07/06/2014
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's free practice session the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 31 degrees. It is bright and sunny.
Benefitting from his team's engine (ahem) reliability updates, not to mention another raft of aero updates, Fernando Alonso was quickest in yesterday morning's session.
Normal service was resumed in the afternoon when Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2, but the Ferraris remained competitive as did Red Bull and Williams. Indeed, on the longer runs towards the end of FP2 the Martini liveried cars were keeping pace with the championship leaders.
Indeed, wear and degradation are extremely contained. In terms of wear, Pirelli believes the soft tyres could go for 70 laps and the supersoft for 25. As for degradation, it is negligible for the soft tyre and less than 0.1 seconds per lap for the supersoft. As a result, they expect to see between one and two pit stops. However, with the increased temperatures today, and possibly tomorrow, that could change. Indeed, who can forget Paul di Resta's marathon run here last season.
As ever, the greenness of the track and the dust meant we saw lots of detours, spins and lock-ups, though some of these were courtesy of the brake-by-wire systems that are still causing problems for some of the teams.
A number of teams had issues, most notably the Renault runners, with Toro Rosso encountering battery problem with Vergne's car in the morning and having to change Kvyat's power unit in the afternoon.
The lights go green and Maldonado heads Sutil down the pitlane. Vergne, Massa and Bianchi are close behind.
One by one they get to work and while most return to the pits after a sole installation lap, Bianchi continues, the Frenchman having little running yesterday following his 'brush' with the walls in FP1. Though his car was repaired in time for FP2 he subsequently encountered a power unit issue after just 3 laps.
Seemingly confident following yesterday's performance, Alonso waves to the crowd. Elsewhere, an early off for Gutierrez at T10.
Seven minutes into the session all have made an appearance bar Button. On the other hand, teammate Magnussen is the first driver to post a time (1:20.953). Next time around the Dane improves to 18.325.
Ericsson, who missed much of FP2 due to a transmission issue is the second driver to post a time, the Swede stopping the clock at 26.545. Elsewhere, Button finally comes out to play.
As Ericsson improves (22.291), Magnussen has a moment at T8 where there's cement dust on the track following an earlier spill. Button complains of a brake balance problem.
A 19.561 sees Hulkenberg go second but he is soon leapfrogged by Sutil and then Kvyat.
Game over for Gutierrez who spins and clouts the wall at T4. Out comes the red flag.
Replay shows the Mexican hitting the wall with some force, Sauber's miserable Montreal weekend continues. Indeed, the Swiss outfit faces a busy time during the break if it is to have the car ready for qualifying.
As the stricken Sauber is removed, Magnussen is quickest, ahead of Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Sutil, Ericsson, Gutierrez, Button and Bianchi.
As the session resumes, Mercedes warns its drivers about the cement dust at the T8 chicane which has already caused problems for a number of drivers.
The first few laps are surprisingly tentative, it can't all be about the cement dust surely. On the other hand, a number of drivers were on their first hot laps when the red flag came out.
Raikkonen, one of those who lost out to the red flag, complains about the amount of traffic.
An 18.179 sees Perez go quickest, Force India unusually disappointing yesterday.
Hamilton posts 17.492 to go quickest, with Massa and Bottas going second and third moments later.
As Raikkonen posts 17.416 to go quickest, Bianchi has to be rescued from the end of the pitlane after encountering a problem.
No sooner has Alonso gone quickest (17.259) than Hamilton improves to 16.760. Teammate Rosberg is currently fourteenth (20.192).
As Button improves to seventh (18.241), Chilton, Vettel and Ricciardo remain the only drivers yet to post a time.
A 17.469 sees Rosberg improve to fourth however, the German is demoted when Rosberg posts 17.167 to go second.
Replay shows Alonso almost replicating Gutierrez' error but making a better job of it. Meanwhile, Vettel's first lap sees the German go fifteenth (18.672).
Having gone quickest in the first two sectors, Hamilton does the hat-trick and crosses the line at 16.186. However, having hit the kerb in the final chicane quite hard he tells the team he feels he has a problem. Slo-mo shows the Briton doing a superb job of keeping the Mercedes under control after hitting the inside kerb, the Champions Wall waiting for him.
With 27:50 remaining, Ricciardo posts 18.522 leaving Chilton as the only driver yet to post a time.
As attention focusses on Hamilton, teammate Rosberg posts 16.128 to go quickest
As Magnussen spins off on to the grass in T2, the crowd applauding, Hamilton shows no sign of of a problem following his earlier close encounter, the Mercedes driver banging in a 15.610, 0.510s quicker than his teammate.
With 21:00 remaining, it's: Hamilton, Rosberg, Massa, Bottas, Alonso, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Vettel, Magnussen and Hulkenberg. As yet, nobody has tried the option rubber.
That said, Raikkonen becomes the first man to make the switch. Posting a PB in S2 he repeats the process in S2. At the line the Finn posts 16.528 which promotes his to third. He will now do a slower lap before trying another hot lap. Elsewhere, a big spin for Ericsson at T8.
A spin for Grosjean at T8 and then Perez follows suit sending up a great cloud of cement dust.
His second flying lap on the options sees Raikkonen fail to improve, the Ferrari driver only managing 17.025.
In the Mercedes garage, with 13:20 remaining, mechanics are working on Hamilton's brakes. It's understood the rear brakes, in particular, are worryingly hot.
Alonso and Hulkenberg are the next to switch to the softer rubber, the rest of the field appearing to leave it surprisingly late.
Hulkenberg improves to fifth (16.944) but is demoted when Alonso posts 16.488, still 0.878s off Hamilton's pace on the harder rubber.
As Vettel appears to have an issue, both Mercedes are on track, on supersofts, Hamilton, referring to his start strategy, calling on his team to "sort out what was wrong".
As Sutil slides and squirms his way around, Hamilton fails to improve having lost time in S3. As does teammate Rosberg.
Alonso makes a complete hash of T3 throwing up great clumps of grass.
As Massa improves to third (16.413), Kobayashi's Caterham is pushed to safety after the Japanese stopped at T10.
All but Hulkenberg and Gutierrez are on track with four minutes remaining.
Kvyat improves to eighth and Vergne ninth as Button and Vettel seek to improve also.
A 16.086 sees Massa split the Mercedes duo as Kobayashi watches from the side of the track. Hamilton is back in the pits having failed to improve on the options.
Indeed, Rosberg returns to the pits having failed to improve as does Alonso. In fact quite a few drivers set their best laps on the prime rubber.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Massa, Rosberg, Alonso, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Bottas, Kvyat, Vergne and Vettel.
Hulkenberg is eleventh, ahead of Magnussen, Grosjean, Perez, Maldonado, Button, Sutil, Bianchi, Chilton, Ericsson, Kobayashi and Gutierrez.
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.
Chris Balfe