2015 Australian Grand Prix Friday - Practice
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That's it from AUTOSPORT Live for today. Our reporters in Melbourne are getting the reaction to the day's running from the paddock, and there will be plenty of analysis of what has gone on today over the next few hours on autosport.com
We'll see you just before 3am UK time on Saturday for FP3, followed by qualifying - when everyone will have to finally show their full hand.
We'll see you just before 3am UK time on Saturday for FP3, followed by qualifying - when everyone will have to finally show their full hand.
Twitter
@RenaultSportF1: "A middling day for us, but still lots of data and info to study tonight. More to come tomo. Right now...debrief"
The fastest Renault car in the speed traps was Kvyat, who was 10th fastest and seven km/h adrift of the Lotus-Mercedes of Maldonado at the top of the speed charts.
The fastest Renault car in the speed traps was Kvyat, who was 10th fastest and seven km/h adrift of the Lotus-Mercedes of Maldonado at the top of the speed charts.
Breaking news
Here's EDD STRAW's full report on all the events of that session, plus the complete results rundown and lap count:
Rosberg beats Hamilton again in practice two
Rosberg beats Hamilton again in practice two
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, Australian GP 2015, Melbourne
Final FP2 times:
1 Rosberg
2 Hamilton (+0.1s)
3 Vettel (+0.7s)
4 Raikkonen
5 Bottas
6 Kvyat
7 Sainz
8 Maldonado
9 Grosjean
10 Hulkenberg
11 Nasr
12 Perez
13 Button
14 Verstappen
15 Ericsson
16 Magnussen (crashed)
17 Ricciardo (no time, engine change)
18 Massa (no time, water leak)
1 Rosberg
2 Hamilton (+0.1s)
3 Vettel (+0.7s)
4 Raikkonen
5 Bottas
6 Kvyat
7 Sainz
8 Maldonado
9 Grosjean
10 Hulkenberg
11 Nasr
12 Perez
13 Button
14 Verstappen
15 Ericsson
16 Magnussen (crashed)
17 Ricciardo (no time, engine change)
18 Massa (no time, water leak)
Hulkenberg wasn't in a good mood for most of that session, but as the day's running comes to the end he reports that he "had a good feeling, stability felt OK for once."
Checkered flag
That's it, the chequered flag is out.
Vettel - on lap 18 of this medium-tyre stint, is messy on the way into Turn 3, and then has a big snap from the rear to deal with on the exit of Turn 4.
Rosberg heads out of the garage with less than 60 sec on the clock.
Twitter
@RenaultSportF1: "Track temperature drops towards the end of the session on a sunny day which can help with the management of PU temperatures."
A little analysis from Button: "It's quite interesting with other cars on the circuit. I know it's the second-slowest car to us, but the Force India was struggling to keep up through corners."
Button pits, reporting a "loss of power". The team says it's looking into it.
Force India tells Perez that "we are closer to Ferrari on long run than on short run".
Fuel-saving going on at McLaren too - Button is told "Orange E10 is the map for lift and coast".
Elsewhere, Williams tells Bottas: "Stop fuel save, stop fuel save."
Elsewhere, Williams tells Bottas: "Stop fuel save, stop fuel save."
Lap count for this session so far
Sainz 32
Perez 27
Vettel 26
Raikkonen 26
Grosjean 26
Rosberg 25
Bottas 24
Nasr 24
Hulkenberg 23
Hamilton 21
Kvyat 21
Button 20
Ericsson 14
Maldonado 11
Verstappen 6
Magnussen 4
Massa, Ricciardo, Stevens, Merhi 0
Sainz 32
Perez 27
Vettel 26
Raikkonen 26
Grosjean 26
Rosberg 25
Bottas 24
Nasr 24
Hulkenberg 23
Hamilton 21
Kvyat 21
Button 20
Ericsson 14
Maldonado 11
Verstappen 6
Magnussen 4
Massa, Ricciardo, Stevens, Merhi 0
Raikkonen is told that he needs to do some "quite severe fuel saving" as this soft-tyre run continues.
Grosjean is being told to "use your energy, use the energy".
"Kimi, update on pace, very similar pace to Bottas [also on softs] at the moment, sometimes faster, sometimes slower."
Twitter
@MercedesAMGF1: "Slightly longer runs underway: 7 laps apiece thus far for @LewisHamilton & @nico_rosberg. Practice pit stops also planned before #FP2 ends."
Going back to the Ferrari laptime comparisons, Vettel is on lap eight of this medium-tyre stint, while Raikkonen's soft-tyre run is no longer half a second quicker than his team-mate. There's barely a tenth between their times at the moment - although we don't have the data on Raikkonen's stint length right now.
Midfield:
11 Nasr
12 Perez
13 Button
14 Verstappen
15 Ericsson
16 Magnussen
Not running: Ricciardo, Massa, Stevens, Merhi
11 Nasr
12 Perez
13 Button
14 Verstappen
15 Ericsson
16 Magnussen
Not running: Ricciardo, Massa, Stevens, Merhi
Order:
1 Rosberg
2 Hamilton
3 Vettel
4 Raikkonen
5 Bottas
6 Kvyat
7 Sainz
8 Maldonado
9 Grosjean
10 Hulkenberg
1 Rosberg
2 Hamilton
3 Vettel
4 Raikkonen
5 Bottas
6 Kvyat
7 Sainz
8 Maldonado
9 Grosjean
10 Hulkenberg
More wrestling with the Red Bull for Kvyat, he's hanging on through Turn 1 as the car moves around on him.
Raikkonen asks what his pace is like, and he's told "last lap was half a second quicker than Vettel, but he is on the other [slower] tyre."
Kvyat says "the front is sliding" - just four laps into this stint.
Rosberg is told that he needs "more fuel saving than that - still above target".
As for Kvyat, he opened this targeted 1m33s run with a 33.8s, and follows it up with a 33.6s.
As for Kvyat, he opened this targeted 1m33s run with a 33.8s, and follows it up with a 33.6s.
That's very much long-run territory for Kvyat (on softs) - only Magnussen (who crashed) hasn't gone faster than a 1m33s today.
Kvyat is told by Red Bull that "we're looking for 1m33s" on this run. He's just started his first flying lap.
Amusingly, Sainz gets a radio message saying "yellow Turn 15".
"Yeah, it was me," he responds!
"Ah, yes, I can see you."
"Yeah, it was me," he responds!
"Ah, yes, I can see you."
Sainz tops the lap count so far on 23. But the problem on Verstappen's car means the sister Toro Rosso is only on four.
Sainz got his right-rear on the grass at about the same time as he was locking up the left-front.
Yellow flag
Quick spin for Sainz at the penultimate corner.
Hulkenberg: "What have you done with the aero balance?" The team responds saying that it should be the same.
Nasr goes faster than before in the first two sectors then fails to find any time at the end of the lap, so stays 11th.
Button finds another tenth so nips ahead of the sidelined Verstappen into 13th.
Nasr improves to 11th, between the Force Indias, 3.058s off the pace. Button is improving again.
Twitter
Magnussen takes the blame for his crash at Turn 6, which caused a red flag earlier:
@KevinMagnussen: "The crash was my mistake. Just lost the rear on the entry and unfortunately hit the wall and damaged the left front. Another day tomorrow!"
@KevinMagnussen: "The crash was my mistake. Just lost the rear on the entry and unfortunately hit the wall and damaged the left front. Another day tomorrow!"
Twitter
@ToroRossoSpy: "Carlos drives back to garage, then out again. Meanwhile Max will have to wait while an issue is sorted on his car"
Button seemed to be pushing on that lap, kicking up the dust on the exit of Turn 13.
That pops Button up from 15th to 13th, vaulting the Saubers. He's now 3.7s off the pace.
Button is now on a flying lap on softs. It's his 11th lap of the session - so the first time a McLaren has reached double figures on a lap count today.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Jack Benyon, Ben Anderson, Glenn Freeman
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