04/07/2014
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. It remains hot and sunny… untypical British weather.
Nico Rosberg was quickest this morning in a lacklustre session, though the centre of attention was Williams where Felipe Massa crashed out after running wide and Susie Wolff completed just four laps before suffering a technical issue.
The red flag following Massa's crash and a long yellow flag period after Magnussen became beached at Maggotts interrupted the flow of a session which never really sprang to life.
Hamilton was second, ahead of Alonso, Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Vettel while most struggled for grip - a situation not helped by the strong winds battering this former airfield.
Having handed their cars over to their teams reserve drivers this morning, this afternoon Sutil, Kobayashi, Bottas and Hulkenberg are back on duty.
Tyre options this weekend are hard (prime) and medium (option). There are two DRS zones, the detection point of the first is before Turn 3, with the activation point after Turn 5, while the second detection point is at Turn 11 with the activation point after Turn 14.
The lights go green and Chilton leads the way followed by Bottas, Hulkenberg and Sutil.
No messing about as Bottas posts the first time of the afternoon (39.032), with Kvyat posting 38.075 moments later.
As Button posts 37.608, in the Red Bull garage mechanics are working on both cars, Ricciardo with a software issue and teammate Vettel with brakes.
Having gone eighth (39.332), Hulkenberg complains that the winds are making the car "oversteery everywhere".
Going quickest in all three sectors, Alonso crosses the line at 36.024 to post a new benchmark.
A big lock-up for Hamilton in T3, another driver caught out by the strong wind.
Rosberg posts 36.222 to go second with teammate posting 36.694 moments later.
Button is concerned that he is damaging his rear tyres in the final sector.
As Rosberg goes quickest (35.645), Massa prepares to climb into his car, Williams seemingly having repaired the Brazilian's FW36 following this morning's crash.
Grosjean, expresses his unhappiness with the Lotus - "it's really, really bad". "You're saying it is inconsistent," asks his engineer. "Everywhere," comes the reply.
Hamilton posts 35.424 to go quickest, leaving all but Vettel, Ricciardo and Massa to post times.
Vettel leaves the pits and his first lap is very scrappy, the German running a little wide in Becketts and kicking up a cloud of dust. He does well to keep it all together.
Moments later, Kvyat almost duplicates Massa's moment from this morning, the Toro Rosso getting horribly out of shape as he runs wide at Stowe.
Approaching the half hour, Ericsson is the first driver to make the switch to the option (medium) rubber.
Ricciardo posts 35.511 to go second, just 0.087s off Hamilton's best.
Raikkonen runs wide in Abbey and though he doesn't get too out of shape there is lots of dust.
Gutierrez (options) improves to sixth with a 36.951. Elsewhere, Alonso, Magnussen and Perez also switch to the softer rubber.
Stewards reveal that Rosberg and Ricciardo are under investigation for "red flag infringement" in FP1.
Grosjean goes off at Luffield, the Frenchman taking a long, long trip through the gravel.
Rosberg is the first of the 'big guns' to switch to the softer rubber, the German with lots of clear track ahead of him. Hamilton is also on the mediums now.
Rosberg improves from 35.645 to 34.736 having gone quickest in all three sectors. Moments later Hamilton posts 34.508 having made up most of his time in S2.
Chilton claims that his options "gave up" in the second half of the lap.
At 'half-time', it's: Hamilton, Rosberg, Alonso, Ricciardo, Vettel, Bottas, Magnussen, Raikkonen, Vergne and Kvyat.
Ricciardo says that the mediums are tasking a long time to get up to optimum temperature.
An absolutely massive lock-up for Maldonado at Village, the Lotus driver subsequently running wide.
The drivers now focus on longer runs as they look ahead to Sunday afternoon.
With 30:00 remaining, Hamilton stops on track at T4. "Engine killed, no shifting," reports the Briton. The stoppage came just four corners after leaving the pits.
Problems for Ericsson also; "my engine has blown up" he reports as his car grinds to a halt as he enters the pitlane.
A big lock-up for Gutierrez, watched, from the Mercedes motor home, by Paul di Resta and Dario Franchitti.
On board with Vergne whose left-front appears askew. Replay shows the Frenchman complaining of something not being quite right and his front-left falling off the hub along with the wheel nut in T1.
Kvyat is told to pit in order that the team can check his front wheels. A wise move from the Faenza team.
Bottas is pushed into his garage with damage to his engine cover. Replay shows the Finn complaining that his engine cover is coming off, and, sure enough, moments later bits of it 'vaporises' on the Hangar Straight.
Drama, drama everywhere, meanwhile Rosberg continues lapping, his pace a very respectable 38.5 - 39.
Elsewhere, Vettel runs wide at Becketts but nothing to worry about.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Rosberg, Alonso, Ricciardo, Vettel, Bottas, Button, Magnussen, Raikkonen and Vergne.
Massa is eleventh, ahead of Kvyat, Gutierrez, Maldonado, Grosjean, Perez, Hulkenberg, Sutil, Bianchi, Kobayashi, Chilton and Ericsson.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.