Rosberg bounces back as Hamilton suffers mechanical woes in FP2
Nico Rosberg managed to bounce back during the second practice session at the Autodromo di Monza, as preparations were ramped up ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. Although Lewis Hamilton managed to finish a close second, the Briton was struck with mechanical woes during the first half of the session. Kimi Raikkonen ended the session third for Ferrari.
Unlike the earlier session in the morning, the second practice session began with great gusto as many drivers immediately took to the Autodromo di Monza to continue with their preparations for the weekend ahead. Instead of completing the traditional installation laps, the likes of Romain Grosjean and Jules Bianchi immediately got down to business by immediately completing timed laps. The Lotus driver, who returned to driving duties after ceding his seat to Charles Pic for practice one, produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:32.995.
Almost immediately the times began to tumble, with the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen all rising to the top, whilst numerous drivers pushed beyond the limits and ran wide at the various chicanes. This included initial pace-setter Grosjean, who ran wide at turn four. Whilst Championship leader Nico Rosberg asserted his authority over proceedings with 01:27.500, the other Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton remained stuck in the garage with mechanical gremlins once again striking the team with the Briton’s car failing to start.
As the Mercedes mechanics began to dismantle Hamilton’s car in a bid to inspect the various internal components to try and discover the issue, team-mate Rosberg continued with his own preparations by improving on his benchmark with a 01:27.005. However, the German’s reign was short-lived as both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso momentarily rose to the top, before Rosberg managed to return to the sharp-end of the order with an even quicker 01:26.786. Further down the order Kamui Kobayashi ran wide at turn four in the Caterham, with the Japanese driver making his return to the sport after missing the Belgian Grand Prix.
Eventually the majority of the field elected for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which enabled the times to once again take a minor tumble, albeit with Rosberg still reigning supreme at the top with a 01:26.225 ahead of the Williams of Valtteri Bottas. Meanwhile Adrian Sutil made a mistake at turn four and bounced precariously over the speed bums in the Sauber, as the German began his preparations for the weekend ahead of making way for Giedo van der Garde in practice one.
Whilst the Mercedes mechanics continued to strive frantically to rectify Hamilton’s car in a bid to get the Briton back out before the end of the session, the Lotus duo of Grosjean and Maldonado continued a woeful day of practice, with both running wide on numerous occasions. The Frenchman in particular ran extremely wide at turn six, which resulted in a brief excursion through the deep retaining gravel trap.
Meanwhile Hamilton finally left the confines of his garage after loosing roughly an hour of track time, after his mechanics managed to rectify the issue on his car. The Briton took to the Autodromo di Monza on the hard tyre compound, initially rising to 12th position with a 01:27.352. As the 2008 World Champion continued with his preparations ahead of the weekend, Grosjean in particular continued to struggle greatly, running wide at turn seven and then bumping precariously once again over the speed bumps at turn one.
Eventually Hamilton switched to Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which enabled the Briton to rise up to second position with a 01:26.286, just behind his German team-mate and arch-rival. As the session entered its closing stages Alonso ran wide at turn one in the Ferrari, as did Button several minutes later in fine style after trying to gain as much of an advantage as possible in the slipstream behind Kvyat, with Sutil exiting the pit-lane on the right.
The checkered flag was soon unfurled to signal the end of the second practice session, with Nico Rosberg fastest ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who ran wide at turn one in the dying seconds, with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen a relatively surprising third. With the return of mechanical gremlins for Hamilton and Mercedes, the German marque will understandably be hoping that such issues do not return throughout the remainder of the weekend.
Image courtesy of Mercedes AMG Petronas
First blood to Hamilton after FP1 at Monza
Lewis Hamilton has begun his Italian Grand Prix weekend in fine form, topping the timing sheets for Mercedes ahead of former team-mate Jenson Button. The British duo were closely followed by the second Mercedes and Championship leader of Nico Rosberg.
The opening practice session of the Italian Grand Prix weekend began in overcast conditions and with a whole host of temporary driver changes. For the opening 30 minutes Sergio Perez would step aside of Dani Juncadella at Force India, whilst Giedo van der Garde once again stepped into the driving seat at Sauber in place of Adrian Sutil, Charles Pic replaced Romain Grosjean at Lotus and Formula Renault 3.5 ace Roberto Merhi made his Formula One debut at Caterham in place of the returning Kamui Kobayashi.
Eventually Marcus Ericsson became the first driver to take to the Autodromo di Monza once the session officially began, leading out a long line of drivers who seemed incredibly eager to get their respective weekends’ underway. Despite the instant flurry of track activity, only installation laps were initially completed, before Max Chilton finally produced a 01:33.435 in the Marussia, a time which the Briton soon improved on with a 01:32.546.
Soon the times began to tumble in traditional style, once more drivers elected to return to the track after completing their installation laps. Jean-Eric Vergne rose to the top for Toro Rosso with a 01:30.511, before Kevin Magnussen in the McLaren soon catapulted himself to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:28.256. The Danish rookie continued to improve as the session progressed, whilst the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo both momentarily suffered with DRS issues.
As the Spanish duo of Alonso and Juncadella ran wide at turn one, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button managed to rise ahead of his McLaren team-mate with a 01:27.158. However, normality at the sharp-end of the order was soon resumed, when the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton asserted their authority over proceedings, with the latter in particular producing a 01:27.064.
Whilst Pastor Maldonado proceeded to run wide at turns one and four in the uncompetitive Lotus, Magnussen suffered a rather unforeseen issue when his headrest began to detach itself from his car. The Danish rookie eventually managed to limp back to the pits for repairs, whilst McLaren team-mate Button returned to the top with a 01:26.810. Meanwhile Belgian Grand Prix winner Ricciardo’s session was brought to a premature conclusion after suffering from an engine failure in the Red Bull.
As the session drew to a conclusion, Championship contender Hamilton rose back to the top in the Mercedes with a 01:26.547, a time which the 2008 World Champion soon managed to improve on with a 01:26.187. Meanwhile several drivers began to push beyond the limit in their bid to continue preparing for the weekend ahead, with Merhi, Massa and Perez all running wide at turn one, with the latter bumping precariously over the speed bumps in the process after only just running wide and across the grass at turn eight.
Eventually the checkered flag was unfurled to signal the end of the session, with Lewis Hamilton fastest in the Mercedes ahead of former McLaren team-mate Jenson Button and current team-mate Nico Rosberg. The 22 drivers will return to the Autodromo di Monza later in the day to continue with their preparations during practice two.
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Mercedes lead the way after first practice in Bahrain
The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have ended the opening practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix 1st and 2nd, after another dominant display of pace from the German marque. Fernando Alonso was a close 3rd for Ferrari, despite an embarrassing moment in the pits, with Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg an impressive 4th.
The opening practice session ahead of the third round of the season got underway in splendid weather conditions around the Bahrain International Circuit, as the numerous teams up and down the grid began their preparations for the weekend ahead. Three driver changes occurred throughout the paddock prior to the opening practice session, with former Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde replacing Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber, Felipe Nasr standing in for Valtteri Bottas at Williams and reigning Formula Renault 3.5 Series Champion Robin Frijns assuming driving duties at Caterham instead of Kamui Kobayashi.
Once the session officially turned green Marcus Ericsson and Jean-Eric Vergne immediately left the confines of the pit-lane to complete their first installation laps, with the majority of the grid eager to follow the duo onto the track. In traditional fashion the entire field elected to carry out installation laps during the early stages of the session, with Nico Rosberg in particular complaining of a loss of drive and a lack of power as he limped back to the pits. Meanwhile Sergio Perez also returned to the pits in the Force India, with the front of his Mercedes-powered car completely covered in flo-vis paint.
Despite the immediate rush to take to the track, the McLaren duo of Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen became the last two drivers to eventually take to the Bahrain International Circuit. Whilst Jenson Button slowly circulated for his opening two installation laps, Kevin Magnussen complained of brake issues on his car which forced him to return to the pits. Whilst the Danish rookie returned back to the pits, Caterham reserve driver Robin Frijns produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:45.483, whereas the Sauber of Giedo van der Garde set an exceptionally slow 11:40.281.
As many more drivers elected to return to the track to begin completing their first timed laps of the weekend, Robin Frijns managed to improve slightly at the top with a 01:44.052. However, the Dutchman’s reign was short-lived as Felipe Nasr rose to the top in the Williams with a 01:41.311. Reigning GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat then catapulted himself to the sharp-end of the timing sheets with a 01:39.453, before the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and then Lewis Hamilton shattered the opposition with the latter producing a 01:38.395. Despite the flurry of track activity as the session progressed, Felipe Massa remained the only driver yet to produce a timed lap in the Williams. Although it was thought that the Brazilian driver was suffering from mechanical issues on his Mercedes-powered car, the team confirmed that they had decided not complete a timed lap.
Eventually Felipe Massa left the confines of the pit-lane in his Williams, rising immediately up into 10th position with a 01:39.533 despite spending the majority of the session in the pit-lane. With the top three remaining relatively unchanged as the session progressed, the Caterham duo of Marcus Ericsson and reserve driver Robin Frijns continued to struggle towards the lower part of the order. Whilst Ericsson complained of a lack power along the straights, Frijns struggled greatly to control the Renault-powered car, eventually running slightly wide on the exit of Turn 15. With the duo four seconds off of the pace of Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes, it became apparent that both Caterham drivers were several tenths slower than even the fastest time produced by Mitch Evans in the GP2 practice session earlier in the day.
Whilst the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg remained in the confines of the pit-lane, with only fourteen laps completed between them, bizarre scenes were witnessed down in the Ferrari garage as Fernando Alonso left his garage with one soft tyre and three medium tyres mistakingly bolted to his car. The Spaniard immediately noticed the error, and stopped in the pit-lane to allow his mechanics to roll him back into the garage to rectify their amusing mistake. Once the tyre allocation had been rectified by Ferrari, Fernando Alonso asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:37.953, whilst team-mate Kimi Raikkonen completely missed his braking point for Turn 1 and ran extensively deep.
Despite storming to the top of the timing sheets, Fernando Alonso was almost instantly thwarted by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, who returned to the top with a 01:37.733. As the session entered its closing stages, the improvements continued as Lewis Hamilton shot to the top with a sensational 01:37.502, a time which enabled the Briton to end the session fastest overall ahead of his German team-mate. Fernando Alonso eventually settled for 3rd fastest in the Ferrari, with Nico Hulkenberg an impressive 4th for Force India. The teams and drivers will return to the Bahrain International Circuit later in the day for the second practice session, which will take place under the floodlights for the first time.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m37.502s 14 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m37.733s +0.231s 13 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m37.953s +0.451s 17 4. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m38.122s +0.620s 10 5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.636s +1.134s 16 6. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m38.783s +1.281s 12 7. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.949s +1.447s 15 8. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m39.056s +1.554s 24 9. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m39.102s +1.600s 21 10. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m39.389s +1.887s 16 11. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m39.533s +2.031s 11 12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m39.862s +2.360s 26 13. Felipe Nasr Williams-Mercedes 1m40.078s +2.576s 14 14. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m40.406s +2.904s 19 15. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.652s +3.150s 20 16. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault 1m40.793s +3.291s 31 17. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m40.$89s +3.387s 20 18. Giedo van der Garde Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.913s +3.411s 20 19. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m41.036s +3.534s 24 20. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m41.794s +4.292s 20 21. Robin Frijns Caterham-Renault 1m42.417s +4.915s 35 22. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1m42.711s +5.209s 21
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Nico Rosberg leads a Mercedes 1-2 after final practice in Malaysia
Nico Rosberg has ended the third and final practice session fastest for Mercedes, leading a 1-2 for the German marque with Lewis Hamilton a close 2nd. Kimi Raikkonen ended the session best of the rest for Ferrari in 3rd, over a second behind the fearsome pace of the Mercedes duo with Sebastian Vettel 4th for Red Bull.
The third and final practice session of the Malaysian Grand Prix got underway in slightly overcast weather conditions, with dark clouds looming ominously overhead as Marcus Ericsson became the first of many drivers to take to the Sepang International Circuit once the session officially got underway. The Swedish rookie was eventually followed by almost the entire field, except the Red Bulls, with many eager to finalise their preparations ahead of qualifying later in the day. Despite the sudden flurry of track activity, only installation laps were initially completed before the Lotus of Pastor Maldonado completed the first timed lap of the session with a 01:49.882.
As Pastor Maldonado made up for his lack of track time during the first two practice sessions on the Friday, with the Venezuelan ace eventually working his way down to a 01:44.622, many other drivers returned to the track in a bid to begin their own timed laps. This naturally saw the benchmark at the top tumble, as the likes of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen rose to the sharp end of the order with the latter producing a 01:41.835 for the Scuderia. After such a competitive debut for McLaren, Kevin Magnussen’s Malaysian Grand Prix woes continued during the final practice session, with the Danish rookie complaining of a lack of power as Lewis Hamilton asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:41.246.
Despite the ever-present threat of rain the third and final practice session continued in dry yet humid weather conditions, as Nico Rosberg bettered his team-mate’s time with a 01:40.946 as Lewis Hamilton began pushing beyond the limit and ran wide at Turn 4. With Kevin Magnussen yet to set a timed lap in the session, fellow McLaren driver Jenson Button was also struggling, as the 2009 World Champion produced a woeful 02:05.555 with the Briton complaining of a lack of rear grip on his Mercedes-powered machine. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton returned to the top for Mercedes with a 01:40.552, as Pastor Maldonado became the first driver to elect for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound before running extremely wide at Turn 1.
With the majority of the field also deciding to switch from Pirelli’s hard compound to the medium compound, the benchmark at the top took another tumble as Kimi Raikkonen and then Nico Rosberg stormed to the top with the latter producing a dominant 01:39.008 to keep the German marque at the top of the order. As the final minutes of the session ticked away Rosberg’s time at the top remained unchallenged, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton slotting neatly into 2nd position to strengthen the German marque’s reign at the top. During the final minutes of the session Romain Grosjean ran extensively wide at Turn 11, with the Frenchman eventually ending the session 15th after a relatively incident free hour.
The Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen ended the session 3rd fastest behind the incredibly dominant ‘Silver Arrows’ of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, with reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel 4th fastest in the Red Bull albeit over one second off of the pace set by Rosberg. With all three practice sessions now over, the teams and drivers will return to the Sepang International Circuit later in the day for the all-important qualifying hour to determine the grid for the 56-lap Malaysian Grand Prix.
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Hamilton pips local hero Ricciardo to pole in Australia
Lewis Hamilton has managed to pip local hero Daniel Ricciardo to pole for the Australian Grand Prix, after an utterly sensational qualifying hour ran in inclement weather conditions around the Albert Park Circuit. Nico Rosberg and McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen will form the second row of the grid, after reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel was eliminated from proceedings after Q2 and will start from a lowly 13th.
With a serious threat of rain looming overhead at the start of the qualifying hour, almost the entire field immediately elected to spill out onto the track in a bid to complete a dry lap before the forecast downpour. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were the first out once the opening segment got underway, with Sebastian Vettel electing to remain in the confines of the pits. Lewis Hamilton managed to produce the first timed lap of the segment with a 01:31.699, as Sebastian Vettel finally took to the track on Pirelli’s soft tyre compound.
Unsurprisingly the benchmark at the top tumbled tremendously during the opening minutes of Q1, with the likes of Felipe Massa, Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo all rising to the top with the latter producing a 01:30.775. Whilst one Red Bull sat at the top of the standings, the other of reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel fought incredibly hard to control his car, in doing so lightly tapping the concrete barrier on the exit of Turn 10. Although no damage was sustained, the German failed to trouble the sharp end of the order as the segment progressed. Elsewhere on the track Romain Grosjean’s woeful weekend continued, with the Frenchman running wide and into the gravel at Turn 13, whilst his new team-mate also struggled at same corner.
As the opening segment of qualifying drew to a conclusion, heavy rain began to fall over the track, preventing anyone from improving greatly. Pastor Maldonado became one of the first drivers to get caught out in the tricky conditions, as the Venezuelan driver spun at Turn 3 and miraculously managed to continue circulating. With three minutes remaining in the session the track fell silent, with the classification remaining relatively unchanged. This saw both Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Esteban Gutierrez, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado eliminated from proceedings.
During the short interval between Q1 and Q2 the rain subsided somewhat, however the track remained wet enough to force the drivers to start the second segment on Pirelli’s Cinturato intermediate tyre compound, with Valtteri Bottas becoming the first driver to take to the track for Williams. The Finn, who would incur a five-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change, ran wide at Turns 9 and 10 in the tricky conditions. Nico Hulkenberg also ran wide at the same part of the circuit, as Bottas produced the first timed lap of the segment with a 01:47.160. As the conditions slowly began to improve, the times at the top once again took a tumble with the likes of Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo rising to the top, before Valtteri Bottas returned to the sharp-end of the order with a 01:45.689.
After completing the fastest time of the segment so far, the Williams driver then spun at Turn 1 in the still treacherous weather conditions. As the Finn managed to continued circulating, Daniel Ricciardo momentarily returned to the top for Red Bull before Fernando Alonso lowered the benchmark even further with a 01:45.034. With the conditions constantly evolving, the times continued to plummet as the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso all rose to the top before the local hero managed to produce a 01:44.031. Nico Rosberg eventually produced a 01:42.264 to rise to the top for Mercedes, before Kimi Raikkonen threw the cat amongst the pigeons at Turn 3 as the Finn spun into the wall.
Although the 2007 World Champion only lightly tapped the retaining concrete barrier, his session was brought to a premature conclusion with yellow flags fluttering at the scene of the incident. This forced the entire field to adhere to yellow flag conditions through Turn 3, and ultimately saw the classification remain relatively unchanged during the dying seconds. This proved detrimental to reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, who found himself frustratingly eliminated from proceedings in Q2 for the first time since the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix. The German was joined in elimination by Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Adrian Sutil, Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez.
As the second segment of qualifying was brought to an explosive conclusion, heavy rain once again began to fall over the circuit. This created an even wetter start to the final top ten shootout, which started with Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo becoming the first drivers to take to the Albert Park Circuit. Due to the increased rainfall, every driver apart from Fernando Alonso was on the full wet tyre, as Nico Rosberg produced the first timed lap with a 01:45.550. Lewis Hamilton soon thwarted his team-mate’s initial advantage, as Felipe Massa returned to the pits for the intermediate tyre as the rain once again subsided. The majority of the field soon followed the Brazilian into the pits to change compounds, with the track constantly evolving.
Despite electing for the intermediate tyre compound, Nico Rosberg ran wide at Turns 9 and 10, after initially producing the fastest first sector. Daniel Ricciardo rose to the top with a 01:45.314, however Lewis Hamilton soon returned to the top with an even quicker 01:44.762 to defend his reign. Although reigning GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat had managed to progress into the top ten shootout on his debut, the Russian rookie ended his qualifying hour by lightly tapping the wall on the entry to Turns 11 and 12, with the track conditions still perilous.
As the checkered flag was unfurled the times took yet one more tumble, with Nico Rosberg initially rising to the top for Mercedes with a 01:44.595. However, local hero Daniel Ricciardo wowed his adoring fans by leaping to the top with a 01:44.548, before Lewis Hamilton fully asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:44.231 to secure the first pole position of the new season and the 32nd of his career. With inclement weather conditions a possibility for the 58-lap race on Sunday, the 2014 Australian Grand Prix could prove to be spectacular as the sport roars back into life!
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap
1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m44.231s
2. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m44.548s +0.317s
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.595s +0.364s
4. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m45.745s +1.514s
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m45.819s +1.588s
6. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m45.864s +1.633s
7. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m46.030s +1.799s
8. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m47.360s +3.129s
9. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m48.079s +3.848s
10. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m48.147s +3.916s
Q3 cut-off: 1m44.331s **
11. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m44.437s +2.173s
12. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m44.494s +2.230s
13. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m44.668s +2.404s
14. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m45.655s +3.391s
15. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1m45.867s +3.603s
16. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m47.293s +5.029s
Q2 cut-off: 1m34.274s ***
17. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m34.293s +4.118s
18. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m34.794s +4.619s
19. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m35.117s +4.942s
20. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1m35.157s +4.982s
21. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m36.993s +6.818s
22. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault
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Nico Rosberg tops an intense final practice in Australia
Nico Rosberg has ended an intense third and final practice session fastest for Mercedes, ahead of Jenson Button in the McLaren and Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton was 4th in the second Mercedes, whereas Sebastian Vettel ended the session a lowly 12th as preparations ahead of qualifying intensified.
With dark clouds looming ominously overhead as the session officially got underway, Jean-Eric Vergne became the first driver to take to the track for Toro Rosso and was instantly followed out by a whole host of other drivers who were all eager to continue with their preparations. This included the casualties of Marcus Ericsson and Pastor Maldonado, who both endured extremely tough days on Friday. As the majority of the field completed at least one installation lap, Kimi Raikkonen remained stuck in his garage with an electrical issue plaguing his Ferrari. With a slight shake of the head from the 2007 World Champion, it was crystal clear that all was not well within the Scuderia.
Whilst the Ferrari mechanics busied themselves on rectifying Kimi Raikkonen’s car, Jean-Eric Vergne produced the first timed lap of the session. The Frenchman’s initial benchmark was quickly thwarted by the McLaren of Kevin Magnussen, who managed to produce a 01:33.130. However, the times soon began to tumble as more drivers elected to complete a timed lap, with reigning GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat rising to the top with a 01:33.079, which the Russian driver managed to immediately improve upon with a 01:32.605. Despite taking a minor excursion through the gravel trap at Turns 9 and 10, a mistake also carried out by team-mate Kevin Magnussen earlier, Jenson Button stormed to the top for McLaren with a 01:32.604 as the session swung into motion.
Former McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton soon rose to the top for Mercedes, before the 2008 World Champion’s team-mate fully asserted himself at the sharp end of the order with a 01:31.736. Whilst Pastor Maldonado’s weekend failed to improve after a trip through the gravel at Turn 12, Sauber confirmed that Esteban Gutierrez’s session was over after the Swiss outfit were forced to carry out a gearbox change on the car. As Lewis Hamilton returned to the top for Mercedes with a 01:30.919, Nico Rosberg was seen bizarrely holding a piece of bodywork in his hand through Turns 9 and 10. The German then threw the bodywork in question, which was apparently an elbow protector, out of the car and continued circulating.
As the third and final practice session entered it’s halfway stage, Romain Grosjean frustratingly reported back to his mechanics that his car was misfiring, as the Enstone-based team’s weekend failed to improve. Sergio Perez became the next driver to leave the track after making a minor mistake at Turn 13, whilst Kimi Raikkonen did likewise several minutes later at Turn 8. Although Red Bull had endured a somewhat topsy-turvy start to the new season, Sebastian Vettel was certainly on the ball as he amusingly corrected his race engineer over the team radio as to which torque map he required. After failing to complete a lap throughout the session, Williams confirmed that Valtteri Bottas was to incur a five-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change, as even the Mercedes-powered cars began to discover mechanical gremlins.
Eventually Pirelli’s softer tyre compound began to by utilised, with Pastor Maldonado and Nico Hulkenberg becoming the first two drivers to switch to the softer rubber. However, it was Nico Rosberg who fully capitalised on the soft tyre compound, with the German storming to the top with a 01:29.375 whilst Romain Grosjean began to loose his temper with “nothing solved” on his car. Lewis Hamilton became the next driver to make a mistake at Turns 9 and 10, which ultimately prevented the Briton from thwarting his German team-mate at the top. As the session drew to a climactic conclusion, Pastor Maldonado parked his Lotus at Turn 15 to prematurely end his session, whereas Jenson Button once again ran wide at Turns 9 and 10.
The checkered flag was soon unfurled to signify the end of an enthralling third and final practice session, with Nico Rosberg topping the time sheets ahead of Jenson Button in the McLaren and Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton could only manage 4th fastest, whereas reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel ended the session way down in 12th. The 22 drivers will return to the Albert Park Circuit later in the day for the all-important qualifying hour, which could well be plagued by inclement weather conditions.
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Lewis Hamilton bounces back to lead a Mercedes 1-2 in second practice
Lewis Hamilton has bounced back from his unfortunate technical issue in practice one to lead a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of Nico Rosberg in the second practice session, with the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso 3rd. Sebastian Vettel managed to finish an impressive 4th for Red Bull, in what was another intriguing session in preparation for the Australian Grand Prix.
The second practice session for the Australian Grand Prix began in similar circumstances to the opening session, with freneticism up and down the paddock as the various drivers filed out of the pit-lane and onto the track. Adrian Sutil became the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was followed by former GP2 Series driver Marcus Ericsson in the Caterham. Whilst the Swede immediately returned to the pits with issues still plaguing his Renault-powered machine, Adrian Sutil elected to remain out on track to produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:38.055.
As more drivers gradually left the confines of the pit-lane to continue with their preparations for the weekend ahead, Caterham confirmed that Kamui Kobayashi would once again not take to the Albert Park Street Circuit, with fuel pump issues still providing his Caterham mechanics with headaches. With the Leafield-based outfit enduring a tough opening day to the Australian Grand Prix weekend, the times at the top began to tumble dramatically as both Jean-Eric Vergne, Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hulkenberg momentarily rose to the top for their respective teams, with the latter producing a 01:33.094.
Whilst Nico Rosberg rose to the top for Mercedes with a 01:32.013, McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen ran relatively wide at Turn 12 whereas Jean-Eric Vergne continued to struggle with brake issues on his Toro Rosso and ran extensively wide at Turn 3 and ran deep into the retaining gravel trap. Once again the Frenchman managed to keep his car running, as even reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel made an unusual error and skipped across the grass at Turns 1 and 2 after dipping a wheel onto the grass on the entry to Turn 1. As the session progressed Ferrari were the next to incur technical difficulties, when Kimi Raikkonen was unable to carry out a practice start at the pit exit. This momentarily hindered team-mate Fernando Alonso, who had to steer precariously around the Finn.
After failing to take to the track during practice one earlier in the day, Romain Grosjean was finally able to leave his garage during the second session for Lotus. However, the Frenchman struggled greatly throughout the 90 minutes, running wide on the exit of Turn 6 in his eagerness to make up for lost time. As attention throughout the paddock switched to race simulations on high fuel loads, Daniel Ricciardo became one of the first drivers to bolt on Pirelli’s soft tyre compound, which enabled the local hero to catapult himself to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:30.597. However, Nico Rosberg was quick to end Ricciardo’s reign at the top with the German producing a 01:29.782 on his first time with the softer rubber.
Despite a frustrating start to the day for 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, the Briton was finally clocking up the miles as his preparations for the weekend ahead swung into motion. However, Hamilton found himself dangerously blocked by Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat on the entry to Turn 13, as a classic case of miscommunication between the two ensued. After this minor altercation, Lewis Hamilton fully asserted his authority at the top of the timing sheets with a 01:29.625, whereas Daniil Kvyat continued to play the role of mobile chicane by blocking Valtteri Bottas in the Williams.
As the session entered its closing stages, the field continued to focus on race simulations. In the process Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez failed to allow Sebastian Vettel through without a fight, a decision which saw the Mexican driver mowing the grass on the exit of Turn 2 as the German stormed through. With the issue on his Ferrari rectified, Kimi Raikkonen soon returned to the action, only to glance the concrete barriers on the entry to Turns 11 and 12 in his quest to squeeze every ounce of pace out of his machine. Daniil Kvyat continued to struggle as the session progressed, with the rookie running wide at Turn 13 and skipping through the gravel.
With the second practice session nearing its conclusion, Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean suffered separate spins at Turns 9 and 6 respectively, with both drivers beaching their cars and prematurely ending their sessions. Nico Hulkenberg simply dipped a wheel onto the grass on the entry to Turn 6, whereas Romain Grosjean suffered from a more serious issue as his car violently turned to the left and struck the barrier before coming to a rest in the retaining gravel trap at Turn 9. Although both cars were cleared under double-waved yellow conditions, the classification remained unchanged as Lewis Hamilton ended the second session fastest overall ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso 3rd. Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel ended the session an impressive 4th, showing that Red Bull are not to be forgotten despite a troubled winter testing programme.
The 22 drivers will return to the track tomorrow for practice three, as preparations step up a gear ahead of the all-important qualifying hour later in the day.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m29.625s 37 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m29.782s +0.157s 31 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m30.132s +0.507s 28 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m30.381s +0.756s 41 5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m30.510s +0.885s 33 6. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m30.538s +0.913s 38 7. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m30.898s +1.273s 32 8. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m30.920s +1.295s 38 9. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.031s +1.406s 34 10. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m31.054s +1.429s 33 11. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m31.060s +1.435s 35 12. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m31.119s +1.494s 31 13. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m31.283s +1.658s 36 14. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.355s +2.730s 36 15. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.468s +2.843s 26 16. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m32.495s +2.870s 36 17. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m33.486s +3.861s 29 18. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m33.646s +4.021s 12 19. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m34.757s +5.132s 29 20. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1 21. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault 22. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
Alonso fastest as Hamilton struggles after opening practice in Australia
Fernando Alonso has ended a frenetic opening practice session ahead of the Australian Grand Prix fastest for Ferrari, after Lewis Hamilton endured a frustrating premature end to his session when an oil pressure sensor alarm shut his engine down during the opening minutes. Alonso was followed at the top by the McLaren of Jenson Button and Williams of Valtteri Bottas.
The 2014 season got underway in a flurry of activity down in the pit-lane, with two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso taking to the track first in the Ferrari ahead of Adrian Sutil and Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen. As many other drivers followed the trio out onto the track to begin their preparations for the weekend ahead, Lewis Hamilton frustratingly ground to a halt on the exit of Turns 9 and 10 with what looked like a technical issue plaguing his machine. Although it was later confirmed that an oil pressure sensor alarm shut the engine down as a precaution, this stoppage signified a premature conclusion to the Briton’s opening practice session Down Under.
After the mechanics had retrieved the stricken Mercedes under double-waved yellow flag conditions, Daniel Ricciardo surprisingly managed to produce the first timed lap of the session with a 01:37.290 in the Red Bull. Whilst his team-mate Sebastian Vettel remained stuck in the confines of the pit-lane, local hero Ricciardo continued to lower the benchmark with a 01:34.600 as the Williams of former GP3 Champion Valtteri Bottas rose up into 2nd position. As more drivers eventually returned to the Albert Park Street Circuit, the times continued to tumble in traditional fashion, with Fernando Alonso and then Nico Rosberg rising to the top with the latter producing a 01:32.784.
As Nico Rosberg continued to improve at the top with a 01:32.604, Daniel Ricciardo ran extensively wide at Turn 12 whereas Sergio Perez performed a half-spin in his Force India at Turn 3 as the drivers slowly got to grips with their new machinery for 2014. Despite the surprising flurry of track activity during the early minutes of the practice session, both Caterham drivers had their running curtailed due to separate technical issues on their cars. Whilst Kamui Kobayashi was struck with a fuel system issue, Swedish rookie Marcus Ericsson suffered with an electrical issue on his CT05 machine.
Meanwhile Jenson Button stormed to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:32.357 in his Mercedes-powered McLaren, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel finally left the pit-lane in his Red Bull with only 38 minutes of the session remaining. The German only managed to complete on exploratory lap, before returning immediately to the pits. As the Red Bull mechanics carried out various checks on the RB10, reigning GP3 Champion Daniil Kvyat struggled greatly through Turns 1 and 2, with the Russian rookie skipping across the grass.
Eventually Fernando Alonso returned to the top for Ferrari with a 01:31.840, as Sebastian Vettel finally completed his first timed lap with a 01:34.593 to go 13th fastest. The German managed to improve on his second run by rising up to 8th, as the Lotus duo of Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean still remained stuck in the pits with their respective mechanics working tirelessly on the cars. Eventually Pastor Maldonado gingerly left the pit-lane, however it was soon clear that various issues were still plaguing his Renault-powered car as smoke was seen ominously emanating from the cockpit of his car. The Venezuelan driver ran extensively wide at Turn 13, before his engine completely cut-out on his return to the pits.
As the opening practice session of the weekend drew to a conclusion, Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat still struggled with the opening two corners, with the Toro Rosso driver in particular struggling with brake issues on his car. Max Chilton’s session was brought to a premature conclusion when the Briton came to a halt at the end of the pit-lane, whereas Sebastian Vettel was called into the weigh-bridge. Meanwhile the action continued out on track, with Jean-Eric Vergne seemingly also suffering from brake related issues as the Frenchman lost control of his car at Turn 3 and spun into the gravel. Miraculously Vergne managed to keep his car running, and eventually continued circulating.
Eventually the checkered flag was unfurled to signify an end to what was an incredibly frenetic opening 90 minutes of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, with Fernando Alonso fastest at Ferrari ahead of Jenson Button and Valtteri Bottas. Felipe Massa was a close 4th for Williams, with Daniel Ricciardo an impressive 5th for Red Bull. The drivers will return to the Albert Park Street Circuit later in the day, for the second practice session ahead of race on Sunday.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.840s 20 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.357s +0.517s 23 3. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1m32.403s +0.563s 27 4. Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1m32.431s +0.591s 19 5. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault 1m32.599s +0.759s 26 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m32.604s +0.764s 17 7. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m32.793s +0.953s 10 8. Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.847s +1.007s 28 9. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m32.977s +1.137s 18 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Renault 1m33.446s +1.606s 30 11. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m33.533s +1.693s 23 12. Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1m33.855s +2.015s 24 13. Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso-Renault 1m34.272s +2.432s 27 14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m35.578s +3.738s 7 15. Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.445s +4.605s 13 16. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 1m40.859s +9.019s 6 17. Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1m46.922s +15.082s 4 18. Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 1 19. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1 20. Kamui Kobayashi Caterham-Renault 1 21. Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Renault 2 22. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 2
Picture Copyright © Ferrari Media
Vettel ends the season in record-breaking fashion with victory at Brazil
Sebastian Vettel has ended the 2013 season in record-breaking fashion for Red Bull, after securing his ninth successive race victory after a highly entertaining 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix. The German was joined on the podium by team-mate Mark Webber in 2nd, with Fernando Alonso 3rd for Ferrari.
With dark clouds looming ominously overhead, the race began in dry conditions for the first time all weekend. Into Turn 1 Nico Rosberg managed to master an overtaking maneuver on fellow countryman Sebastian Vettel for the lead, as Lewis Hamilton also muscled his way up into 3rd position around Mark Webber. Amazingly the field successfully negotiated the opening lap without major incident, with Jenson Button in particular enjoying a marvelous start for McLaren by rising up from 14th to 11th at the end of the opening lap.
Despite denying Sebastian Vettel the luxury of leading into Turn 1 at the start, Nico Rosberg’s lead was unsurprisingly short-lived as the World Champion instantly retaliated by retaking the lead into Turn 1 on the next lap. Lewis Hamilton also began loosing ground as the opening laps of the race unfolded, with the 2008 World Champion dropping to 4th during the second lap as former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso muscled his way back around the Briton. As the field stormed around the majestic uphill final corner of the Subida dos Boxes, Romain Grosjean’s Renault V8 bowed out in explosive fashion as the Frenchman was struck with an engine failure.
This resulted in thick white smoke billowing across the Sao Paulo circuit, as Romain Grosjean pulled over at the side of the track to prematurely bring his 2013 season to a conclusion. Eventually the smoke from Romain Grosjean’s Lotus dispersed, with a safety car deployment deemed unnecessary. As the Frenchman sprinted back to the pits, Mark Webber managed to find a way around Lewis Hamilton for 4th position, with the German marque visibly beginning to struggle with Nico Rosberg also loosing a position to Fernando Alonso in 2nd further up the road.
Whilst Sebastian Vettel once again opened up a considerable gap to the rest of the field in the lead of the race, Mark Webber became the next driver to overtake Nico Rosberg for 3rd as the Mercedes duo continued to struggle for pace in the dry conditions. With the German driver beginning to struggle with tyre degradation as the race wore on, he was instructed via the team radio not to hold up team-mate Lewis Hamilton behind him. This led to an overtaking maneuver by Lewis Hamilton on his team-mate, as Mark Webber made it a Red Bull 1-2 at the front by storming around Fernando Alonso.
By Lap 15 Nico Rosberg had continued to loose ground after initially leading the opening lap, as the German driver soon found himself in the clutches of local hero Felipe Massa. The Ferrari man made light work of the Mercedes driver, as he rose ahead of the German for 5th. Meanwhile the opening round of pit-stops had begun to ensue throughout the midfield, with Valtteri Bottas and Adrian Sutil both pitting together on Lap 17. The Force India mechanics managed to perform a sensational stop for the German, who rejoined the action ahead of Valtteri Bottas and even Jean-Eric Vergne on the run down to Turn 4.
After enjoying a superlative start to the race, Jenson Button had managed to scythe his way up through the order to 6th by Lap 20. The 2009 World Champion soon elected to carry out his first pit-stop a lap later, along with Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta. Further up the field Mark Webber made his first pit-stop for Red Bull, and subsequently endured a frustratingly slow stop after an issue on the left-rear. This saw the Australian driver exit the pit-lane behind Fernando Alonso, as his German team-mate proceeded to carry out his first pit-stop.
Unlike Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a smooth pit-stop which enabled the German to rejoin the action back in the lead of the race ahead of Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. Despite enduring a slow pit-stop earlier in the race, Mark Webber soon managed to repeat an overtaking maneuver on Fernando Alonso for 2nd position whilst also producing the fastest lap of the race for good measure. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton found himself stuck behind the Ferrari of Felipe Massa in the battle for 4th position, with team-mate Nico Rosberg loosing out greatly during the first round of pit-stops and dropping down to a lowly 7th position.
With Lewis Hamilton striving to find a way around Felipe Massa for 4th, the departing Ferrari driver came under investigation from the race stewards for crossing the white line at the entrance to the pit-lane. Eventually the Brazilian driver was struck with a drive-thru penalty for his misdemeanors, gifting Lewis Hamilton 4th position as light rain began to fall intermittently around the Sao Paulo circuit.
After frustratingly being forced to serve his drive-thru penalty, Felipe Massa returned to the pits for his second scheduled pit-stop on Lap 43 along with the McLaren of Jenson Button. Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez followed the duo into the pits a lap later for their second stops, as Adrian Sutil cheekily un-lapped himself by overtaking Sebastian Vettel. The race leader allowed several other drivers through to un-lap themselves shortly afterwards, raising numerous question marks within the paddock.
The race was momentarily plunged into a state of utter confusion on Lap 46, as Lewis Hamilton failed to notice the Williams of Valtteri Bottas trying to un-lap himself around the outside of Turn 4. This led to a collision between the two, with Valtteri Bottas spinning violently into retirement with left-rear damage whilst Lewis Hamilton was forced to limp back to the pits with a shredded right-rear tyre. With Red Bull understandably expecting the safety car to be deployed, both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber immediately pitted. This caused outright confusion within the Red Bull garage, with the team instead expecting Mark Webber first.
Eventually both drivers were served and were amazingly able to maintain their track position, despite stacking in the pit-lane. Although Fernando Alonso also pitted during the confusion, the Spaniard was able to close right up to the rear of Mark Webber. However, the experienced Australian driver managed to defend his 2nd position as Sebastian Vettel once again began breaking away at the front. With the race stewards investigating the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, the Briton was adjudged to have been at fault and was therefore called into the pits for a drive-thru penalty.
This penalty subsequently saw Lewis Hamilton drop to a lowly 11th, as Mercedes continued to endure a difficult race. Despite the setback of being forced to pit for new tyres and also a drive-thru penalty, Lewis Hamilton soon began clawing his way back through the order as the race entered its closing stages. Meanwhile the race stewards handed Giedo van der Garde a drive-thru penalty for ignoring blue flags, striking a huge blow in Caterham’s aim of rising ahead of Marussia in the Constructors’ Championship.
The battle at the back of the pack was effectively brought to a premature conclusion of Lap 60, when Charles Pic spun on the exit of Turn 5 due to broken rear suspension on his Caterham. The Frenchman pulled to the side of the track after regaining control of his car, leaving only team-mate Giedo van der Garde out on track. As the last few laps ticked away Pastor Maldonado and Jean-Eric Vergne had a minor collision at Turns 1 and 2, with the departing Williams driver leaving the Frenchman no room at the apex of Turn 1. Luckily both drivers managed to continue circulating, with the race stewards electing to further investigate the issue after the race.
Despite the increasing rainfall over the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the order at the front remained relatively unchanged as Sebastian Vettel breezed across the line to secure his record-shattering ninth successive victory. The German finished just over ten seconds ahead of his Australian team-mate Mark Webber, with Fernando Alonso an impressive 3rd for Ferrari. Nico Rosberg finished an imperative 5th for Mercedes despite leading the opening lap, allowing the German marque to secure 2nd position the Constructors’ Championship. Lewis Hamilton’s 9th place finish wasn’t enough for him to secure 3rd place in the Drivers’ Championship, as Mark Webber leapfrogged the 2008 World Champion.
Once again the season has been brought to a frenetic conclusion around the legendary Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, with a mixture of rain and immense track action enthralling many. The end of the Brazilian Grand Prix also marked the end of an era in Formula 1, with the V8 engines bowing out in fine form amid a huge change of technical regulations for next season. Mark Webber also retires from the world of Formula 1 after securing his 42nd career podium finish, and will undoubtedly be missed by many. The Formula 1 fraternity will return once again next March, after what will surely be an intriguing winter break.
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Mark Webber fastest after treacherously wet final practice at Brazil
Mark Webber has managed to end the third and final practice session fastest at Sao Paulo, despite the treacherously wet weather conditions which continued to plague proceedings. The Australian ace end the session ahead of Romain Grosjean, with the second Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen 3rd.
After a Friday plagued with inclement weather conditions over Sao Paulo’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit, the teams and drivers were once again greeted with heavy rainfall for the third and final practice session prior to the all-important qualifying hour later in the day. With standing water lurking all over the treacherous 4.309km circuit, the majority of the drivers were extremely cautious when they finally took to the track. Despite the weather, Esteban Gutierrez became the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was quickly followed by Jules Bianchi and Pastor Maldonado.
Whilst the majority of the field elected to only carry out installation laps as the session swung into motion, Esteban Gutierrez proceeded to splash around the circuit with a seven lap stint in his Ferrari-powered Sauber. The Mexican rookie initially produced a 01:34.837, before eventually working his way down to a 01:34.129. With the track conditions failing to improve as the session continued, only the odd installation lap occurred up and down the order as the majority of the drivers unsurprisingly elected to remain in the safe and dry confines of the pit-lane.
As the halfway stage of the third and final practice session occurred, Max Chilton eventually became the second driver to produce a timed lap behind Esteban Gutierrez. Meanwhile team-mate Jules Bianchi managed to storm to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:33.412, as more drivers eventually began to brave the Brazilian elements. Williams ace Valtteri Bottas was the next driver to rise to the top, after producing a 01:32.772. The Finnish rookie momentarily managed to improve a lap later, before World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:31.857.
With only several minutes remaining in the session, the rain eventually began to subside allowing as the track action intensified around the legendary circuit. Esteban Gutierrez managed to return to the top for Sauber with a 01:31.121, before Lewis Hamilton thwarted the Mexican rookie with an even quicker 01:29.980. Although the conditions were visibly improving around the track, both Marussia drivers’ of Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi still managed to run slightly wide at various points of the circuit. Meanwhile Mark Webber managed to catapult himself to the top with a stunning 01:27.891, with the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado slotting into 2nd and 3rd behind the experienced Australian driver.
Due to the slightly improved weather conditions, many drivers began switching to Pirelli’s intermediate tyres during the closing minutes including Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez. The former managed to propel himself up into 2nd position behind Mark Webber, with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen slotting into 3rd position for Lotus. Despite the majority of the field electing to run the final few minutes on the intermediate tyres, Mark Webber’s benchmark remained unchallenged as the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the session.
With the rain forecast to remain a strong threat for the remainder of the day, the all-important qualifying hour could well include several surprises as the drivers battle against the elements in their quest for pole. Can Sebastian Vettel remain dominant in the rain, or can Mark Webber end his career with yet another pole?
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
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