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The track been
declared wet for the opening Friday practice for the 2010 German Grand Prix.
There would be the normal installation laps and with the track very wet the
full wet weather tyre was the only option. It would take until around the
twenty minute mark before a time was set with Alguersuari setting the first
time with a 1m:41.068. Vettel was second with a 1m:36.905 and Alguersuari
would improve with a 1m:35.656 but Vettel would move ahead with a 1m:34.796.
As he continued his run Vettel would improve with a 1m:34.632. More drivers
would start to come out including Webber, Massa, Buemi, Kobayashi, and Nico.
 After further times it would be Alguersuari who moved to the front of the
field with a time of 1m:32.932 while Vettel was now in second place. Nico would posts a 1m:34.055
on his first effort moving into second but as other times were set Massa
would go fastest with a 1m:31.981 from Alguersuari, Rosberg, Webber, Vettel,
Kobayashi, Nico, Buemi, De la Rosa, and Fauzy. Fauzy had replaced Kovalainen
at Lotus for this session. Webber would move to the top of the times with a
1m:31.019. Vettel had pitted while for Williams Rubens was still in his pit.
Webber would pit while Kobayashi had moved into fourth, 1m:32.172.
Nico had dropped to ninth with a time of 1m:34.000 while Rubens was now out
on the track. Fauzy would have a moment coming out of Turn 3, running well
off the circuit onto the grass. Rosberg was now fastest with a 1m:30.864
from Massa and Sutil who had moved up to third. Nico would improve with a
1m:31.365 to now be in fifth. On his next lap he would improve to be second
with a 1m:30.866, just 0.002 behind Rosberg. Rubens was down in thirteenth,
1m:35.236. Alguersuari would comment that he felt the track was drying out
quite rapidly. Rubens would run wide at the hairpin while he was locking his
left front tyre. Massa would complete a 360 degree spin at Turn three but
was able to keep his car on the track. Nico would pit while Rubens was on an
improved lap moving up to sixth, 1m:31.698. Kubica would take to the gravel
at the hairpin, followed by Massa while Nico had a big spin at Turn three
but was able to keep his car on the track and continued.
Hamilton was on his first run for the session, while Nico had returned to
the track. Alonso was up to fourth, 1m:30.914. Nico was on the intermediate
tyres while Rubens had dropped to eighth. With forty four minutes remaining
the order was Rosberg from Nico, Massa, Alonso, Rubens, Sutil, Webber,
Buemi, De la Rosa, and Alguersuari in tenth. Rubens's new time was a
1m:30.942. Alonso would put his Ferrari to the top of the times with a
1m:30.229 while Vettel was now second, 1m:30.294. Rubens was now in third
with a 1m:30.501. Schumacher had been off the track at Turn 8 but was able
to use the extra asphalt run-off area to continue, being thirteenth at the
moment. Rosberg was now fourth and Nico fifth. Rosberg was on an improved
lap moving to the top of the times with a 1m:29.419.
Alonso, Vettel, and Rubens had all pitted with Vettel pitting after running
wide at Turn two. Even though he was in fifth he was 1.447 behind Rosberg.
With the track conditions improving Nico went fastest in sector one while we
had yet to see a time from Hamilton. Alguersuari was now up to fourth,
1m:30.456, while Nico's time in his lap would see him fail to improve. With
thirty six minutes remaining Rubens and Nico were in fifth and sixth. More
drivers were coming back out trying the intermediate tyres. On his next lap
Nico would find the extra time moving up to second, 1m:30.168. Nico would
again find more time moving to the top of the times with a 1m:29.206. Webber
was on a quicker lap setting the quickest time with a 1m:29.048 to be 0.158
ahead of Nico. Rubens was now in seventh while Nico would join him in the
pits.
The conditions were improving considerably with the intermediate tyre coming
into its own. Parts of the track were showing a dry line while others were
still wet, in particular near the Mercedes stadium. Alguersuari was now
third and would pit while Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:28.735. Vettel
would pit while it would be Sutil's turn at the front going fastest with a
1m:28.411. Both McLaren's were back out on the track joined by Nico. With
twenty five minutes left in the session the track was again very busy with
Rubens also out on the track. Hamilton was able to set a 1m:31.699 to be in
fifteenth one place behind Button. Hamilton would improve to be seventh with
a 1m:29.429. Nico would set a 1m:29.206 while Massa would go off coming into
the stadium section. He would run across the gravel but was able to
continue.
Buemi was now in second while for Hamilton it would go wrong as he crashed
his car at Turn three. Nico was now up to third, 1m:28.193, while Petrov was
up to fourth. Hamilton would spin off taking to the grass and into the tyre
barrier with the front of his car. His car would spin around also damaging
the rear of the McLaren. De la Rosa was up to fourth, 1m:28.486, with Petrov
now fifth from Vettel, Massa, Webber, Alguersuari, and Rosberg in tenth.
Rubens was now in fifteenth. Hamilton's car would be craned away while he
walked away. Kubica was now up to ninth, 1m:29.224, while Massa would again
spin on the corner coming onto the start-finish straight. He would continue
to move up to third, 1m:28.121. Buemi was out on another run currently in
second with a 1m:28.114. Senna would spin at the same final corner as Massa.
Senna was out of the car ending his session.
Rosberg was back out on the intermediate tyres and was able to go fastest
with a 1m:27.448. Team- mate Schumacher was way down twentieth. Rubens again
out on the track with six minutes remaining. Massa had moved ahead of
Rosberg with a 1m:26.850 while Rubens was on a quicker lap seeing him up to
fifth, 1m:27.946, while Sutil was able to go fastest with a 1m:26.314, to be
0.6536 ahead of Massa. Vettel was also on a quick lap looking to move up
from tenth. Rubens' next alp was a 1m:26.947 to be third from Petrov,
Rosberg, Buemi, and Nico. Vettel would not complete his lap returning to his
pit. Button would put in a big improvement to go into third, 1m:26.936.
Rubens was now in fourth. With the end of the session the order was Sutil
from Massa, Button, Rubens, Petrov, Rosberg, Buemi, Nico, Liuzzi, and De la
Rosa in tenth. Vettel and Webber were in eleventh and fourteenth.
For the AT&T Williams team it was a positive start to the weekend with both
drivers remaining in the top ten for the majority of the session. Rubens and
Nico would finish the session in fourth and eighth. Not that the times were
meaningful given the variable weather conditions. It was reported that
further rain was expected during the break leading up to the second practice
session. |
