31/01/2014
NEWS STORY
Someone at Pirelli either has a very effective crystal ball or the weathermen, for once, actually got it right.
Today, having originally been scheduled as a compulsory ‘wet day’, though this was rescheduled when it rained overnight on Tuesday, has actually been dominated by wet weather after all, thereby giving Pirelli and the teams two days of (useful) wet running.
The non-event that was Tuesday seems a lifetime ago as the excitement builds ahead of the two-and-a-half week break until Bahrain.
While Fernando Alonso tops the timesheets as the teams break for lunch on this the final day, the main talking point is Mercedes where Nico Rosberg has completed a full race distance, including pit stops, without any problems. Furthermore, the fact that he is second on the timesheets underlines the fact that at this stage the Mercedes has pace and reliability.
Having had limited running on Tuesday due to the wing failure that saw him crash out, and with teammate Rosberg having completed over 180 laps, Mercedes has opted to put Lewis Hamilton back in the car for this afternoon's final session.
Yesterday's pace-setter, Kevin Magnussen, was one of the last drivers out but was soon on the pace.
Despite the conditions, drivers continued with inters even after the rain ceased around thirty minutes before lunch, while in terms of mileage between them the ten drivers on duty - including much welcome returnee Kamui Kobayashi (pictured) - have completed 363 laps.
While Adrian Newey is back at Red Bull's Milton Keynes HQ, desperately trying to resolve the packaging problems that have blighted his team's test thus far, the Austrian outfit has attempted a couple of temporary solutions in a bid to help cool the car.
However, the fact that Ricciardo has completed just seven laps reinforces the belief that Newey and his team have many long nights ahead of them.
Midday Times - All Times Unofficial
| Name | Team | Laps | Time | Gap |
| Alonso | Ferrari | 55 | 1:35.334 | 103.899 mph |
| Rosberg | Mercedes | 91 | 1:36.951 | 1.617 |
| Magnussen | McLaren | 45 | 1:38.391 | 3.057 |
| Massa | Williams | 34 | 1:39.256 | 3.922 |
| Juncadella | Force India | 32 | 1:41.132 | 5.798 |
| Kobayashi | Caterham | 44 | 1:43.193 | 7.859 |
| Kvyat | Toro Rosso | 8 | 1:44.016 | 8.682 |
| Sutil | Sauber | 42 | 1:44.224 | 8.890 |
| Ricciardo | Red Bull | 7 | 1:45.374 | 10.040 |
| Bianchi | Marussia | 5 | 1:48.192 | 12.858 |
Check out our Friday gallery, here.