Spain – Free Practice 2: Button at the end of boredom

29°C in the air, 43°C on the track: it’s a very hot Spanish spring that will welcome the second free practice session of the day. This session marks the return of Bruno Senna, Paul di Resta, Heikki Kovalainen, and Narain Karthikeyan after lending their cars to test drivers this morning.

The first engine to roar is that of a Toro Rosso, Jean-Eric Vergne’s. Practice starts are being conducted at the exit of the pits: this is the case for Bruno Senna and then Lewis Hamilton, notably. 1:27.146 is the first timed lap of the afternoon for Vergne, quickly improved by five-tenths by Ricciardo. The drivers are all on hard tires at the moment. Vettel sets the best time with a 1:25.000, with Hamilton falling short by a tenth. It’s Michael Schumacher’s turn to climb to the top of the time sheets with a 1:24.859.

Jenson Button complains over the radio of permanent understeer, certainly due to the modification of the front of the MP4-27, which alters the overall balance of the car by increasing rear downforce. After returning to the pits, he goes back on track but still complains of incredible understeer. Fernando Alonso took third place provisionally with a time of 1:25.039, as on-track activity isn’t very high fifteen minutes into this test session. It’s the Ferraris that are putting on a show: Alonso improves by four-tenths and takes the lead, while Massa slots into fourth position.

Vergne puts on the soft tires with one hour and ten minutes left in these FP2 sessions. He logically records the best time, just six thousandths ahead of Alonso, who was on hard tires. Ricciardo takes third place, three hundredths behind Vergne and Alonso. It’s Vettel’s turn to attack the Catalan track with the yellow sidewall tires: he shatters the provisional best time by recording 1:23.563. Kobayashi falls six tenths and Maldonado nine tenths short of the reigning double world champion. Lewis Hamilton gets a bit closer but remains at a reasonable distance from the Red Bull with 1:24.027.

Full attack and DRS wide open for Webber who takes the provisional third place, while Hamilton, heavily lighting up his tires, consolidates his second position. On the Lotus F1 side, the groundwork has probably already started as Grosjean and Räikkönen, although on track, are recording times several seconds behind their direct competitors. Button, who was struggling with his car, takes the lead with 1:23.399.

With only 50 minutes remaining, the HRT drivers are experiencing mixed fortunes: De la Rosa has no issues, while Karthikeyan is stuck in the garage due to an electrical problem. At this stage of the session, Alonso is the only driver in the top 10 (10th) who has yet to fit the soft tires. Midway through the session, Button is still ahead of Vettel, Hamilton, Webber, and Kobayashi. But the standings are changing quickly, with Rosberg moving up to P3 with a time of 1:23.771, setting the fastest time in the second sector.

Alonso leaves the pits on soft tires. He sets only the thirteenth fastest time. Romain Grosjean, before that, sets the fifth fastest time, hindered by Felipe Massa and then Charles Pic. Räikkönen surpasses his teammate by five hundredths. Mark Webber makes a mistake at the entry of a curve and goes straight off. He manages to gradually get out of the gravel but brings a lot back onto the track: « stones in the trajectory in turn 4 » is indicated to Jenson Button.

Finally out of the pits, Narain Karthikeyan only covers a few hectometers before stopping in turn 3. The car is evacuated by the marshals in this fast section, where the yellow flag is deployed. It’s a small opportunity to salute them, those who take numerous risks so that the passion for automobiles can live and proceed under good conditions. Next, it’s Sergio Pérez’s turn, in his Sauber, to test the road handling of his C31 on gravel. Like Webber, he manages very well and returns to the track. The drivers all perform stints with a certain fuel load and on hard tires.

Twenty minutes from the end, Button leads Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Räikkönen, Grosjean, Webber, Schumacher, Kobayashi, and Hülkenberg. Red Bull takes the opportunity to conduct some aerodynamic tests, as evidenced by the presence of the famous yellow flow-vis paint on Mark Webber’s car, who has to slow down because in front of him, Heikki Kovalainen goes straight off in the first sequence, without consequence.

The hierarchy still hasn’t changed as the drivers enter the final ten minutes. Everyone is on track, except of course for Narain Karthikeyan. Webber, still pushing hard, makes a small mistake just before the final chicane. At the end of the race simulation, Romain Grosjean complains about a vibration; he returns to the pits. Hamilton makes another small mistake in the chicane, preceded by Kobayashi and followed by Senna. Senna, who also makes a small mistake in turn 12, spins. Yellow flag and he lets the cars pass to get back on track.

So it’s Jenson Button who finishes this session at the top, ahead of Vettel and Rosberg.

Results of Free Practice 3 of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix: