20/06/2014
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session the air temperature is 13 degrees C, while the track temperature is 20 degrees. It is cool, to put it mildly, and, following overnight rain, the air remains a little damp.
After a break of 11 years F1 returns to the magnificent Oster... sorry, Red Bull Ring. Tyre choices this weekend are soft and supersoft - for the third successive race weekend - while the two DRS zones are on the start/finish straight and on the approach to T3.
Thanks to the new rules which give the drivers a 'free' set of tyres for the first half hour we'll get action from the very start this morning - one of the more sensible new rules. This, of course, comes at a time when many are questioning the direction the sport is taking and also whether the sport is providing a good show.
Talking of which, the Ferraris and Mercedes are sporting titanium skid blocks today, a move aimed at making them look more spectacular as sparks fly from underneath the cars. Sometimes... sometimes... it really does appear that the asylum has been taken over.
Unsurprisingly, this being a new circuit - in terms of F1 running - for all but four of the drivers, there are no reserve drivers on duty.
The lights go green and Massa, one of those four drivers who have raced here before, leads the way, followed by Kobayashi, Chilton, Magnussen, Alonso, Ericsson and Grosjean.
One by one they take to the track, one by one they return to the pits following their installation lap.
As ever, the rear of the Ferrari is yellow, such is the amount of flo-vis being used.
Hamilton is told that rain is in the air and should be making an appearance later in the session.
Rosberg posts the first time of the day (1:19.641) but this is soon beaten by his teammate (15.700) as Mercedes sets out its intentions for the weekend. The Silver Arrows duo are the only drivers on track.
As Ericsson leaves the pits to join the Mercedes duo, Rosberg gets down to 13.508 only for Hamilton to improve to 13.261.
Rosberg suddenly slows, almost catching his teammate unawares. "Shall I box," asks the German, his car appearing to have lost power. "Yes, box now," comes the reply.
As more drivers take to the track, Massa runs wide in T3 - Perez was not involved.
The 'grass' at the side of the track brings back memories of Manaus last week.
In the Mercedes garage Rosberg is out of his car, suggesting that his problem is bigger than originally suspected.
A piece of carbon fibre falls from Perez' car as Hamilton reports spots of rain at T4.
Ericsson stops just after the end of the pitlane following what appeared to be a total electrics failure.
Massa posts 13.219 to split the Mercedes, whilst Bottas goes fourth ahead of Vergne, Sutil and Kvyat.
Twenty minutes into the session all but Vettel and the Ferrari duo have posted times. Montreal winner Ricciardo posts 14.081 to go 10th.
Bottas improves to third (12.613). Still early days but could Williams be set to build on the form shown in Canada the other week.
A 12.554 sees Alonso go third as Magnussen goes fifth ahead of Button, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg.
Raikkonen is told to change his engine mode as teammate Alonso has a big, big wobble in T8 thereby spoiling a lap which looked likely to see him go quickest.
As Raikkonen goes second (12.365), ahead of Hulkenberg and Massa, Ricciardo has a slight moment as he enters the pits.
As the opening half-hour comes to an end, and the 'free' tyres are handed back, Hamilton is quickest, ahead of Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Massa, Button, Alonso, Bottas, Ricciardo and Magnussen.
After a short lull, Magnussen heads down the pitlane, his car making a very strange noise for the first part of the lap, seemingly caught in gear.
The Dane, who raced here last year in Formula Renault 3.5, fails to improve on 10th (12.783), as teammate Button joins him.
Magnussen improves to second with a 12.313 as Sutil is caught doing a TV interview with the German media suggesting that he has a problem with his car.
The slippery track continues to catch out the drivers, Magnussen and Gutierrez in a long list.
An 11.839 sees Button go quickest, the McLaren driver improving on Hamilton's best by 0.416s.
His problem clearly resolved, Rosberg is back on track and immediately goes quickest with an 11.295, over half-a-second quicker than Button.
As Grosjean, Button, Kvyat and Hamilton have moments, albeit at different corners, fans in the stands raise their umbrellas. However, the monitors show that whilst there are rain showers upwind they are likely to have any impact.
Ricciardo reports that the track is a "little bit greasy". "It should clear soon," is the unhelpful response.
After Button lays a four thick lines of rubber on the garage floor, the mechanics get down on all fours to clean up the mess. Ron doesn't like mess.
A 12.009 sees Perez improve to third, just ahead of Force India teammate Hulkenberg.
A double 360-spin for Vettel who runs wide in T9 - the corner leading on to the pit straight - the Red Bull Ring continuing to show that despite appearances it demands full and total respect.
As Grosjean and Raikkonen also have moments, Vettel reports: "The car should be OK, I'm not so sure about the tyres."
"Check what happened there," Bottas tells his crew after locking up all four wheels in T1.
Hamilton posts 11.435, thereby closing to within 0.140s of his teammate. Alonso is now third (11.606), ahead of Massa, Button, Perez, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Magnussen and Raikkonen.
Ricciardo almost emulates his teammate in T9 but without the double-360.
Despite the official assurances it does now appear to be raining and consequently everyone heads to the pits.
After a few minutes, and with the rain appearing to cease, Kvyat heads down the pitlane.
As more and more drivers return to the track Hamilton runs wide in T1 after locking-up.
Bottas' session is at an early end, the Finn appearing to have a brake issue.
A long, long, long trip through the kitty litter at T3 for Maldonado.
Massa and Raikkonen are the latest to have moments, the Finn in the high-speed T8 and the Brazilian riding the bumps on the exit of T9. One can't help but feel that we're going to see a number of drivers come to grief this weekend.
The session ends, Rosberg remains quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Button, Perez, Hulkenberg, Bottas, Magnussen and Vergne.
Raikkonen is eleventh, ahead of Kvyat, Ricciardo, Gutierrez, Vettel, Grosjean, Maldonado, Bianchi, Chilton, Kobayashi, Sutil and Ericsson.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.