04/09/2015
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session the air temperature is 19 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 23 degrees. While cool, the skies are grey, with rain expected today and again tomorrow. Indeed, the chances of rain in this session are 20%.
Following the incidents at Spa, all eyes will be on tyres here, Pirelli providing the medium and soft compounds for the third successive race, a step softer than last season. However, the Italian company is introducing a number of measures this weekend including increasing the tyre pressures, a move which Lewis Hamilton claims will be a "disaster".
There are two DRS zones, the first on the long run to the first chicane and the second on the run from the second Lesmo to the Ascari chicane.
Hopefully there will be rain, for with Mercedes having the luxury of an upgraded engine - having used its remaining tokens - which will not be available to its customer teams, if it remains dry it could be a total walkover for the German team. Not for the first time.
Only one reserve driver on duty today and that's at Lotus where Jolyon Palmer once again gets to drive (Spa hero) Romain Grosjean's car.
Being such a one-off circuit, all the teams are running Monza specific aero updates , including another rear wing for Mercedes.
The lights go green and Vettel is first out, followed by Stevens, Alonso and Nasr. In moments, Alonso is complaining that he has "not much power". A similar problem for Rosberg; "no power, no power," he complains. Remember, the German team is running its updated engine.
Whoever has the licence for flo-vis sales here will be making a small fortune, some cars are smothered in it. Indeed, Ricciardo even has some on his helmet.
Given a few hints on how to sort his problem, a frustrated Alonso cries: "I'm trying to survive and get back to the pitlane, understand this, there is something wrong!"
Ten minutes in and Sainz is the only man on track, his teammate, Verstappen, who has never driven here before, is the only driver yet to appear. That said, moments later the Dutch teenager heads down the pitlane.
Sainz reports problems with his gearbox, including a false neutral whilst upshifting, the Spaniard locking-up at Ascari. "I cannot run like this," he complains.
Elsewhere, Verstappen posts the first time of the day (1:30.515), with Nasr posting 29.457 moments later, only for the Toro Rosso driver to improve with a 29.413.
A 28.330 sees Maldonado go quickest but moments later Hamilton stops the clock at 27.616. Vettel is 0.494s off the Briton's pace, going second with a 28.110.
No sooner has Maldonado improved (27.456) than Hamilton posts 26.305, teammate Rosberg posting 26.559 moments later.
Hulkenberg goes third quickest (27.368), but is over a second slower than the Mercedes.
Vettel improves to 26.616, 0.311s off the pace, as Raikkonen goes ninth with a 27.988.
Another improvement from Hamilton, the world champion crossing the line at 25.653.
A wobble in the Parabolica for Alonso, whilst Perez gets it wrong at the first chicane.
Oh dear, the sound of tyres squealing fills the air as Sainz spins off at the entry to the Parabolica. Unable to get out of the gravel the session is red flagged.
Replay shows the Spaniard became a passenger the moment he applied the brakes.
The session resumes but as the 'free tyre' opening half hour has come to an end, there is no mad rush to get back to work.
Hamilton remains quickest (25.653), ahead of Rosberg, Vettel, Perez, Maldonado, Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Raikkonen, Bottas and Massa.
After around ten minutes of inactivity, Ricciardo heads down the pitlane to get things going again. He is subsequently joined by his teammate and Perez.
Ricciardo improves to fifth with a 26.922, the Australian and his teammate facing a grid penalty on Sunday as the team changes engines yet again.
Relay shows Ricciardo's front tyres and suspension taking a real hammering as he rides Monza's unforgiving kerbs.
Further problems for Toro Rosso as Verstappen complains of severe vibration on his brake pedal under braking. Moments later the Dutch youngster has a wobble at Parabolica, he's thankful of the generous run-off which allows him to continue.
As Hamilton performs a practice start, Verstappen complains that he has "no rear tyres". He also feels the car is "too stiff" as he suffers when riding the kerbs.
Rosberg, currently 0.906s off his teammate's pace, is back on track.
Hulkenberg improves to fourth (26.670), but remains over 1.5s off Hamilton's pace.
As Rosberg goes quickest (25.133), Hulkenberg pits for a nose change. Moments later Hamilton ups the ante with a 25.122.
"Just the medium tyres in FP1 of course," tweets Pirelli. "Which means that the "Temple of Speed" is going to get even faster later!"
As Hamilton misses the first chicane, Palmer does likewise at the second. The Mercedes driver subsequently improves to 24.670.
Rosberg is unable to get anywhere near Hamilton, the Briton still 0.463s clear of his teammate. Than again, Vettel is almost 2s off the pace.
At the other end of the timesheets, it appears to be an early bath for the McLaren duo, both drivers out of their cars and no sign of returning.
Bottas goes tenth (27.314), subsequently improving to seventh (27.075).
A mistake by Massa at the second chicane leaves further gravel on the track.
"I have a wet bum," reports Hulkenberg, "and it smells like petrol in the cockpit". He is told to pit immediately. In slowing for the pitlane he catches Massa by surprise.
Raikkonen complains that his brakes have no bite, he is told that it is probably a material issue. Told his teammate's time, he replies: "I don't care!"
Bottas gets sideways at the first chicane, while moments later Vettel has to wind his way around the polystyrene markers as he also gets it wrong.
Vettel improves (26.445), but remains 1.775s off the pace.
Massa runs wide following a mistake coming out of Ascari, whilst Vettel spins at the first chicane. Moments earlier the German had a major wobble as he exited the Parabolica on to the main straight. He subsequently admits to being "too greedy on the settings".
Raikkonen improves to sixth with a 26.783, but remains 2.113s off Hamilton's pace.
A late improvement sees Massa go eighth (26.936), 2.266s off the pace.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Rosberg, Vettel, Hulkenberg, Perez, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Massa, Bottas and Maldonado.
Nasr is eleventh, ahead of Kvyat, Ericsson, Verstappen, Palmer, Sainz, Alonso, Button, Stevens and Merhi.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.