25/11/2016
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C and the track temperature is 29 degrees.
Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2 in this morning's session - as he so often does - but with the session taking place earlier than either qualifying or the race, and therefore in unrepresentative conditions, it was all pretty much irrelevant.
That's not to say however, that the final order didn't give us a pretty good idea of how things might continue for the remainder of the weekend.
Behind the Silvers Arrows we had the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Ricciardo who could well play a part in the outcome of the 2016 title fight, the Austrian team looking for its third win of the season.
The Ferraris were split by the force India of Sergio Perez, while there was another impressive performance from Carlos Sainz. Not for the first time however, Toro Rosso suffered a rear puncture, this time Daniil Kvyat being the victim.
Haas' brake issues are clearly unresolved with Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez both encountering problems.
At McLaren, Jenson Button suffered an ERS issue which necessitated an engine change while Kevin Magnussen was sidelined by a water pressure problem.
This session, takes place at 17:00 local time, as the sun begins to set, as does qualifying and the race, so conditions will be far more representative.
The lights go green and Grosjean leads the way, followed by Ocon, Gutierrez, and Wehrlein.
Grosjean gets things underway with a 1:45.724, Ocon subsequently posting 47.395 and Gutierrez 45.104.
Despite his car looking a real handful, Alonso goes quickest with a 44.624.
In quick succession Magnussen and Gutierrez have moments at T8.
No sooner has Vettel posted 43.337 than Verstappen bangs in a 43.233 to take the top spot from the German. Both are on softs.
A 42.808 sees Raikkonen go quickest, the Finn, who is on supersofts, quickest in the final two sectors.
Ocon reports a massive flat spot, asked if he wants to continue he admits he has no choice.
Oh dear, another puncture for Kvyat - again it's the left-rear - but this time he almost clouts the barrier. Unlike FP1 he is able to get back to the pits, where a much needed investigation will proceed. Indeed, there is a Pirelli engineer present.
Replay shows it was clearly the puncture which caused him to run wide and then spin. Something also appeared to fly off the car just beforehand.
Meanwhile, Raikkonen heads a Ferrari 1-2, the Finn having improved to 42.257.
Rosberg's first flying lap proper sees the German go sixth (42.779), just behind Ricciardo (42.728).
Rosberg is told that his front tyres are cooling more than his rears.
Bottas splits the Ferrari duo with a 42.258 as the FIA's Technical Delegate Jo Bauer arrives in the Toro Rosso garage.
As Hamilton continues his run on the softs not looking remotely interested in posting a serious time, Rosberg improves to third with a 42.294. The German's is the quickest time posted on the softs thus far.
Vettel, going quickest in the first and final sectors, and on the ultras, posts 41.404 to take the top spot. He is the first driver to run the purple-banded tyres in this session.
Hamilton reports that his drivetrain didn't feel good and asks his crew to check it and his gearbox. "We'll look into it," is the response.
As Vettel improves with a 41.130. Bottas and Raikkonen, also on ultras, posts 41.959 and 42.257 respectively.
As more and more drivers switch to the ultrasofts, Button gets it wrong at T5 and misses the complex completely.
Rosberg (ultras) goes quickest in all three sectors, despite a mistake in T14, crossing the line at 40.940 to go quickest, albeit only 0.190s quicker than Vettel.
Perez goes fourth (42.041) but is demoted when Verstappen goes third with a 41.389.
Raikkonen and Hamilton both on hot laps. The Finn improves to fourth (41.586), but is demoted when Hamilton stops the clock at 40.861.
"I don't know what Palmer is playing at, honestly," complains Grosjean after losing time behind the Renault driver. "He's a part of the human body" could he mean pri..?
Despite traffic, Ricciardo posts 41.390 to go fifth, the Australian told to go slower through T8 and quicker in T9.
As focus now switches to Sunday and long runs on the supers, Hamilton is quickest, ahead of Rosberg, Vettel, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Bottas, Perez, Hulkenberg and Massa.
Check out our Friday gallery from Abu Dhabi, here.
As the investigation into Kvyat's puncture continues, it appears that Sainz is being held as a precaution. Along with Button these are the only drivers who haven't posted a time on the ultras.
Told that he's been sent out with an incorrect front wing setting, Hamilton replies that the setting feels quite good.
Currently 12th (42.823), and now on the ultras, Button is told that a number of drivers improved their times on their second flying laps.
"We're seeing some longer runs now with race simulations," tweets Pirelli. "These are the only representative conditions before qualifying."
Rosberg runs wide in T18, his car not looking quite as stable as that of his teammate... with that incorrect wing setting.
"I've got something weird on the right hand side," complains Grosjean. "Like the car is pulling to a strange direction." Moments later the Frenchman is told to "box" immediately as he has a water pressure issue. "Ok, check the rear right too," he replies, adding that his rear suspension is "dodgy".
"I'm destroying my right-front tyre again," warns Verstappen.
He's not the only one.
"I have a massive blister front-right, what do we learn from one more lap?" argues Hulkenberg when asked to stay out.
With 20 minutes remaining, the Mercedes duo switch to the soft rubber.
Verstappen reports that his car is puling to the right. He is told that if he can't keep within a second of his target he should "box". "OK, I'll box," he replies.
"Again, we're seeing all three compounds being used at the moment," says Pirelli. "Race pace seems closely matched at the front."
Vettel pulls off to the side of the track at T18. "OK, I think I have a gearbox failure," he reports. Only yesterday, the German said things are not as bad as they look. Oh really?
Verstappen is clearly very unhappy, he reports a litany of issues.
Perez reports that he's losing power on the straights.
Rosberg is told to box and that he will be stacked behind Hamilton. He is told that after a tyre change he is to do a "launch" from his pit slot.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Rosberg, Vettel, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Bottas, Perez, Hulkenberg and Massa.
Alonso is eleventh, ahead of Button, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Palmer, Ocon, Wehrlein, Nasr, Ericsson, Magnussen, Sainz and Kvyat.
Check out our Friday gallery from Abu Dhabi, here.