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Formula 1
Brazilian GP
2014 Brazilian Grand Prix Friday - Practice
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Latest leap forward is from Maldonado, who goes fourth, just as Raikkonen improves to fifth behind him.
Gutierrez is getting ready in the Sauber garage as his crew puts the finishing touches to his car.
Hamilton: "Rears are over-heating a lot." The team confirms that it can see that from the data.
Stopwatch
Rosberg takes first place back from Hamilton with a 1m13.122s, three tenths faster than his title rival.
No improvement for Hamilton overall on that lap. Rosberg is now going quicker than before in the early sectors.
More dramas for the other Toro Rosso, as Verstappen has a half-spin at Mergulho but manages to keep it going.
He asks if there is any damage to the front wing, as it seemed to scrape along the rough kerb on the inside.
He asks if there is any damage to the front wing, as it seemed to scrape along the rough kerb on the inside.
Raikkonen jumps from the midfield up to sixth place.
Hamilton begins his latest lap with a new sector one benchmark.
Rosberg sets a new best time of all in the final sector but remains third behind Hamilton and Verstappen. The Dutchman is improving too.
Kvyat got well out of shape in Turn 3, having unsettled the car on the inside kerb. He fought hard to keep it on the track, but had to take to the run-off briefly.
Bottas is on the Williams pitwall for this session, while new Sauber signing Nasr gets another run in the Finn's car.
Twitter
An education on the effects of high altitude on the new-for-2014 F1 engines from @RenaultSportF1:
"Once upon a time the high altitude – and less oxygen – gave engines an easier ride as less power was produced, but it now works against us.
"Ambient air is pressurised to the same level inside the turbocharger and compressor so the same amount of oxygen is always inside the engine.
"The other 'high altitude' races such as Spa and Austria are considered interim tests, but at 800m above sea level Interlagos is another step."
"Once upon a time the high altitude – and less oxygen – gave engines an easier ride as less power was produced, but it now works against us.
"Ambient air is pressurised to the same level inside the turbocharger and compressor so the same amount of oxygen is always inside the engine.
"The other 'high altitude' races such as Spa and Austria are considered interim tests, but at 800m above sea level Interlagos is another step."
Verstappen jumps into second place in the Toro Rosso, four tenths off Hamilton's time.
More from BEN ANDERSON, who has been following the Toro Rosso driver situation closely in recent weeks:
"Vergne will be disappointed to to miss another FP1 for Verstappen. Last year he and Ricciardo alternated to make way for Kvyat, and he'd hoped they'd do the same this year for their latest rookie.
"It seems Red Bull feels Kvyat still needs the track time given his relative inexperience."
"Vergne will be disappointed to to miss another FP1 for Verstappen. Last year he and Ricciardo alternated to make way for Kvyat, and he'd hoped they'd do the same this year for their latest rookie.
"It seems Red Bull feels Kvyat still needs the track time given his relative inexperience."
Magnussen is experimenting at the moment. He decides against a short-shift next time around.
Over at Turn 4 BEN ANDERSON informs us that Magnussen is "pressing on a bit now". The Dane is short-shifting out of the corner to combat wheelspin.
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Talking of the new surface:
@MercedesAMGF1: "@LewisHamilton commenting on how smooth this new surface is. The traditional Interlagos bumps seemingly now less severe"
@MercedesAMGF1: "@LewisHamilton commenting on how smooth this new surface is. The traditional Interlagos bumps seemingly now less severe"
Some of the big teams are probably missing minnows Caterham and Marussia today. That's four fewer cars available to clean this slippery new track surface for them.
Magnussen's run puts him third fastest.
Vergne - who has handed his car over to Verstappen for this session (and still hopes to be the Dutchman's team-mate next year), is on the Toro Rosso pitwall at the moment.
"You've got clear track - we're going to be doing five timed laps," Magnussen is told.
Magnussen's car is spitting out lots of sparks as the car scrapes along the ground.
Alonso is chatting to his engineers (and Ferrari junior Raffaele Marciello) in the garage, while over in the Red Bull garage Ricciardo has a team headset on.
Magnussen, one of the drivers yet to put a lap in, heads back out.
Button's car has been roped off, with only three mechanics anywhere near it at the moment. The McLaren also has a 'DANGER' light flashing on it.
And the rest:
11 Massa
12 Hulkenberg
13 Maldonado
14 Sutil
15 Juncadella
No time: Button, Gutierrez, Magnussen
11 Massa
12 Hulkenberg
13 Maldonado
14 Sutil
15 Juncadella
No time: Button, Gutierrez, Magnussen
Leaders with half an hour gone:
1 Hamilton
2 Rosberg
3 Kvyat
4 Alonso
5 Vettel
6 Ricciardo
7 Verstappen
8 Grosjean
9 Raikkonen
10 Nasr
1 Hamilton
2 Rosberg
3 Kvyat
4 Alonso
5 Vettel
6 Ricciardo
7 Verstappen
8 Grosjean
9 Raikkonen
10 Nasr
Hamilton is informed of the gap to Rosberg, and told that there is a lot of track evolution.
A comparison of world champions from BEN ANDERSON at Turn 4: "Vettel looks nicely committed, very smooth. Alonso hasn't found the groove yet and is stabbing at the throttle."
Stopwatch
Hamilton puts in a 1m13.468s to go quickest by six tenths over Rosberg, who is back in the pits.
The improvements keep coming: Kvyat and Alonso go third and fourth, demoting the Red Bulls moments after they took the places.
Kvyat is hanging on to the Toro Rosso through the final sector.
Both Red Bulls find more time, bringing Vettel and Ricciardo into third and fourth.
Stopwatch
Rosberg, helped by Hamilton's messy last sector, takes the top spot back by 0.171s with a 1m14.001s lap.
Raikkonen briefly appeared in second between the Mercedes before Hamilton finished his lap, but is already back to fifth behind Grosjean and Vettel.
Hamilton proves Rosberg's point by running wide over the kerb (and a bit of the grass) on the exit of Mergulho.
Stopwatch
Hamilton jumps clear with a 1m14.172s, nine tenths faster than Rosberg but his team-mate is improving too.
Hamilton is quicker in sector two as well, but Rosberg is faster still in sector one on his next lap.
Rosberg: "Generally too much understeer."
Ricciardo pops the Red Bull up to third, four tenths off the pace.
By: Glenn Freeman, Matt Beer, AUTOSPORT staff
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