13/11/2015
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 28 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 32 degrees.
There has been a rain shower in the break between session but for the most part the track has dried. However, we are expecting more rain, lots of it, for the remainder of the weekend. Indeed, according to Race control there is an 80% chance of rain over the next ninety minutes.
Despite having been left run down due to "partying", Lewis Hamilton showed no lingering after effects this morning, leaving the opposition, including teammate Nico Rosberg, for dust.
Indeed, the Briton was 0.519s quicker than his teammate who has Sebastian Vettel breathing down his neck.
Whilst the Ferraris are the main opposition to Mercedes, based on this morning's running, Red Bull is up there, ahead of Williams and Toro Rosso.
Interestingly, Daniel Ricciardo ran the upgraded Renault engine this morning, whilst teammate Daniil Kvyat ran with the 'standard' version. While the Australian was quicker, the difference between them was not significant.
There lots of offs and lock-ups this morning, the most significant being a spin for Kimi Raikkonen which totally destroyed his tyres.
Revised kerbing at a number of corners have also caused problems, Hamilton amongst the early critics of the changes.
Having handed his car over to Jolyon palmer earlier, Romain Grosjean is back in his car this afternoon. Incidentally, Lotus was fined a thousand euros for unsafely releasing Palmer into the past of Jenson Button in FP1. Money the Enstone squad can ill afford.
Tyre choices this weekend are medium (prime) and soft (option), this being the third successive race at which this combination has been used.
There are two DRS zones, the first detection point is at the apex of T2, with activation shortly after T3, while the second has its detection point just after T13, with activation after T15.
The lights go green and Ericsson is first out of the blocks, followed by teammate Nasr.
No time for installation laps this afternoon, in no time at all there are seven, eight, nine names on the timesheet, Verstappen heading, Sainz, Nasr, Ericsson and Maldonado.
It's raining very lightly consequently a spin from Rossi brings out the yellow flags.
A 14.906 sees Vettel go quickest as the Mercedes duo head down the pitlane. Moment later, as Rosberg goes quickest in S1, Bottas posts 14.621.
Rosberg goes quickest (13.793), the German having gone quickest in all three sectors. Attention turns to Hamilton.
When he asks about the rain, Ericsson is told to continue and work his tyres, "there's nothing on the radar yet," he is told.
Hamilton posts 13.947 to go second, 0.154s off his teammate's pace.
"Please get me a good gap," asks Hamilton as he struggles in the traffic. He should have seen the A12 yesterday!
Button calls for "new gloves" at his next stop. That's a new one.
Having found some clear space, Hamilton improves to 13.634 having gone quickest in the first two sectors.
As Kvyat reports rain in S2 and S3, asked about the conditions Rosberg says "the rain is no problem". Indeed, he closes to within 0.136s of his teammate.
Twenty minutes into the session, Alonso is the first driver to switch to options. With the track to himself the Spaniard improves to eighth with a 15.129.
As a light rain continues to fall, Bottas heads down the pitlane on options, Nasr also. The Finn posts 13.603 to go quickest.
A problem for Alonso who runs wide in T4 then stops at T10, "I have no power," he says as smoke pours from the rear of his car.
Out comes the red flag as marshals remove Alonso's stricken McLaren from the side of the track.
Replay has McLaren telling the Spaniard "stay less than 50% throttle," before quickly telling him to "stop the car, stop the car!"
Back in the pitlane, Alonso walks straight through the McLaren garage, not a work spoken to anyone.
The session resumes several minutes later, Hamilton, now on options, leading the way.
Hamilton and Rosberg trade fastest times in S1, and again in S2. At the line the Briton posts 12.843, the German banging in a 12.385 moments later.
Raikkonen goes third (13.500), albeit 1.115s off the pace. Moments later Vettel posts 13.345, which is still 0.960s off Rosberg's best.
Replay shows Massa really struggling. Already unhappy with the balance of his car, the Brazilian is also suffering as he rides the revised kerbing.
"I ran wide, the car is very difficult to drive," complains Verstappen, moments before spinning at T7. "The rear is so loose," he says
When asked if he wants to complete another lap, Button is in no doubts. "Definitely not," he replies, "the tyres are gone."
Rosberg heads into the pits after reporting what he feels is a problem with downshifting. However, he doesn't stop at his box and instead continues on to perform a practice start. When his team tells him it can find no problem he tells them to check again, clearly feeling that there is.
With 32 minutes remaining, and as the focus switches to race simulation, it's: Rosberg, Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Bottas, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Kvyat and Massa.
Following a 180 spin at T9, his rear steppi9ng out mid-corner, Bottas expresses doubts about his rear wing stability.
Rosberg complains of various issues with his settings. Indeed, he reels off a whole load of them.
Ricciardo is advised that rivals are struggling on the options and whether he can extend his current run by a couple of laps. Moments later, Rosberg, on primes, goes off at T12.
Verstappen remains unhappy. "My tyres are dead," he exclaims, "I have no turn in and so much oversteer."
As if to further complicate things it appears to be raining again, a little harder this time.
"Plenty of slip 'n' slide action out on track, with raindrops reported at certain part of the track," tweets Mercedes.
With five minutes remaining, all but Alonso and Ericsson are on track.
Button pits for a new rear wing, the Briton carrying out the back-to-back testing for McLaren following Alonso's issue.
"We're very good on degradation," Hamilton is told, "almost identical to Nico."
The session ends, Rosberg is quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Bottas, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Kvyat and Massa.
Perez is eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Nasr, Verstappen, Sainz, Button, Ericsson, Alonso, Stevens and Rossi.
Grosjean and Sainz completed the most laps (45), Nasr (44), Raikkonen and Hulkenberg (43) and Rosberg, Massa and Maldonado (42).
Check out our Friday gallery, here.