07/11/2014
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 54 degrees. This morning's overcast skies have given way to sunshine.
Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets this morning, 0.221s clear of teammate Lewis Hamilton and 0.959s clear of third-placed Daniil Kvyat.
The session witnessed numerous incident as drivers struggled for grip on the new track surface, the most serious seeing Daniel Juncadella spear into the barriers at T8.
Virtually everyone ran wide or spun at some point, some (Raikkonen) more than others.
However, events in Interlagos were somewhat overshadowed by the news from the UK that Marussia had failed to find an investor in tome for the deadline and had ceased trading.
Meanwhile, Caterham has launched a crowd funding project aimed at raising £2.35m to enable it to race in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Jenson Button and Esteban Gutierrez failed to post times, the Briton hampered by and ERS issue whilst the Mexican suffered an electrical problem.
Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Jean-Eric Vergne were replaced by their teams reserve drivers - Juncadella, Felipe Nasr and Max Verstappen - so will be getting their first running this afternoon.
Tyre choices are medium (prime) and soft (option), though Pirelli originally nominated the hards and medium which were the choices in 2012 and 2013.
There are two DRS zones. The first has a detection point at the apex of T2, with activation 20m after T3, while the second has its activation point 30m after T13, with an activation point 60m after T15.
In the Force India garage work has continued throughout the break in order to repair Perez' car following this morning's crash.
The lights go green and Gutierrez is first out of the trap, followed by Grosjean.
The Mexican posts 18.173 but this is soon beaten by Grosjean who crosses the line at 16.001.
Another early riser is Button, the McLaren driver posting a 17.534 to go fifth on his first timed lap of the weekend.
Vergne complains of vibrations at the front of the car when he hits the brakes.
Bottas has just gone third (15.733) when he comes across Sutil facing the other way after spinning in T1.
Game over for Vergne who pulls off to the side of the track at T4. Further frustration for the likeable Frenchman. His leap from the car suggests an ERS issue.
Replay shows that like Button in FP! He suffered a total and sudden loss of power.
The marshals are unable to get the car out of gear, consequently the session is red flagged as the car is finally pushed to safety.
Meanwhile, Force India reveals that a number of hydraulic components were damaged in this morning's accident and consequently Perez won't get any running this afternoon.
The session resumes as Rosberg is one of the first out, followed by Hulkenberg and Gutierrez.
Magnussen is currently quickest (15.232), ahead of Bottas, Maldonado and Vettel.
Gutierrez is told to pit, his team advising him the he still has an ERS issue.
A 14.681 sees Rosberg go quickest, with Raikkonen going second (14.981) moments later.
Having been pretty much invisible this morning, the Red Bull duo is looking stronger this afternoon, Ricciardo going quickest with a 14.384. Elsewhere, Hamilton posts 14.900 to go fourth.
Vettel complains that his front and rear right tyres look bas as Hamilton posts 13.468 to go quickest.
Despite appearing to get in the way of Raikkonen, who is in pursuit of a Red Bull, Hamilton improves with a 13.072.
Lock-ups for Maldonado and Bottas as mechanics check the rear of Hamilton's car. "The track is really difficult to drive right now, in these temperatures," says the Briton.
Pushing hard at every corner, Grosjean finally locks-up big time at T1 to cheers from the crowd.
Approaching half-time, and as we await the appearance of the option rubbers, t's: Hamilton, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen, Maldonado, Bottas, Magnussen and Kvyat.
Ricciardo is the first driver to switch to options, the Australian goes quickest (12.956) but immediately overdoes it at T1 and runs wide. Sutil and Vettel are also on the softer rubber.
As Ricciardo dives into the pits, Rosberg and Hamilton are on track on the softer rubber.
Rosberg goes quickest with a 12.123, teammate Hamilton going second (12.722) moments later, the Briton having run wide at T11.
Hamilton runs wide in T1 as the Williams duo improve to fourth (Bottas) and fifth. However, the Briton subsequently improves to close to within 0.213s of his Mercedes teammate.
Interestingly, Hamilton and Massa are the only drivers able to improve on their second hot lap on the options. Indeed, Hamilton looks set to improve on his third hot lap before diving into the pits.
For once, Raikkonen appears happy with his car, the Finn improving to third with a 12.696.
Raikkonen goes cross country, seemingly retracing his famous excursion of two years ago.
With 28:00 remaining, drivers switch focus to Sunday afternoon as they begin high fuel load runs on the options.
Alonso leaps out of his Ferrari as flames leap from the back of the car. Out comes the red flag. The Spaniard runs off to get a fire extinguisher and does a great job of putting out the fire.
"Car feels good," says Hamilton, "I just haven't hooked up a lap yet."
The session resumes with 15:50 remaining. All are on options bar Bottas, Sutil and Vergne.
Whoa! Raikkonen does well not to T-bone Massa as he drivers out of the Williams garage.
Meanwhile, out comes the red flag again as Gutierrez stops on the straight heading to T4, not far from where Alonso previously stopped. No flames this time but the car has to be pushed to safety.
The camera picks up on Rosberg's discarded tyres which show a lot of blisters. Remember, Pirelli went back on its original tyre choice under pressure from the drivers.
Sadly, all these stoppages are causing havoc with the teams' simulation runs.
The session resumes with around 8:50 remaining.
Grosjean very, very unhappy with the handling of his car, whilst Kvyat says "undriveable, undriveable," of his Toro Rosso.
The session ends with Rosberg quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Bottas, Massa, Alonso, Kvyat, Vettel and Magnussen.
Maldonado is eleventh, ahead of Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Gutierrez, Sutil, Button and Vergne.
Once again, there is a practice run for the Virtual Safety Car.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.