2014 Malaysian Grand Prix Friday - Practice
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As hinted by Lotus, Grosjean's car is fixed and he is on the circuit.
EDD STRAW: "The speed trap at the start of sector two is located just 80 metres after the slow left-hander Turn 9. This means that the speeds are unspectacular, but it's interesting to note that the Red Bulls are first and second here (Vettel, 141km/h and Ricciardo, 140km/h). Suggests that the car is able to put the power down effectively and carry decent speed out of the slow corners."
BEN ANDERSON: "We can only presume Kimi Raikkonen is much happier with the balance of his Ferrari today.
"The 2007 world champion struggled with the front end of his F14 T in Australia, but is looking good in P2 in this session, less than two tenths adrift of Hamilton."
"The 2007 world champion struggled with the front end of his F14 T in Australia, but is looking good in P2 in this session, less than two tenths adrift of Hamilton."
As we head into the final 10 minutes, our top three - Hamilton, Raikkonen and Rosberg - are all on the circuit. Though as we type that, Rosberg pits.
EDD STRAW: "It's going to be interesting to see this weekend how reliability compares to what we saw in Melbourne.
"Suspect that with the high temperatures (ambient is 32C right now but feels about 10 degrees warmer) and a track configuration that is hard on the engines we might see more struggling.
"Fifteen cars were running at the finish in Australia, but could well be fewer this weekend."
"Suspect that with the high temperatures (ambient is 32C right now but feels about 10 degrees warmer) and a track configuration that is hard on the engines we might see more struggling.
"Fifteen cars were running at the finish in Australia, but could well be fewer this weekend."
Top lap tally for the session right now belongs to Ericsson, who has done 19.
Both Williams have done 18, as has Gutierrez.
Both Williams have done 18, as has Gutierrez.
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Pastor Maldonado
Maldonado out of the car, but Grosjean may be making an FP1 comeback...
Lotus_F1Team: Don't believe everything you might read here. @RGrosjean has reconciled with his E22
Pacesetter Hamilton is back on the circuit.
First improvement in a while is Hulkenberg putting the Force India up to eighth, ahead of the two Williams.
"Stop the car, please. Switch off" is the call from the Lotus pitwall.
Plenty of smoke coming out of the back of Maldonado's Lotus. Doesn't look good.
Relatively quiet right now: Massa, Bottas, Kvyat, Bianchi and Maldonado on the circuit, only Bianchi and Kvyat improving.
Progress at Lotus: Maldonado is on track.
Felipe Massa has a spin at Turn 8. Looks like excessive kerb use was the issue.
That lap brings Bottas into 10th place.
Bottas, who did our first serious laps of the morning, is back in 15th now but is on a better lap.
Just a reminder, Lewis Hamilton is using the same engine that he used in Melbourne a fortnight ago.
Quite promising for him and the team that he's already done 12 laps, and is currently fastest. Good signs that the issue may be resolved.
Quite promising for him and the team that he's already done 12 laps, and is currently fastest. Good signs that the issue may be resolved.
Order with just under half an hour to go:
1 Hamilton
2 Raikkonen
3 Rosberg
4 Button
5 Magnussen
6 Vergne
7 Vettel
8 Massa
9 Hulkenberg
10 Alonso
11 Ricciardo
12 Sutil
13 Kvyat
14 Gutierrez
15 Bottas
16 Bianchi
17 Ericsson
18 Chilton
19 Kobayashi
No time: Perez, Maldonado, Grosjean
1 Hamilton
2 Raikkonen
3 Rosberg
4 Button
5 Magnussen
6 Vergne
7 Vettel
8 Massa
9 Hulkenberg
10 Alonso
11 Ricciardo
12 Sutil
13 Kvyat
14 Gutierrez
15 Bottas
16 Bianchi
17 Ericsson
18 Chilton
19 Kobayashi
No time: Perez, Maldonado, Grosjean
Vettel finally makes it into the top 10 for the first time today, taking seventh place.
Stopwatch
Hamilton improves his time and does a 1m40.691s, now 0.152s ahead of Raikkonen.
Button is up to fourth now. Team-mate Magnussen is now down to fifth, having been quickest before his problem a minute ago.
Main speed trap figures with an hour of the session gone. Unsurprisingly, it's a Mercedes-engined lockout at the top:
1 Rosberg, 315km/h
2 Button, 315km/h
3 Massa, 314km/h
4 Bottas, 313km/h
5 Magnussen, 312km/h
1 Rosberg, 315km/h
2 Button, 315km/h
3 Massa, 314km/h
4 Bottas, 313km/h
5 Magnussen, 312km/h
Rosberg just set a new first-sector benchmark, but only makes it to third, 0.305s off team-mate Hamilton.
Alonso has a little spin. Seems to run slightly wide with the rear of the car and around it goes. But he's off and running again.
Hamilton wasn't quickest of all in any sector on that lap, but it added up to the best overall.
Stopwatch
Hamilton throws in a 1m40.723s to take top spot from Raikkonen.
Stopwatch
Raikkonen goes quickest, a 1m40.843s beating Magnussen by 0.4s.
The Ferraris - currently third and fourth - are improving their times.
Lotus has, somewhat unsurprisingly, confirmed that Grosjean won't be back out in this session.
Only three cars haven't done a flying lap: the Force India of Perez and the two Lotuses.
Vettel has been steadily making progress and is now 13th.
No improvement from Alonso after all, he loses time in the last sector where there were yellows for Magnussen.
"I lost power and I switched the engine off" says Magnussen over the radio. Lucky for him, it all happened in the entry to pitlane, so not far to go.
Alonso could be poised to go quickest with his next lap.
Kevin Magnussen has stopped on track.
Raikkonen up to third place, 0.238s off the pace.
"Lots of cars looking like they're struggling with rear end grip" the Mercedes pitwall tells Hamilton over the radio. Moments from Gutierrez and Raikkonen support that theory.
EDD STRAW: "If Caterham has to fit a brand new energy store to Kobayashi's car, that moves him closer to a grid penalty. The ES is one of the elements of the engine that each driver is only allowed to use five of this year. Caterham introduced Kobayashi's second energy store in Australia, so potentially it could be onto the third soon.
"The first time a sixth example of any of the power unit elements is introduced, it triggers a 10-place grid penalty.
"That said, any of the engine elements can be taken in and out as needed, so just because ones have been removed doesn't mean they can't be used later in the year - if they are still functioning properly or repairable, that is."
"The first time a sixth example of any of the power unit elements is introduced, it triggers a 10-place grid penalty.
"That said, any of the engine elements can be taken in and out as needed, so just because ones have been removed doesn't mean they can't be used later in the year - if they are still functioning properly or repairable, that is."
Vettel is improving on his next lap, as is Raikkonen, who is currently 13th.
Ericsson spins at Turn 15. Looks as if he locked the front brakes and then lost the rear.
By: Matt Beer, Ben Anderson, Andrew van Leeuwen, Edd Straw, Jonathan Noble, Dan Cross
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