25/07/2014
NEWS STORY
Ahead today's opening practice session the air temperature is 23 degrees C, while the track temperature is 38 degrees. Like last week in Hockenheim, it is hot.
Being the last race before the summer break one would be forgiven for expecting a bit of a 'last day of term' atmosphere, instead it is business as usual, the Mercedes duo battling for supremacy and Felipe Massa still raging over that clash with Kevin Magnussen.
There will are two DRS zones sharing a detection point 5m before Turn 14. The activation points are 130m after the apex of Turn 14 and 6m after the apex of Turn 1.
Tyre choices this weekend are medium (prime) and soft (option).
A four-time winner here, Lewis Hamilton will be looking to make it five this weekend and thereby take the championship lead for the second time this season.
Despite joining Marussia as Reserve Driver, Alexander Rossi doesn't get an outing this morning indeed, there are no reserve drivers on duty. Then again, the tight, twisty nature of the circuit, not to mention its 'greenness', means that teams won't want to take any risks.
Like Monaco, downforce is a real necessity here, so Williams might not be as competitive as it was in the last two races. The absence of FRIC should be more noticeable than it was at Hockenheim also.
The lights go green and Perez leads the way, followed by Bottas and Vergne. With a 'free' set of tyres we will see more running in the opening thirty minutes.
Problems from the outset for Chilton who is running a new chassis. As he heads down the pitlane following his installation lap there is smoke billowing from the back of his car, even a few flames. Mechanics and marshals get to work with extinguishers.
Five minutes into the session all bar the Mercedes duo have been out… at which point Nico and Lewis duly oblige. Indeed, they both post times, Rosberg a 28.754 and Hamilton 31.426. The Briton subsequently improves to 29.703.
Despite a little mistake by Hamilton the Silver Arrows duo continue to make the most of an empty track. Elsewhere, Marussia claims the smoke was due to oil leaking on to an exhaust pipe.
Suddenly the track is alive with action, as the Mercedes duo head back to the pits seemingly everyone else replaces them.
Ricciardo posts 28.534 to go third, ahead of Alonso, Raikkonen and Bottas.
Twenty-two minutes into the session, all but Grosjean, Ericsson and Chilton have posted times.
Kvyat, after just 4 laps is struggling with his tyres, as is Hulkenberg.
As ever, the track, which is not used during the year, is dusty, dirty and green, consequently there are plenty of 'moments'.
Vettel, currently thirteenth on 29.428, complains that his dashboard readout isn't working.
A 27.463 sees Raikkonen split the Mercedes duo while Button, who has fond memories of this track and has therefore reverted to his pink Silverstone 'Papa Smurf' tribute helmet, posts 27.904 to go fourth.
As the opening 'free' half hour comes to an end, the track clears and the engines killed.
Rosberg heads Raikkonen, Hamilton, Button, Ricciardo, Alonso, Vergne, Vettel, Magnussen and Maldonado. Chilton remains the only driver yet to post a time.
Once again, taking advantage of the lack of action, Rosberg heads down the pitlane.
As Rosberg, still alone on track, improves to 25.997, Marussia reports that it is changing the gearbox on Chilton's car and hoping to get him out again before the end of the session.
Eventually - over ten minutes later - Rosberg is joined by Kobayashi.
His stint at an end, Rosberg heads back to the pits, his place taken by teammate Hamilton. Raikkonen, Vergne, Vettel, Maldonado and Grosjean on track also.
Hamilton improves to second with a 26.239, as Ericsson spins at T12 after dipping on to the grass.
Raikkonen's tyres scream out in pain as the Finn locks up.
A 25.814 sees Hamilton go quickest as Vergne is the latest to run wide.
Posting PBs in all three sectors, Magnussen goes fifth with a 27.847 as Vettel complains he has no grip anywhere.
Alonso improves to fourth, behind his teammate, with a 26.872 as the Williams duo remain thirteenth and fourteenth.
Lots of work going on on the front suspension on Hamilton's car, as one suspects the absence of FRIC is beginning to be felt.
"I don't have any rear grip," complains Button, "there's none at all". And that's after 6 laps.
Back on track, Rosberg complains about "harsh" upshift from first to second, asking his crew to look into the situation.
On board coverage shows Perez making adjustments on his steering wheel on the pit straight and then keeping things under control as he encounters oversteer in T1.
Ferrari is clearly up to something, Alonso received a radio message from his crew in Italian. They normally save that sort of thing for Sunday. Whatever it was he heads back to the pits.
As Rosberg locks-up at T1, the camera cuts to Niki Lauda chatting with Marco Mattiacci in the Ferrari garage.
Hamilton is back on track, the nose of the Mercedes sporting lots of flo-vis.
As Vergne runs wide again, Grosjean is told that due to a water system issue he won't be going out again any time soon.
Hamilton is told he needs to find two-tenths in S2, as teammate Rosberg is told he can carry more speed in T4. Elsewhere, a very bumpy ride over the kerbs at T14 for Maldonado.
More misery for Chilton. The car is lowered and the Briton prepares to head out but there is clearly a problem. The car doesn't move and the car is raised again.
A couple of minutes later, the car is lowered again and after an agonising few seconds it rolls forward and heads down the pitlane.
A big lock-up for Rosberg as he enters the pitlane as Sutil spins at T2.
An uninspiring session - aren't all FP1's? - ends with Hamilton quickest ahead of Rosberg, Raikkonen, Alonso, Vettel, Magnussen, Vergne, Ricciardo, Button and Massa.
Gutierrez is eleventh, ahead of Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Maldonado, Bottas, Perez, Grosjean, Sutil, Kobayashi, Ericsson, Chilton and Bianchi.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.