01/11/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session the air temperature is 33 degrees C, while the track temperature is 37 degrees.
Tyres options this weekend are the same as used last week in India, medium (prime) and soft (option).
There are two DRS zones, the first on the straight that links T7 and T8 and the second between T10 and T11.
Being extremely dusty we saw lots of mistakes, Turns 21, 17, 7 and 6 proving to be particularly difficult.
A late charge saw Grosjean go quickest ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Webber, Rosberg and Raikkonen, the six covered by just 0.68s.
Both Ferraris were off the pace but not as bad as the Caterhams and Marussias who continue to lap over 1.5s slower than their nearest rivals.
Sauber, whose new-found traction could pay serious dividends here this weekend was not helped by the fact that Nico Hulkenberg is a little poorly.
With the sun slowly going down temperature will continue to fall and will be more representative of what we can expect tomorrow and Sunday following this morning's searing heat. At one stage, such was the heat, Rosberg was told to run on the side of the track where the grandstand cast a shadow.
Yesterday's 'no show' Raikkonen is first out of the box, followed by Vergne, Chilton, Bianchi, Gutierrez, Ricciardo and di Resta. The Scot didn't run this morning, having handed his car over to James Calado. Adrian Sutil and Giedo Van der Garde also gave their cars over to the reserve drivers.
Unlike FP1 there is action right from the start, Raikkonen getting things underway with a 44.360. Elsewhere, after complaining that the noise is deafening, Button is told to turn down the "DRS beep" which appears to be deafening his crew. As opposed to the "profanity beep" as used by Lotus.
Beep or no beep, Button goes quickest, the McLaren driver posting 44.079. Teammate Perez goes third ahead of di Resta, Hulkenberg, Maldonado and Ricciardo.
Raikkonen re-takes the top spot with a 43.623 only to lose out when Perez posts 43.564. Moments later Button's 43.616 makes it a McLaren 1-2.
Just ten minutes into the session all but Bottas, Grosjean and Webber have posted times. Vergne and Raikkonen both make mistakes at T9.
Having gone quickest in the first two sectors Button loses time in S3 and therefore remains second. Elsewhere, Hamilton gets it wrong at T21.
Next time around, having gone quickest in the first two sectors, Button dives into the pits, but not before complaining about the traffic, singling out a Mercedes.
No sooner has Hamilton gone quickest (43.355) than Vettel stops the clock at 43.062. Rosberg splitting the pair moments later with a 43.101.
Twenty minutes into the session, Raikkonen is the first driver to switch to options (soft) the Finn improving from 8th (43.623) to 1st with a 41.888.
As Hulkenberg switches to options, and Webber goes second (43.021), Raikkonen consolidates his position with a 41.726, demonstrating that there are no issues with 'drop off' just yet.
Cameras pick up a large piece of brake duct falling from Chilton's car, the sizeable piece of carbonfibre subsequently rescued by a brave marshal.
Hamilton (options) goes second, ahead of Hulkenberg as di Resta heads back to the pits with a left-front puncture. Replay shows the Scot running wide at T9 suggesting that something might have failed.
Proving the options are good for a few fast laps - aided by the falling temperature - Hamilton posts 41.690 to go quickest.
Perez goes quickest in the first two sectors finally crossing the line at 42.023 to go fourth, McLaren clearly losing out in S3. Moments later, shows how it should be done (sort of), having gone quickest in the first two sectors he posts a PB in S3 to go quickest 941.556).
In the Force India garage the mechanics are working on the left-front of di Resta's car, the Scot at the back of the garage in conversation with an engineer. It appears his session could be over.
Despite only posting PBs in all three sectors, Vettel goes quickest by 0.056s, the German posting 41.034
Another puncture, this time for Button. However, Capt no Grip wasn't aware there was a problem until told by his team. Indeed, looking in his mirrors, as instructed, he can't see anything wrong. Nonetheless he pits.
A spin for Chilton at T2 which for a few worrying moments leaves him stranded in the middle of the track facing the wrong way.
"Something broke, something broke," says Grosjean as his car goes straight on at the chicane.
Suddenly it's all happening.
"There's a funny small in the car," complains Vettel, "I'm coming in." Don't go there.
Just after half-time, as driver settle down to longer runs, it's: Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Perez, Button, Alonso, Hulkenberg and Massa. Grosjean, currently 12th, apparently has a broken brake disc.
A spin for Van der Garde at T21, the Dutchman completing just one lap in his last two races.
Di Resta is back on track, the team having resolved what is thought to have been a brake issue, and having checked Sutil's car also. The team immediately gets to work on long runs on the option rubber.
However, no such luck for Grosjean as the Lotus crew continue to work on his car which also appeared to suffer a brake issue.
Twenty minutes remaining.
"How is my pace Rocky," askes Vettel. "It's good," is the highly informative response.
With just over fifteen minutes remaining, with his teammate setting a strong pace on the options, Grosjean heads down the pitlane.
Hamilton, currently third 0.355s off Vettel's pace, complains; "something doesn't feel right with the car, it's all over the place".
Raikkonen lucky not to collect Bottas when the Williams driver makes a mistake at T7.
Grosjean is back in the pits, oddly climbing out of his car before it is pushed into the garage. Since going out the Frenchman has only completed two laps.
As the clock counts down All but Grosjean, this morning's pace setter, are on track.
The session ends with Vettel quickest, ahead of Webber, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Perez, Button, Alonso, Hulkenberg And Massa.
Gutierrez is eleventh, ahead of Grosjean, di Resta, Maldonado, Sutil, Ricciardo, Vergne, Bottas, Van der Garde, Bianchi, Pic and Chilton.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.