Rookie F1

Free Practice 1

• Ferrari: Massa is out early for an installation lap for the vast Ferrari fan filled grandstands. Massa has a higher downforce front wing, with Alonso running a Monza specific one to compare. The temperature is low this morning which should go some way in explaining their off pace results. Alonso stopped early and his car is in bits as it seems they are changing out his practice engine.
• Force India: Hulkenberg is in for di Resta. Sutil has a great outing in the morning hinting at the possibility of a good showing on Sunday.
• Hispania: Ricciardo gets back on the horse after his first retirement and the team stay ahead of Virgin for the morning.
• Lotus: Chandhok is on for Jarno Trulli and he loses a wing mirror on the first chicane, which means he had to retreat to garage. Another lap and he’s coming back to the garage reporting that the gizmos on his steering wheel aren’t working. Trulli’s car has a brand new chassis for this weekend. Heikki’s gearbox loses second gear and has to make his way back to the garage in 1st gear.
• McLaren: Button takes a while to get himself out on track, and while he waits Hamilton puts down the fastest time with 42 minutes left. The McLaren team are tapping away at the front wing of Hamilton’s front wing. Button has oversteer as he goes into Parabolica, and asks if his rear wing is working, the team have taken a strip of carbon fibre (gurney flap) off to allow it to open further.
• Mercedes: Schumacher and Rosberg both get out of shape around the circuit’s chicanes, and Schumacher glides across the gravel of Parabolica.
• Red Bull: The team had a straightline test in Silverstone yesterday suggesting they are not done with updating and fine tuning this car just yet. Vettel and Webber head up the top of the times with 45 minutes to go, but can’t quite match the McLaren duo who were expected to be strong.
• Renault: Split fortunes for the team, Petrov getting his head down and ground out the 6th fastest time. Senna has a few moments and finished in 16th.
• Sauber: Spent the morning under the radar, but Perez just gets into the top ten times. Kobayashi locked up going into the first chicane after the session ends.
• Toro Rosso: Buemi has a mini rally moment as he shoots over the sleeping policemen of a chicane. Alguersuari goes out aggressively to make up for the missed chance in Spa. and reports his car feels grippier and is stable under breaking. Buemi still having issues with his car as he dips his tyres into the gravel.
• Williams: Barrichello had an issue early on, but it was sorted out quick enough for him to return to the track.
• Virgin: d’Ambrosio is the first to set a timed lap around an empty lap. Glock spends an extended period of time in the garage, but he emerges and comes across an angry Alguersuari who believes he is blocking. D’Ambrosio had an engine issue with a few minutes to go.
  

Top FP1 times:

Read: Full FP1 Results

Free Practice 2:

• Ferrari: Alonso getting out of shape on the last chicane, just dipping a rear left tyre into the gravel. However the increase in track temperature has suited the car as with an hour to go they’ve both tucked themselves up behind Vettel. Alonso is seen weaving down the straight towards Parabolica, then gets out of shape as he heads out of Ascari.
• Force India: As others open up, the pace slips a little to put the pair squarely in the midfield, but judging by the times there could be a whole other race goin gon with Renault and Sauber.
• Hispania: Ricciardo is left waiting in the garage as work continues on his car to solve an electrical issue, he says he’s expecting to get 10 minutes in at the end of the session, which he does. 2.5 minutes to go he sets his first times lap.
• Lotus: Kovalainen reports that he’s happy with the balance and set up with the car, but with a few minutes to go he suffers a puncture and has to return to the garage early.
• McLaren: Quite a quiet session for the pair until they gets on the options. Hamilton uses a clear track to post the quickest time with half and hour to go, but later on he gets rather close to Alguersuari. With 15 minutes to go Button is still struggling to find the right set up and Hamilton is having a clutch issue, not enough to send him back to garage. Both McLarens aren’t using DRS in the alst few minutes.
• Mercedes: Rosberg is yet to leave his garage for a timed lap as his car is in bits, work seems to be focused on the floor. He goes out with less than an hour to go on the options to make up the time lost. Schumacher gets on the options and dominates the times.
• Red Bull: Hembery believes that Red Bull didn’t take too big of a risk in Spa as they didn’t start from the pit lane. Early in the session Red Bull are at the top with a similar gap between the pair as there was in the morning. On the options Webber and Vettel get caught up in traffic, Webber gets very close to coming into contact with Glock around Ascari.
• Renault: Senna had a moment around Ascari, but saved it well to finish his lap. Senna was fined €12,000 for speeding in the pit lane.
• Sauber: Perez looks handy as he ended the day in the top ten, but Kobayashi has to pull over onto the grass with what looks like a mechanical issue.
• Toro Rosso: Alguersuari sets the first timed lap of the afternoon. He then finds himself on the grass after attempting to overtake a Force India car. Buemi lands in the gravel of Parabolica, the front wing and front, rear left have been damaged from swiping the tyre barrier, after getting on the grass.
• Williams: Barrichello reports that the downforce levels feel good, but doesn’t seem happy with his rear wing.
• Virgin: Back after the engine problems d’Ambrosio finds himself ahead of Ricciardo who only managed 10 minutes. But Glock made sure they got ahead of Hispania this time.
  

Top FP2 times:

Read: Full FP2 Results