Rookie F1

Free Practice 1

• Ferrari: They’ve brought a upgraded rear wing with them. Alonso spins on the Vale chicane, a snap of oversteer mid corner spins him just off track. Massa not happy with his set up as they alter the rear suspension, suggesting he’s unhappy with the rear performance.
• Force India: Hulkenberg is in for Sutil. Di Resta does well and spends his day inside the top 10 and at times ahead of Hamilton.
• Hispania: Ricciardo, on his first outing, was occasionally ahead of Liuzzi, and impresses as he keep much closer to his team mate than Karthikeyan did.
• Lotus: Chandhok is in for Kovalainen, the Indian will be desperate to get some decent timed laps in and make up for the laps he’s misses on his other Friday practices.
• McLaren: A brand new rear wing comes with them this weekend, this one focuses on the DRS performance but as a result gives them less downforce when not activated. The off-throttle ban for them results in Hamilton having to adapt his drving style, and Button commenting on the car having less downforce overall, having to take it off the front to balance out the back. While driving Button talked about the rears going away from him on corner exits, but it doesn’t stop him putting in several fast laps. Hamilton creeps around in slicks for an aero test, a huge huge risk as it’s like driving on ice downhill.
• Mercedes: Schumacher has an off moment into the gravel, but makes up for it later (using his vast experience) by going fastest for a while.
• Red Bull: Lots of flo-vis paint around the back end of Vettel’s car, they’re looking for the effect of the new regulations. He understeers wide on the final turn. Webber’s headrest pops up, but he manages to push it down with his hand, a quick pit and his mechanics tape it down. Webber completes a good session as the only driver to go sub 1:17, but finishes early and stops on the old pit entrance, cue the conspiracy theories.
• Renault: Neither driver is out for a long time, Petrov has a rear wing change but gets out with 40 minutes left.
• Sauber: Perez goes off at Luffield. Kobayashi slip slides about and manages to keep himself out of the gravel. 14 minutes to the end Kobayashi has a big crash, out of the final corner he slides on the kerb and when he touches the grass the car digs in and almost flips the car on it’s side. Lunch is cancelled for the team and it’s a wait-and-see if he can make any part of FP2.

Kobayashi fine after his crash

• Toro-Rosso: Rear locking from struggling to stop Buemi travels across a gravel trap and neatly drives into the pitlane. Half an hour to go and Alguersuari drives a P2 time, but is quickly overtaken, but holds position within the top 10.
• Williams: Barrichello is running a new front wing and old diffuser, Maldonado has a new front wing and new diffuser; the team are making comparisons.
• Virgin: D’Ambrosio sets the first time of the day in the wet.
  

Top FP1 times:

Read: Full FP1 Results

Free Practice 2:

• Ferrari: Alonso eventually gets out, but pulls into the pits before clocking a time. Massa does the same on his hot lap, suggesting the team are still figuring things out. But with moments to go Massa steps on the gas to go top when the track is at its driest.
• Force India: Sutil struggles to get the power down and we see his car get twitchy under braking, but all is forgotten when he gets competitive at the sharp end of the session.
• Hispania: Liuzzi is the last out of the pit lane. Ricciardo who was a tenth behind his team mate in FP1, now goes faster than Liuzzi in difficult conditions.
• Lotus: Kovalainen is back in the driving seat this afternoon.
• McLaren: Both drivers are some of the last to get out in front of their home crowd, Hamilton struggles in the wet with locking tyres. Button with a couple of minutes to go, puts in a couple of fast sectors.
• Mercedes: Rosberg shows his skills in the wet by remaining on track after a heavy case of aquaplaning. Schumacher shows off his skills and as the track improves.
• Red Bull: Webber’s early stop was a ‘precautionary’ measure according to Horner and the Aussie is the first of the frontrunners to make an appearance with 20 minutes to go. Webber has another strong outing in the wet, Vettel finishes with 5 minutes to go on the clock well behind., both pit before the track dries. Can’t read much into it as, 1. this is Friday and 2. this is Friday.
• Renault: Very quiet session from the Renault garage.
• Sauber: Kobayashi’s car is fixed and takes a quick spin in the wet before returning to the garage, in the dying minutes he repays his team by posting one of the fastest times of the shortened session.
• Toro-Rosso: Waiting for the rain to subside, Alguersuari was caught catching 40 winks in his car, but makes up for his faux pas by getting out on the track after almost an out of silence. While the big guns stay in their garages both Alguersuari and Buemi spend time being very competitive.
• Williams: Barrichello’s not liking the puddles, causing problems with rear locking.
• Virgin: Glock was the brave man to go out first.
  

Top FP2 times:

 Read: Full FP2 Results