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Just prior to
the start of the opening Friday practice session for the 2010 Abu Dhabi
Grand Prix there would be heavy rain but it would start to dry out quickly
as the session got underway. Despite this the session was declared wet.
There would be the usual rush of drivers coming out for their installation
laps with Klien taking to the track first. Fairuz Fauzy was driving
Kovalainen's Lotus for this session while Jerome d'Ambrosio hadn't replaced
di Grassi this time. Both AT&T Williams drivers, Rubens Barrichello and Nico
Hulkenberg, would complete their installation lap and would return to their
pits. Several drivers would complete a second lap while Fauzy would spin his
Lotus prior to returning to his pit.
 Vettel was out on the track by himself running on the intermediate tyres but
he would be joined by Glock and Kubica. Everyone would pit while Webber
would return to the track, also on the intermediate tyres. He would also pit
after a his lap leaving the track empty. Glock would come back out with just
over an hour and ten minutes remaining. Glock would again pit while Petrov
would leave the pit lane to check the track conditions. Shortly after he was
joined by Button and Schumacher. Glock would pit again followed by Button.
Schumacher would also pit as Hamilton came out also on the intermediates,
with the field looking to wait until the track dried further before coming
out. Nico was out of his car on the pit wall taking to other Williams team
members.
Hamilton would pit leaving the track empty with an hour left in the session.
Next out was Rosberg as the track continued to dry. Both McLaren's would
return to the track while Rosberg would run wide at Turn one but would pit.
Both McLaren's had also come back in again leaving the track empty. With
just over forty five minutes remaining no times had been set as Button again
came out. He was joined by Petrov and Nico would make his first run. Button
was again on the intermediate tyres but he would quickly pit again. Petrov
was out on a lap with slick tyres on his Renault as Buemi took to the track.
Petrov would set the first time with a 1m:51.465 but he was passed by Nico
with a 1m:51.207. Liuzzi was on the track with forty minutes remaining.
Massa and Alguersuari would be the next drivers out on the track as both
Petrov and Nico would improve. Petrov set a 1m:50.370 while Nico set a
1m:48.863. Both Alonso and Webber were also out on the track while Buemi set
a 1m:51.513. Petrov was again faste3st with a 1m:47.794 while Nico set a
1m:47.828. Liuzzi was now fourth as both Lotus cars took to the track. Massa
was now third with a 1m:48.886 while more drivers came out including Rubens.
Nico would remain in second behind Petrov with an improved time of
1m:47.828. Petrov would set a 1m:46.861 with Liuzzi now third from Buemi,
and Webber. Massa was now second, 1m:47.280, from Nico, Liuzzi, Buemi,
Alguersuari, Webber, Di Grassi, and Alonso in ninth. Petrov would again
improve with a 1m:46.028, continuing to set the early pace.
Alonso was now second, 1m:46.419, from Webber now in third. Massa would pit
from fourth while Nico was now fifth. Only four cars were still in their
pits, including both McLaren's. Rubens was now ninth, 1m:50.092, but this
would become tenth as Liuzzi moved up to fourth from sixth. Nico had pitted
currently in sixth with thirty minutes remaining. Alonso was now fastest
with a 1m:45.807 with Kubica moving into third, 1m:46.180. Webber was now
fastest with a time of 1m:45.177 from Alonso and Petrov. Nico had dropped to
tenth and Rubens fourteenth. Vettel was now fifth, 1m:46.363, while Heidfeld
would put in a quick lap moving in to third, 1m:45.998. Schumacher was now
seventh, 1m:46.499, while Vettel would show his pace going fastest with a
time of 1m:44.274. But Kubica would move into second, 1m:44.894, while
Webber would respond to Vettel going fastest with a 1m:43.840.
Rubens was able to find some pace jumping up to tenth, 1m:46.208, but this
would become eleventh as we had Alguersuari and Button move into seventh and
eighth. On his next lap Button would improve to be fourth, 1m:45.056, but
Schumacher would take this spot with a 1m:45.029. Nico was now sixteenth and
still in his pit. Rubens had dropped to twelfth. Rosberg would follow his
Mercedes team-mate jumping up to third, 1m:44.718. So we had Webber fastest,
1m:43.840, from Vettel, Rosberg, Kubica, Heidfeld, Schumacher, Button,
Sutil, and Kobayashi in in tenth. Rubens was now fourteenth and Nico
seventeenth. Massa was now eighth, 1m:45.160, as Button moved up to third
with a time of 1m:44.041. Kobayashi was now sixth, 1m:45.007, as Rubens
pitted. Both Red Bull cars had pitted as we still had yet to see a time from
Hamilton.
With eighteen minutes remaining a large number of drivers weer back in their
pits looking over their data. Heidfeld was able to move back up to seventh,
1m:44.737, while Schumacher was now fifth with a 1m:44.666. Hamilton's first
time was a slow 1m:53.222 as Vettel returned to the track. Alonso was now
fifth with a time of 1m:44.121 while team-mate Massa was in tenth. Nico
would finally return to the track having been in his pit fro a considerable
length of time. Hamilton would quickly show his pace moving into second with
a time of 1m:43.862. Webber had returned to the track with fourteen minutes
remaining. Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:43.477 with Webber second from
Hamilton. Alonso and Kobayashi were in sixth and seventh while Rubens was
now fifteenth and Nico eighteenth.
Hamilton would move ahead of Webber with a 1m:43.772 with team-mate button
fourth. With ten minutes of the session left the track was now very busy as
Nico would pit again while Hamilton would improve with a 1m:43.369 but
remained in second. Both Ferrari's were in their pits as both Williams cars
took to the track. Hamilton would pit while for Nico he was a massive 4.1
seconds off the pace. Things were not much better for Rubens who as 3.0
seconds off the pace. Schumacher would move up one spot to seventh with
1m:44.199. Five minutes remaining and the force India pair were in
thirteenth and fifteenth. Rubens and Nico were now in sixteenth and
eighteenth. Button was now up to third, 1m:43.785, seeing Webber drop to
fourth. Vettel would improve setting a quicker time of
1m:42.760. The whole field was out on the track with ninety seconds left.
Rubens had found a few tenths to move up to thirteenth, 1m:45.474, while
Nico was still in eighteenth.
So with the end of the session Vettel was fastest from Hamilton, Button,
Webber, Kubica, Alonso, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Rosberg, and Heidfeld. Nico
had found two tenths to move up one place to be seventeenth. But hew was
still 3.8 seconds off the pace. Rubens would remain in thirteenth with the
drivers been allowed to make a practice start from the grid as there is no
opportunity to test a start at the pit exit. Not the most of encouraging of
starts with both Williams drivers well off the pace and for Rubens he would
have further difficulties stopping on the track in the second sector. He
would pull off the track with what appeared to be a loss of drive two thirds of the
way down the back straight. Rubens would get out of his car and wait for his
car to be recovered by the marshals. |
