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The second
Friday practice would see over half the field come straight out and start to
set early times. Alonso would be fastest from Heidfeld and Kazuki Nakajima.
But it would be Nico Rosberg who would set the early pace with a 1m:46.931.
Kovalainen would move into second with a 1m:46.995. Alonso was now third
followed by Kazuki, 1m:47.937. Massa was now out on the track. Fifth was
Vettel followed by Heidfeld, Piquet, Kubica, and Button. Several drivers had
run wide at various corners, one being Nico who had taken to the escape road
at the same corner that Webber had crashed in the earlier session. Kazuki
would copy his team-mate in spinning in the corner that takes the drivers
under the grandstand.
Kubica was now third, 1m:47.740, while Massa was up to fourth, 1m:47.792.
Nico was on a quick lap going fastest in the first two sectors. Hamilton was
out on the track. Nico would improve with a 1m:46.835. Kazuki had pitted.
Kovalainen and Kubica had also come in. Six drivers had yet to leave the pit
lane. Nico would pit with just over fifteen minutes of the session run.
Kazuki was back out as Hamilton was able to move ahead of Nico at the top of
the times with a 1m:46.113. Massa was able to make a small gain moving up to
third, 1m:46.915. Nico had returned to the track as Hamilton lowered his
time with a 1m:46.080. Kazuki would again run wide taking to the escape road, this time
as a result of a brake lockup. Hamilton and Massa had pitted. Nico was
fastest in the second sector. His lap was another improvement with a
1m:46.164. This would see him just 0.084 behind Hamilton.
The circuit was now very busy with Hamilton still fastest from Nico, Massa,
Kovalainen, Kubica, Alonso, Kazuki, Vettel, Piquet, and in tenth Heidfeld.
Despite taking to the escape road Kazuki was able to set his seventh fastest
time, 1m:47.937. Only Webber had yet to come out as the Red Bull team worked
to fix his car. Raikkonen was out on the track with an hour remaining. Nico
had returned to his pit. Hamilton had returned to the track. Raikkonen was
down in sixteenth, 1m:49.371. The times were certainly slower than those of
the earlier session. Nico's mechanics were working on his car while Hamilton
improved with a 1m:45.805 to now be 0.359 ahead of the Williams driver.
Webber had still yet to come out. Raikkonen was able to improve his pace
moving into sixth, 1m:47.354. Kubica was now third, 1m:46.384. Massa was
fourth followed by Kovalainen.
Massa would join those taking to the escape roads when he failed to take a
corner. he would spin turn his car and continue back out onto the track.
Nico was back out on the circuit with just over forty eight minutes
remaining. Nico was out on the softer tyre as Kubica and Massa pitted. The
drivers were starting to attack the kerbs as they tried to take that extra
time of their laps. Nico was still second but Kazuki had dropped to now be
tenth. Hamilton was still fastest from Nico, Kubica, Raikkonen, Massa,
Alonso, Kovalainen, Glock, Heidfeld, and in tenth Kazuki. Fisichella had
moved into eleventh with a 1m:47.965. Both Nico and Kazuki were now out on
the track with forty minutes remaining. Hamilton had pitted as Nico would
run wide at the final Turn most likely as a result of a slowing Fisichella
who was on his way to his pit.
Button was now ninth followed by Heidfeld. Kazuki had dropped the order to
now be in twelfth. Kovalainen was now fourth, 1m:46.549. Massa was on a
quicker lap moving into second with a 1m:46.094. Massa was on the harder
tyre while team-mate Raikkonen was on the softer option. Nico was putting in
a longer run and would pit with twenty eight minutes left. Kazuki was out on the circuit
looking to improve from his twelfth place. Despite most of the field being
out on the track there was not a lot happening in terms of changes in
position. Webber would finally leave the pits in his repaired car. Nico
would return to the track as Massa commenced a quick lap being fastest in
the first sector. But he would run wide at one corner ending his lap by
returning to his pit if only briefly. He would rive down the pit lane and do
a practice start at the exit and come back out again. Nico was on the harder
tyre.
Kubica would come back out on the softer tyre. At the front it would be
Massa who was now fastest with a 1m:45.793. Massa would pit while Kazuki had
dropped to thirteenth as a result of Bourdais moving into twelfth,
1m:47.841. After a few more laps Nico would again pit. Hamilton was back out
as team-mate Kovalainen moved into second with a 1m:45.797. Hamilton was now third and
Nico fourth. Kovalainen's time was set on the harder tyre while Hamilton was
out on the softer tyre. He would quickly return to the top of the times with
a quick lap of 1m:45.572. He was now 0.041 ahead of Massa, with the Ferrari
driver back out on the track. The top six were all now on the circuit, including
Nico. Kazuki was also out on the track with six minutes left. Only two
drivers were now in the pits, one being Fisichella who had finished his
session with a gearbox problem.
Nico was on the softer tyre for his final few laps. Hamilton would pit as
Webber improved to be ninth, 1m:47.137. Raikkonen would also come in for a
brief stop. Running on the softer tyre Alonso was now fastest with a
1m:45.654 as the session came to an end. A number of drivers were still on
their final laps but Alonso would remain fastest from Hamilton, Massa,
Kovalainen, Nico, Kubica, Raikkonen, Button. Kazuki was able to improve his
position several places moving up to ninth, 1m:47.013. Glock would finish
the session minus his front wing. Glock was in tenth. He had spun and hit
the barriers. For the Williams team the session would see both drivers in
the top ten which again is an encouraging start to the weekend. |