15/11/2013
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session the air temperature is 25 degrees C, while the track temperature is 31 degrees. Following this morning's fog, it is now much brighter, with clear blue skies and much warmer.
The tyres available this weekend are hard and medium, while there are two DRS zones, one on the pit straight while the other, as in 2012, runs between Turns 11 and 12.
The problems with the fog and then the medical helicopter meant there was restricted running for all concerned, so hopefully, Jean-Eric-Vergne, Giedo Van der Garde and Jules Bianchi didn't lose out too much after handing over their cars to their teams' reserve drivers.
Fernando Alonso set the pace, ahead of Jenson Button, while Valtteri Bottas was third quickest, the Finn no doubt motivated by having been retained for a second season.
Talking of Button, the McLaren driver has incurred a three-place grid penalty for overtaking Daniil Kyat as the session was red-flagged.
Interestingly, Heikki Kovalainen was only slightly out-paced by Romain Grosjean whilst at Toro Rosso Kvyat kept Daniel Ricciardo honest.
While Mark Webber was eighth quickest, behind the Mercedes, teammate Sebastian Vettel was way down in eighteenth, 2.319s off the pace.
The lights go green and once again Kovalainen leads the way, followed by Hulkenberg.
As more and more drivers pour on to the track, Fernando Alonso dons his helmet. If he were a dog you'd probably do the humane thing… other than a very sore back and neck following his excursion in Abu Dhabi, the Spaniard has also hurt his thumb which is sporting a large plaster.
As Kovalainen gets things underway with a 40.335, all but Webber, Alonso, Hamilton, Maldonado and Ricciardo are on track. Indeed, there is a lot of work going being carried out on Ricciardo's car.
Bianchi runs wide at T19, a corner that caught out a number of drivers this morning, especially Sutil who went wide three times.
Ten minutes into the session, on his first flying lap, Vettel goes straight to the top of the timesheets, the German posting 38.352. Button is second, ahead of Rosberg, Grosjean and Hulkenberg.
Mercedes is encountering a telemetry problem which is causing a problem for Hamilton in particular. "Information will be scarce," he is told. Teammate Rosberg complains that his car has "understeer everywhere".
Grosjean and Sutil go wide in T19 while T16 is reported to be "slippery".
Around seventeen minutes into the session, Maldonado finally leaves his garage, performing a full launch process at the pit exit.
A hairy moment for Hamilton in Turn 8/9, as Webber goes second to make it a Red Bull 1-2 (groan). Despite his woes, Hamilton goes third with a 38.728.
Capt. No Grip is "struggling with front brake locking, low speed corners... and traction".
Maldonado runs wide at the notorious T19 as Hamilton runs wide in T12, the Mercedes driver subsequently diving into the pits.
Finally on track, Ricciardo goes nineteenth (41.658), teammate Vergne is currently fifteenth.
Good to see a sizeable crowd here, especially at that wonderful first turn.
Coming up to the half-hour, Gutierrez and Pic are the first to fit the option (medium) rubber.
As Hulkenberg and Kovalainen fit the softer rubber, Gutierrez posts a PB in S1. Another PB in S3 sees the Sauber driver improve to seventh (38.842) a difference of about 0.6s.
Webber and Rosberg are the first of the big guns to fit the softer rubber, the Australian will give us an idea of what we can expect from his teammate.
A PB in S1 for Hulkenberg is followed by a rapid S2. At the line the German posts 38.533 to go second, despite losing time in the final sector due to a lock up in T15.
Rosberg goes quickest in S1 while Webber can only manage a PB. As Kovalainen goes third he is demoted when Gutierrez improves to second (38.229). Moments later, Rosberg goes quickest with a 37.785 only to lose out to Webber and his 37.420.
Asked for his thoughts, Maldonado responds: "Everything is wrong!" Well they did ask.
Rosberg struggling for grip, as is the other Nico, Mr Hulkenberg at Sauber.
As Hamilton goes quickest in S1 his former teammate complains that his rear grip is poor. Kovalainen improves to third with a 38.073.
In addition to grip, Ross Brawn believes that some of the off-track moments we are witnessing are due to the strong winds.
With 45.50on the clock Vettel heads down the pitlane on the softer rubber, one of the last drivers to make the switch. Currently he's fifth on 38.211.
At the first split he posts a PB while at the second he is 0.29s off Webber's pace. Backing off in S3 due to traffic he fails to improve indeed, he is none too pleased with Grosjean.
Now on the softer rubber, Sutil improves to eleventh (38.719), the German and his Force India teammate fairly anonymous thus far today.
Following a couple of slow laps Vettel goes quickest in S1. In the second sector he can 'only' manage a PB, while a super-quick final sector sees him go quickest with a 37.305. It was his sixth lap on that set of mediums.
Just after half-time, it's: Vettel, Webber, Rosberg, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Gutierrez, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Button and Alonso.
Now, as is custom, driver switch their focus to Sunday and begin long runs on heavy fuel.
Currently running in the mid 44s, Button is informed that Webber is running mid 43's, Rosberg on Primes with a 45, and Hulk on options.
Some teams, notably Mercedes and Lotus clearly splitting strategies, one driver on primes the other on options.
Banging in a 42.9, at a time his closest rivals are posting mid 44s, Vettel is told to think about saving his tyres. Next time around he posts 43.069.
Hamilton and then Sutil run wide at T19 as Rosberg swaps to the option rubber.
After one scary moment Alonso gets horribly crossed up in T11, the Spaniard really struggling for grip.
As Webber posts 41.9 on the primes, Vettel is told that his pace is 43.3 - 43.5s. Impressive stuff from the Australian.
The session is over for Chilton who stops at T20, smoke billows from his front brakes. Replay shows a big spin for the youngster just beforehand. "OK, guys, I just had complete brake failure, the pedal went straight to the floor," he tells his team.
Hamilton is told that he is the longest runner on the option tyre, the Mercedes driver having completed 25 laps.
It takes an inordinate amount of time to remove Chilton's stricken Marussia. Indeed, the marshals are making such a meal of it there is great concern in the Marussia garage. Believe it or not, the rescue tractor is momentarily stuck in the kitty litter.
"Jesus," how long do they need to get that car away," demands Hulkenberg, the yellow flags causing much frustration.
Webber's final lap sees the Australian post 42.032, the primes standing up well and losing very little time.
The session ends with Vettel quickest ahead of Webber, Rosberg, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Gutierrez, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Button and Alonso.
Sutil is eleventh, ahead of Massa, Perez, Ricciardo, di Resta, Bottas, Vergne, Maldonado, Pic, Van der Garde, Chilton and Bianchi.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.