2014 Australian Grand Prix Friday - Practice
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Bottas improves his time to go second, but then gets bumped to third as Button just misses out on top spot by a tenth of a second.
It's a 1m32.138s for the Briton. Rosberg's final sector was mighty.
It's a 1m32.138s for the Briton. Rosberg's final sector was mighty.
As he does so, Bottas goes quickest through the middle sector. And then Button beats him! Will he pit, or see it through?
Button jumps to fourth in the McLaren, 0.717s slower than Rosberg, and has improved at the start of his next lap too.
Crash
Quick scare for Magnussen as he runs wide onto the grass out of the fast Turn 11/12 competition. He catches it and McLaren gives him the green light to stay out and do another lap.
Rosberg goes purple in the first sector, but also brings it into the pits instead of completing the lap.
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Sutil returns to the Sauber pit with a jobs list: "Quite a lot of oversteer in the high speed, and also the power is not very good on the straights, and I lost the seamless shift a bit again at the end."
Hulkenberg looked set for a very promising lap but has now pit.
Slow final sector from Bottas, and he falls short by 0.678s.
Bottas's flying, should be the fastest lap...
We already have 14 times on the board. The Marussias are slowest, Bianchi currently last on a 1m38.389s.
Red Bull asks Ricciardo how the car is. He's happy enough, but says the rear just got away from him and took him by surprise.
Vettel pops into second, 0.742s behind on a 1m32.755s.
Hulkenberg improves to 1m32.820s as Magnussen goes third, 0.961s slower than Rosberg.
A reminder that Alonso's FP1 benchmark was 1m31.840s, so we're already very close to that. Unsurprising, of course, as the track will evolve quickly.
Stopwatch
Rosberg blows Hulkenberg's time out of the water. No hanging around, it's a 1m32.013s.
Vettel and Button are winding up for their first contribution to the timing screen.
Stopwatch
Hulkenberg goes ahead of the two Williams drivers on a 1m33.094s.
Twitter
More American drivers unimpressed with the 2014 F1 acoustics!
This time Marco Andretti - "Watching F1 , they lost their mega sound" - and racer turned team boss Jimmy Vasser: "Oh no for #F1. looking slow ugly and that sound..."
This time Marco Andretti - "Watching F1 , they lost their mega sound" - and racer turned team boss Jimmy Vasser: "Oh no for #F1. looking slow ugly and that sound..."
Hamilton's first flying lap of the race weekend is a 1m35.748s, which puts him fourth of the early runners.
Stopwatch
Massa goes top on a 1m33.462s but then team-mate Bottas nips ahead by 0.235s.
Grosjean is on track, but things aren't going well. He tells Lotus that the power steering isn't working and he just had a false neutral.
Stopwatch
Vergne immediately bumps Sutil off top sport...only by 2.928s.
Stopwatch
First time on the board, 1m38.055s from Sutil.
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And that's followed by bad news on the radio for the other Caterham of Marcus Ericsson.
"Stay in high gears, we are losing hydraulic pressure," the Swede is told.
"Stay in high gears, we are losing hydraulic pressure," the Swede is told.
Hulkenberg and Bianchi now part of the early running. So too is Magnussen - and we see Grosjean on the circuit as well.
Perez and Ricciardo complete the 13-strong group of runners at the moment.
Perez and Ricciardo complete the 13-strong group of runners at the moment.
Twitter
Straight away we learn that we'll only see 21 cars at best in this session, as Caterham announces that Kamui Kobayashi won't make it out:
"Despite the best efforts of us & @RenaultSportF1, @Kamui_Kobayashi won't be running in FP2.
"We found a Power Unit related fuel system issue in FP1 & had to take the engine off @kamui_kobayashi's car to fix it so we can run tomorrow.
"Taking a 2014 Power Unit off the car is a complex job, taking much longer than the old V8s, hence no time to fix it to run in FP2.
"Obviously not what we wanted to do but we’re working with @RenaultSportF1 to come back fighting tomorrow."
"Despite the best efforts of us & @RenaultSportF1, @Kamui_Kobayashi won't be running in FP2.
"We found a Power Unit related fuel system issue in FP1 & had to take the engine off @kamui_kobayashi's car to fix it so we can run tomorrow.
"Taking a 2014 Power Unit off the car is a complex job, taking much longer than the old V8s, hence no time to fix it to run in FP2.
"Obviously not what we wanted to do but we’re working with @RenaultSportF1 to come back fighting tomorrow."
Ericsson back into the pits after that installation lap.
Sutil continues round to start a potential flying lap early on.
Rosberg, Chilton, Massa, Bottas and Hamilton (problem hopefully solved) join in the fun.
Rosberg, Chilton, Massa, Bottas and Hamilton (problem hopefully solved) join in the fun.
Vergne makes it three cars on the circuit.
Sutil is first out of the pitlane. Grosjean slides into his Lotus and Marcus Ericsson is also out on track.
Green flag
Green flag, we're underway for FP2.
The second free practice session is going to be absolutely key for race planning. With only an hour of practice tomorrow morning before qualifying, teams and drivers will need a clear idea of their set-ups and strategies for Sunday off the back of this session.
Alonso's not going anywhere just yet. Neither's Gutierrez, who watches on as his Sauber mechanics fettle with the car.
Vettel's already got his helmet on in the Red Bull garage. Alonso in less of a rush, but is back in the Ferrari garage now - sunglasses still on mind.
Breaking news
Things to look out for in this session then:
* Whether Ferrari and McLaren continue to set the pace, or slip back as the track develops/their rivals recover
* If Mercedes can get Lewis Hamilton back out after his oil sensor issue, and if he's able to make up for lost time
* Is Red Bull's (and Renault's) strong start a false dawn, or is there cause for optimism for world champion Sebastian Vettel?
* If the Lotus or Caterham drivers are able to set a time
* Whether Ferrari and McLaren continue to set the pace, or slip back as the track develops/their rivals recover
* If Mercedes can get Lewis Hamilton back out after his oil sensor issue, and if he's able to make up for lost time
* Is Red Bull's (and Renault's) strong start a false dawn, or is there cause for optimism for world champion Sebastian Vettel?
* If the Lotus or Caterham drivers are able to set a time
Twitter
Max Chilton has joined the NASCAR and IndyCar contingent having a little dig at the sound of the new V6s.
The Marussia driver was impressed by that Australian Air Force display: "Finally some noise returns to the F1 paddock! #FighterJet"
The Marussia driver was impressed by that Australian Air Force display: "Finally some noise returns to the F1 paddock! #FighterJet"
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Jet
Local favourite Daniel Ricciardo won't have been perturbed by that flypast that just took place - he took on a jet in a demonstration race earlier this week.
"I was pretty much alongside an F18 hornet doing a bit of a race, which was pretty cool.
"At one point we were going up the runway and I had a bit of a drag and could see it catching me in the mirrors – the only time you are actually happy to be caught by something in your mirrors.
"Normally you don't like a car behind you getting bigger but seeing that in the mirror was something that will stay in my memory bank forever. It was a pretty surreal feeling."
Let's have a look at some numbers from the first session while we wait.
Alonso was comfortably quicker in the first and third sectors of the lap, but both the Mercedes-powered McLaren of Jenson Button and similarly-propelled Williams of Valtteri Bottas shaded him in the middle sector.
Only Rosberg could get within a couple of tenths of Alonso's third sector time. Will that be repeated in the second session?
Alonso was comfortably quicker in the first and third sectors of the lap, but both the Mercedes-powered McLaren of Jenson Button and similarly-propelled Williams of Valtteri Bottas shaded him in the middle sector.
Only Rosberg could get within a couple of tenths of Alonso's third sector time. Will that be repeated in the second session?
Now we've finished being deafened by the Australian Air Force, we can gear up for the second session of Formula 1's quieter new turbocharged era. Only 20 minutes to go until FP2.
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Nico Rosberg probably spoke for a lot of people both inside and outside the paddock when he gave his verdict on the 2014 rules so far:
"There are two sides: one is that the sport is more contemporary because it is more about greener energy, more fuel efficiency. That is important because that is a direction that the world is going in. So that is a good side.
"So half of me is happy with that, on the other half the car is slower and I don't like going slower, so that side is not so happy."
"There are two sides: one is that the sport is more contemporary because it is more about greener energy, more fuel efficiency. That is important because that is a direction that the world is going in. So that is a good side.
"So half of me is happy with that, on the other half the car is slower and I don't like going slower, so that side is not so happy."
By: Matt Beer, Ben Anderson, Scott Mitchell, Edd Straw, Sam Tremayne
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