11/10/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. It is bright and sunny.
Tyres this weekend are hard (prime) and medium (option). As in 2012 there is one DRS zone and it is on the main pit straight, albeit slightly longer than last year.
Naturally (groan) Red Bull is expected to be very strong here, with Mercedes and Lotus also due a good showing while Ferrari is likely to struggle for grip.
There is one reserve driver on duty this morning, Heikki Kovalainen taking over Charles Pic's car.
The lights go green and Mark Webber is first out, the Australian at the wheel of the chassis he drove in Hungary, his regular car having been damaged in last week's crash. He is joined by Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Bianchi and Maldonado.
Within a couple of minutes all but Hamilton have been out, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Vergne and Vettel each completing two installation laps.
Finally, Hamilton heads out, the Mercedes driver, like several others, sporting a special helmet for this race.
Seventeen minutes into the session, Maldonado is the first driver out for a second time. The Williams driver known to be very frustrated with the Grove outfit's performance this season and understood to be looking at a couple of alternative team to which to take his talent... and all that PDVSA money.
As Bianchi heads down the pitlane, Maldonado posts the first time of the weekend, the Venezuelan stopping the clock at 1:36.969.
Perez is another early riser, the Mexican under a lot of pressure to up his game. He posts 37.483 to go second ahead of Bianchi (38.389).
While Maldonado improves to 36.178, Perez posts 35.871. Elsewhere, Ricciardo, Chilton, Vergne, Van der Garde and Kovalainen head to work.
Game over for Bianchi has gone into the barriers at Degner, the Marussia driver losing the back end after running over the kerb at the exit to the first part of the corner.
As the red and black car is lifted from the track, swinging precariously, Webber leaves his garage. Perez improves to 35.450.
On his first flying lap Webber goes second (35.586), ahead of Ricciardo. Moments later a 35.968 sees Raikkonen go third with Hulkenberg posting 36.008 to go sixth.
Just a week after all that traction in Korea, Hulkenberg complains that he is struggling for grip. Good news for Hamilton and Alonso therefore.
Webber improves with a 35.208 to go quickest, with teammate Vettel going second (35.217) moments later. Raikkonen improves to third, with Massa going fifth and Button sixth. Next time around the Brazilian goes quickest (35.126).
Rosberg, on his first flying lap, goes quickest (34.864), leaving Grosjean, Alonso, Sutil, di Resta and Hamilton as the only drivers still to post a time.
At half-time, it's: Rosberg, Vettel, Massa, Webber, Raikkonen, Perez, Button, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo and Maldonado.
Massa returns to the pits trailing black smoke, the Brazilian is pushed back into his garage. Elsewhere, Vettel almost trips up over di Resta as the Scot emerges from the pits. The German gesticulates... and it isn't his 'number one finger'.
A big lock up at the hairpin means Alonso can only manage eighth (35.552), leaving di Resta as the only driver still to post a time.
Running wide at Spoon - as did Alonso - Grosjean complains that he is struggling with his rear. Elsewhere, Hamilton goes quickest with a 34.251, 1-2 for Mercedes... and not for the first time this year.
Di Resta's first flying lap sees the Scot go eighteenth (36.776), the Force India, like several of his rivals, under serious pressure to raise his game this weekend and in the remaining races.
Hamilton ups the ante with a 34.178, the top ten now showing total symmetry... Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus and McLaren.
The grandstands, packed with enthusiastic locals, contrast with last week's scenes in Korea... even on race day.
A front wing change for Bottas, the Finn currently sixteenth.
Drama for Maldonado and Van der Garde. The Venezuelan loses his left-rear wheel and is forced to pull off track after going wide and spinning at Spoon, while Van der Garde more or less repeats Bianchi's earlier error at Degner... with the same results.
Replay shows Maldonado's errant wheel bouncing down the track and clearly startling a couple of marshals. Van der Garde locked up on entry to the second part of Degner.
Van der Garde's car is removed from the track and placed beside Bianchi's Caterham. Talking of Jules, the Frenchman is in the Marussia motorhome where he is resting his elbow in ice having banged it when he clouted the barriers.
As ever, the drivers now focus on longer runs with an eye on Sunday.
Replay shows Sutil, currently fourteenth, taking a pounding as he rides the kerbs after running wide.
Webber runs wide at Spoon, while Rosberg gets it wrong at the chicane and flat-spots his tyre.
Shortly after Perez gets a new nose box, Button is told to pit for a change to his. At Mercedes, Rosberg makes a series of pit stops in order to lay down a nice layer of rubber.
With just over two minutes remaining, all 19 remaining drivers are on track.
A massive lock-up for Grosjean at the chicane while Chilton spins at Turn 1.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest ahead of Rosberg, Vettel, Webber, Massa, Alonso, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Perez and Ricciardo.
Button is eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, Vergne, Sutil, Maldonado, Bottas, di Resta, Gutierrez, Kovalainen, Bianchi, Van der Garde and Chilton.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.