07/09/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's free practice session the air temperature is 28 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. Like yesterday it is bright and sunny though there is still a chance of rain on Sunday.
While yesterday morning's session saw the top fifteen covered by just 1.029s, in the afternoon Sebastian Vettel was untouchable, his nearest opposition, albeit his Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, over 0.6s adrift.
Naturally, the German insists that all is not as it appears and claims that he feels threatened by Mercedes and Ferrari.
While Lewis hamilton might well pull another ‘Spa-like' trick from the hat, the pace of the German and his car is pretty much as it was in Belgium.
Other than Red Bull, Lotus looked particularly strong, Kimi Raikkonen running a long wheelbase version of the E21. That said, the Finn, who is at the centre of media speculation regarding his 2014 seat, was plagued by problems in the afternoon, as a result he is back in the regular chassis today.
The McLarens were up there - sort of - as were the Force Indias, whilst Williams, Toro Rosso and Sauber struggled.
Good to see Max Chilton head the Caterham/Marussia battle at the bottom of the timesheets.
Tyre choices on this the fastest track on the calendar are hard (prime) and medium (option). Paul Hembery claims that there is about a second between the two compounds though this will reduce as the circuit evolves. Ferrari, in particular, struggled with the option tyre.
There are two DRS zones, one on the main pit straight the other on the run from the second Lesmo to the Variante Ascari.
The lights go green and Chilton leads the way, Raikkonen, Massa and Vettel among the early risers, every single driver, bar Grosjean, enjoying a brand new engine for this demanding, power-hungry circuit.
While most head back to the pits following their installation lap, Hulkenberg, Vettel and Webber remain on track. Both Red Bulls sporting lots of flo-vis.
Interesting to note that Russian hopeful Sergey Sirotkin has been maintaining a high profile here this weekend, Sauber still unwilling (or unable) to reveal what it has planned for him in 2014.
First time of the day is posted by Van der Garde (1:28.728), with teammate Pic posting 27.884 moments later. Perez gets things slightly more serious with a 26.489.
In the Ferrari garage, James Allison, making his public debut with the team, chats to Alonso, the pair having enjoyed great success during their Renault days.
Di Resta goes quickest (26.230) and his teammate second only to be demoted when Perez improves to 26.004.
As yesterday, drivers continue to be caught out at the first and second chicane, with Ascari and Parabolica no doubt coming into play as the day progresses.
As Alonso watches from the back of the Ferrari garage, Raikkonen, on his first flying lap, goes quickest, the Finn crossing the line at 25.871. Shortly after, Rosberg improves from 32.265 to 27.822 having made a mistake at Ascari. Hulkenberg goes third (26.125) ahead of the Force Indias.
A big lock-up sees Hamilton miss the first chicane as Vergne goes quickest (25.551) ahead of Gutierrez. Yes, Gutierrez.
A 25.514 sees Raikkonen re-take the top spot, however, moments later it is that man Vettel again, the world champion posting a 25.265. Hamilton goes fourth, ahead of Webber, Maldonado and Grosjean.
"The car is very bad in the last corner," complains Raikkonen, the Finn having had one heart-stopping moment in the Parabolica yesterday. Meanwhile, Vettel raises the bar with a 24.947 ass Webber improves to second (25.348).
Another lock-up, this time at the second chicane, sees Hamilton take to the generous escape road.
With 36:00 remaining, Massa, Alonso and Button are the only drivers yet to post a time.
As Maldonado posts 25.494 to go third, and the Ferraris head down the pitlane, most of the remaining drivers appear to be taking a break.
A 25.415 sees Hamilton improve to third, albeit 0.468s off Vettel's pace. Button goes fourteenth with a 25.468.
Rob Smedley organises the Ferrari duo as they prepare to repeat last year's slipstreaming tactic. Button improves to seventh with a 25.535.
Alonso posts 25.151 to go second, watched by Flavio Briatore who is in the Ferrari garage with Piero Ferrari. They are subsequently joined by Luca di Montezemolo.
In the Mercedes garage the mechanics have removed the floor from Rosberg's car, which is suffering from serious overheating, the German currently keeping the Marussias company at the bottom of the timesheets.
Di Resta goes off into the barriers at the Parabolica, the Scot losing the rear end as he enters the beginning of the long curve. "Something broke there," he tells the team. He's safely out of the car but his session is over.
Button improves to fourth with a 25.371 as Sutil gets into all sorts of bother at Ascari having clipped the kerb.
Vettel goes quickest in S3, crossing the line at 24.736, the option tyre yet to make an appearance.
Ominously, Vettel, on a fairly long run, on primes, improves with a 24.551. Elsewhere, a mistake by Grosjean at the first chicane.
A miracle in Monza? Button says his car feels "pretty good" through the Lesmos and Ascari. Pretty, pretty, good. Not so good for his teammate who is sitting in his car as his crew change rear suspension components.
Webber improves to second but remains 0.569 shy of his teammate.
With 12:00 on the clock the track falls eerily silent. In the old days this would have only meant one thing, a serious accident. Today however, it means the calm before the storm, the wait before the final runs on option tyres in preparation for this afternoon.
At 9:25 Button breaks the silence and heads down the pitlane, but still sporting primes. Vergne, Pic and Bianchi follow, but all on options. Raikkonen and Hulkenberg also on the softer rubber. "The clutch is nowhere," complains the German.
Maldonado and Hamilton the last to go out as Massa is told to work hard on his front tyres.
All but Rosberg and di Resta are on track.
Cameras pick up a lot of brake dust on the McLaren pit apron, seemingly dumped by Button. Monza, like Canada, is notoriously hard on brakes.
Raikkonen improves to fifth (25.120) while Hamilton can only manage eighth (25.153).
No purples, but then we saw that yesterday, the quickest times were posted on the second and third flying laps.
Indeed, Vettel goes quickest in S1, and again in S2. At the line the world champion posts 24.360, the only driver to post a purple. Alonso, second, remains 0.283S off the pace.
"There is no grip," complains Grosjean, "there is no grip".
Ricciardo posts 24.956 to pop up in sixth, as Vettel dives into the pits.
A late improvement sees Hamilton go fourth, while Perez goes fifth and Ricciardo retains sixth.
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Alonso, Webber, Hamilton, Perez, Ricciardo, Massa, Button, Maldonado and Raikkonen.
Vergne is eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Bottas, Sutil, di Resta, Pic, Van der Garde, Bianchi, Chilton and Rosberg.
The big question remains the weather. At present it is claimed that there is a 60 percent chance of rain tomorrow, and when it rains at Monza, it really rains.
Interestingly, take Vettel out of the equation and the next fourteen are covered by 1.017s, with Alonso, Webber, Hamilton, Perez and ricciardo covered by just 0.222s.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.