2014 Malaysian Grand Prix Friday - Practice
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Final top speed figures, taken from the main speed track 207m before the final corner:
1 Bottas, 320km/h
2 Magnussen, 320km/h
3 Hulkenberg, 320km/h
4 Massa, 319km/h
5 Button, 319km/h
6 Kvyat, 319km/h
1 Bottas, 320km/h
2 Magnussen, 320km/h
3 Hulkenberg, 320km/h
4 Massa, 319km/h
5 Button, 319km/h
6 Kvyat, 319km/h
Ricciardo is taking a brief trip across the grass. He's heeding his engineer's advice and is taking it very slow indeed...
Checkered flag
Chequered flag is out, that's it for today's track action.
Bottas and Hulkenberg have completed 34 laps in this session - the most of anyone.
Ricciardo is told to "downshift early on the next lap." He currently sits in seventh place, his 1m40.276s the best part of 1.3s off the ultimate pace.
Raikkonen radios in: "My rear tyres are sliding around a lot," and returns to the pits with less than seven minutes remaining.
Several pitstops during these race sims, with Button and Massa among those popping in for quick tyre changes in recent moments and resuming.
Into the final 10 minutes of the day, the lead order is:
1 Rosberg 1m39.909s
2 Raikkonen 1m39.944s
3 Vettel 1m39.970s
4 Hamilton 1m40.051s
5 Alonso 1m40.103s
6 Massa 1m40.112s
7 Ricciardo 1m40.276s
8 Button 1m40.628s
9 Bottas 1m40.638s
10 Hulkenberg 1m40.691s
1 Rosberg 1m39.909s
2 Raikkonen 1m39.944s
3 Vettel 1m39.970s
4 Hamilton 1m40.051s
5 Alonso 1m40.103s
6 Massa 1m40.112s
7 Ricciardo 1m40.276s
8 Button 1m40.628s
9 Bottas 1m40.638s
10 Hulkenberg 1m40.691s
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Lotus summarises its day in less than 140 characters:
"Well it's a definite swipe left to today's proceedings. Arse. You can quote us on that."
"Well it's a definite swipe left to today's proceedings. Arse. You can quote us on that."
Perez is told where he is losing time to team-mate Hulkenberg: "Checo, this pace is slower than Hulk. Currently Turn 5 and Turn 12 is big time loss."
The difference between the Force India duo is just under one second.
The difference between the Force India duo is just under one second.
The Mercedes are switching to hard tyres for what is likely to be their final stint of the day in their race prep.
A few Gallic shrugs by Grosjean, who doesn't seem particularly happy. He's now on the back of a scooter and heading back to the pits.
Bit more serious this time around, as the Lotus E22 comes to a halt on track.
CRAIG SCARBOROUGH: "Mercedes is working hard to assess pace and fuel consumption on its race simulations. Hamilton was 0.9s faster but was asked to aim for a zero-fuel target, which is where fuel being consumed matches the predictions.
"Rosberg was asked to brake later, the use of 'lift and coast' tempting him into braking too early. Lift and coast is technique where the driver lifts off the throttle at the end of the straight, then coasts before braking. This saves fuel as the engine isn't being used to drive the car at top speed, which is where it consumes the most fuel. Lift and coast will slow lap times but is the most efficient way to save fuel.
"This suggests Hamilton’s pace could be at the cost of greater fuel consumption, whereas Rosberg could improve lap times within his fuel use parameters."
"Rosberg was asked to brake later, the use of 'lift and coast' tempting him into braking too early. Lift and coast is technique where the driver lifts off the throttle at the end of the straight, then coasts before braking. This saves fuel as the engine isn't being used to drive the car at top speed, which is where it consumes the most fuel. Lift and coast will slow lap times but is the most efficient way to save fuel.
"This suggests Hamilton’s pace could be at the cost of greater fuel consumption, whereas Rosberg could improve lap times within his fuel use parameters."
And, for the second time today, Grosjean appears to be stuck in second gear. "Lost gearbox! Lost gearbox!" says the Frenchman.
Steady, relative, progress for Lotus as Grosjean completes his 13th lap and edges up to 17th place.
Speaking of Hamilton, the 2008 world champion is using the same engine today that ruined his chances in the Australian Grand Prix a fortnight ago.
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CRAIG SCARBOROUGH: "Hamilton was told on the radio to listen for the DRS tone earlier on. This will be a beep in his earpiece to let him know he has passed the DRS activation point. Drivers get audio cues as it means their focus can be on the track and not on the steering wheel lights. Drivers also have an audio tone for upshifts."
Vettel is told by his engineer that "The degradation on the option (medium tyre) appears to be high," before being told to look after them.
Rosberg's last lap was 0.9s quicker than Hamilton's as both Mercedes carry out race work.
Grosjean rejoins after a long spell in the pits. He's managed 10 laps so far.
Thirty minutes of FP2 remaining, and if you're just joining us:
* Rosberg leads Raikkonen and Vettel at the top of the timesheet.
* Drivers have been experiencing lots of oversteer on the medium tyre, especially Magnussen and Kvyat.
* Chilton resumes running following his early session spin.
* Repairs to Kobayashi and Maldonado's cars mean they will sit out FP2.
* Rosberg leads Raikkonen and Vettel at the top of the timesheet.
* Drivers have been experiencing lots of oversteer on the medium tyre, especially Magnussen and Kvyat.
* Chilton resumes running following his early session spin.
* Repairs to Kobayashi and Maldonado's cars mean they will sit out FP2.
EDD STRAW: "Almost all the drivers have set their best laps on the medium rubber. The top three is currently occupied by representatives of all three engine manufacturers, with Mercedes (Rosberg) fastest, Ferrari (Raikkonen) second and Red Bull-Renault (Vettel) third. Their best laps are covered by just 0.061s. Based on that, looks like it's close up front, but suspect the long runs as they play out will tell a different story."
Alonso comes into the pits, but it's just a quick tyre change stop and he resumes his long run.
Speed trap watch:
1 Bottas, 320km/h
2 Magnussen, 320km/h
3 Hulkenberg, 320km/h
4 Button, 319km/h
5 Massa, 319km/h
6 Kvyat, 319km/h
1 Bottas, 320km/h
2 Magnussen, 320km/h
3 Hulkenberg, 320km/h
4 Button, 319km/h
5 Massa, 319km/h
6 Kvyat, 319km/h
That means everyne is on track and pounding round on long runs except Magnussen, Grosjean, Kobayashi and Maldonado.
The track officials got Chilton's Marussia back to the pits in good time so he's been able to rejoin after his early spin. He's now on his eighth lap.
That mistake is making it hard to judge Hamilton's long-run pace relative to Rosberg at the moment.
Hamilton goes off track at Turn 4. The Brit is running on used medium tyres at the moment.
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Williams suggests Bottas has the potential to go quicker:
"Currently Valtteri P9 1:40.638 but made a mistake on his quickest lap so there is more to come tomorrow."
"Currently Valtteri P9 1:40.638 but made a mistake on his quickest lap so there is more to come tomorrow."
Breaking news
JONATHAN NOBLE has found out details of a software problem that afflicted Ferrari in the opening laps of the Australian GP:
Ferrari had software issue in Melbourne
Ferrari had software issue in Melbourne
BEN ANDERSON: "Less than four tenths covering the top seven with less than 40 minutes to run in FP2.
"This is the closest session of the season so far at the top of the order, with Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and Williams all in the mix.
"This is the closest session of the season so far at the top of the order, with Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and Williams all in the mix.
One man improving is Button, who brings his McLaren into the top 10 in eighth, ahead of Bottas.
The majority of the field are back in the pits to take on fluids and prepare for their second runs.
Vettel improves to third place next time around.
That brings Vettel up to sixth, 0.252s down on Rosberg. Red Bull believes it is losing a lot on the straights here.
Vettel is ninth right now but on his best lap of the day so far.
Hulkenberg leaps from the midfield to the top 10 with a time that puts him seventh.
Ericsson is the slowest driver to set a time this afternoon. He reported after his first run that the medium tyres were giving him understeer in the mid- and high-speed corners.
Alonso only goes up to fourth, but he's just 0.194s off the pace. It's close.
By: Matt Beer, Ben Anderson, Andrew van Leeuwen, Edd Straw, Jonathan Noble, Dan Cross
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