issued an edict clearly stating what the teams can and cannot do in terms of tyre pressures and cambers, with tyre swapping banned.
There are two DRS zones, one on the main pit straight, and the other between Turns 11 and 13.
There is only one reserve driver on duty today – Rodolfo Gonzalez is in Jules Bianchi’s Marussia. Then again, if things go awry tyre-wise he could make his debut on Sunday as could several other young aspirants.
Max Chilton is first out, followed by Sutil, Perez and Hulkenberg. Amongst the early risers is Alonso who stops shortly after leaving the pits. He climbs from the car and stares at it, totally bemused.
After a very disappointing weekend in Britain this is the worst possible start for the Spaniard and his team.
As Alonso directs the marshals, who are having problems moving the car, the clock is ticking… in the Ferrari garage Stefano Domenicali looks anxious.
Hamilton posts the first time of the day, a very, very, very conservative 2:16.935.
At Lotus, which will be hurting in these cool temperatures, both drivers are running the passive device. It was only used by Raikkonen at Silverstone but in all honesty didn’t make that much of a difference.
Twenty minutes into the session, Chilton and di Resta are back on track.
The new rules for 2014, which will see drivers get extra tyres on Friday, will hopefully mean that these long periods of inactivity we are currently witnessing every race weekend will become a thing of the past.
Approaching the half hour, Button leaves the pits followed by Perez, Grosjean and Webber. The Englishman posts a 1:39.929, improving to 34.342 next time around.
As Grosjean goes second (35.303) – Button having improved again with a 33.642 – it is noticeable that as at Silverstone the Lotus is throwing up a lot of sparks at various points on the track. Perez posts 34.442 and Webber 35.634.
As Alonso’s car finally arrives back at the Ferrari garage, the mechanics get to work.
Going quickest in the first and final sectors, Webber, who clearly loves this track, goes quickest, crossing the line at 33.047.
A 34.037 sees Massa go fourth, ahead of Perez, Vergne and Ricciardo. Teammate Alonso waits patiently in his car.
As Rosberg goes third (33.552), Hulkenberg runs wide in T10, his team understood to be in a fairly dire financial situation at present. According to one media outlet, team boss Monisha Kaltenborn has said the “team will see out the season”, which is usually the sort of thing you hear before it all goes belly-up. If it can happen to Sauber, what hope Marussia and Caterham?
As Vettel goes second (33.505), Rosberg goes quickest in the first two sectors, does it again in S3, crossing the line at 32.552 to go quickest.
Back on track, Alonso immediately runs into problems again, his car slowing to a worrying crawl. He is able to continue and slowly makes his way back to the pits.
No such problems for Hamilton who goes quickest in the first three sectors before finally crossing the line at 32.349, beating his Mercedes teammate by 0.203s.
With 41:30 on the clock, only Chilton, Sutil, Alonso and di Resta haven’t posted times.
As Raikkonen posts 32.965 to go third, Rosberg closes to within 0.01s of Hamilton. Early days but Mercedes looking very strong here.
With 34:00 remaining, it’s: Hamilton, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Webber, Vettel, Button, Massa, Grosjean, Ricciardo and Vergne. At which point Hamilton ups the ante with a 31.754.
Massa and Hamilton are both told that there is an issue with DRS in terms of the FIA telemetry and warning messages. All the drivers are warned to only use it in the designated areas.
Replay shows Ricciardo getting it wrong and missing the apex at T1. Moments later Hamilton also makes a mistake leading to Perez being warned about a bump on the entry to the corner.
As work continues on Alonso’s car, so too Vettel appears to have a problem as mechanics swarm over the right-rear of the Red Bull. Chilton is understood to have a brake issue.
A big lock up for Gutierrez in T1 as Chilton finally leaves the pits, the Marussia driver going on to post a 36.545.
In the Ferrari garage Alonso has climbed from his car. His helmet and gloves are off and he has headed off to the motorhome his session over. It is understood, but not confirmed, that he has an ECU problem.
Turn 1, although a superb corner, is beginning to be a bit of a bug bear, Vergne the latest to suffer a massive lock-up as he heads into it. Elsewhere, Raikkonen runs wide in T11.
Vettel improves to eighth (33.215) and Raikkonen fifth (32.956) as Grosjean posts a couple of PBs and thereby improves to eleventh. Elsewhere, a new front wing for Webber, while Raikkonen gets a new nose.
As Button is told to “push to the flag” in order to “see what these rear tyres can do”, Gutierrez complains of a vibration. Asked if he is able to continue the Mexican replies in the affirmative but admits he will be off the pace. Hamilton locks-up in T1 and runs wide.
After a long period in the pits Massa is back on track, the Brazilian heading back to his garage after an installation lap. Elsewhere, a superb recovery from Raikkonen as his car gets out of shape in the final corner.
On an old set of tyres, Rosberg closes to within 0.219s of Hamilton, the German going quickest in S3. Impressive.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest ahead of Rosberg, Webber, Sutil, Raikkonen, Massa, Button, Vettel, Grosjean and Perez.
Di Resta is eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, Vergne, Maldonado, Bottas, Gutierrez, Pic, Chilton, Van der Garde, Gonzalez and Alonso.
Check out our Thursday gallery, here.