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The second
Friday practice for the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would see a rush of
drivers leaving the pit lane. Senna would be back in his Renault and would
be first out. We would have both AT&T Williams F1 drivers leave the pits
with Pastor Maldonado leading Rubens Barrichello. Rubens had a new engine
after the failure earlier on in the day. The final cars to come out would be
those of McLaren and Mercedes. Button and Schumacher would come out as we
had Senna set a 1m:47.727 only to see Alguersuari fastest with a 1m:43.662.
He was followed by Buemi, Perez, Kobayashi, and Senna in fifth. Massa was
now second with a 1m:44.331 but we would see other drivers improve with Di
Resta going fastest with a 1m:42.550. Pastor was second but the times
started to come with Webber now fastest, 1m:42.002. Alonso was now third
from Alguersuari and Pastor now in fifth., 1m:43.881.
Rubens was down in eleventh with a time of 1m:47.276. Vettel was now fastest
with a 1m:41.392. He would be joined by Schumacher who was now second,
1m:41.624. This would be third as Webber again went fastest with a1m:40.723.
Pastor had dropped to tenth while Rubens was now sixteenth. The drivers were certainly not wasting any
time as we had everyone out on the track except Kobayashi. Button was now in
fourth, 1m:42.025, from Di Resta, Alonso, and Pastor now in seventh,
1m:42.957. Rubens had improved to be fourteenth, 1m:44.276, as we had Vettel
go fastest with a lap of 1m:40.514. Hamilton was on the hard tyres and up to
fifth. Sutil was now in third, 1m:41.495, but Hamilton would improve to be
third with a lap time of 1m:41.002. Pastor was now in ninth and Rubens
fifteenth. Rubens had pitted as we had Vettel and Webber trading fastest
sector times. Sutil was able to find time setting a 1m:40.951 to remain
third.
Both Hamilton and Button had pitted as the track started to clear. Massa was
now seventh and Alonso eighth. Pastor was still out on the track currently
in tenth. With just under an hour and a quarter remaining the track was now
quite empty. One who was still out on the track was Alonso who would move up
to second, 1m:40.469, running on the soft rubber. His next lap would see him
go fastest with a time of 1m:40.141. Pastor had also pitted as we had a few
other drivers come out for their second runs. Kobayashi was now tenth,
1m:42.604. Alonso had pitted as Senna moved into twelfth, 1m:42.964. He
would drop down one place as Perez moved up to eighth, 1m:41.935. Pastor was
now in twelfth and Rubens seventeenth. Rubens was back out on the track with
just under an hour and ten minutes remaining. The sun was now starting to
set as Schumacher came back out. Using the soft tyre Petrov would move up to
ninth, 1m:42.204. This would become tenth as Kobayashi moved into ninth,
1m:42.060. Both Mercedes cars were out running on the soft tyre. Webber was
also back out while Rubens had set a 1m:43.206 but remained down the order
in seventeenth.
Schumacher was now sixth, 1m:41.252, while team-mate Rosberg was down in
eighteenth. Pastor had also come back out along with both McLaren's, Vettel,
and very quickly the track was again very busy. Webber would find a marginal
improvement with a lap of 1m:40.343, remaining in third position. Schumacher
continued to find time moving up to fourth, 1m:40.866. Sutil was fifth from
Hamilton, Perez, Button, Kobayashi, and Petrov in tenth. Button was on a
quicker lap setting a 1m:40.984 to move from eighth to sixth. Alonso's
fastest time had been set on the soft experimental tyre. Schumacher had
pitted as Vettel went fastest in sector one. Buemi would move from
fourteenth to eleventh, 1m:42.097, After having his front wing changed Massa
would move from twelfth to eighth, 1m:41.453, while Buemi also found a few
tenths to now be in tenth, 1m:41.840. Pastor was now in fifteenth and Rubens
seventeenth. Rubens had again pitted with fifty five minutes remaining.
Hamilton had moved up to sixth and then fourth, 1m:40.808. Alonso was again
back out while we had Webber spin at Turn eighteen continuing and returning
to his pit. Running on the normal soft Alonso would improve his quickest
time setting a 1m:39.971. Hamilton would pit setting his fourth place time
on the harder tyre.
Pastor continued to put in laps but remained in fifteenth. With fifty
minutes remaining he would join Rubens in the pits as we saw Massa move into
fourth, 1m:40.569. Both Red Bull cars were in their pits as the track lights
started to come into play. Both Ferrari's had pitted while with forty
minutes remaining Rubens would come back out. Both McLaren's were back out
tis time on the soft tyre. Both Red Bull cars would also come out while both
Button and Hamilton were on quick laps. Button would go fastest with a
1m:39.970 but Hamilton would go faster with a 1m:39.586. Pastor was back out
and currently in sixteenth while Rubens was still in seventeenth. Webber
would improve to move ahead of Vettel with a 1m:40.104. Vettel was fastest
in sector one but Button would also improve. Alonso was now third from
Webber and Vettel. Button would set a 1m:39.785 but remained second while
Hamilton would find time, 1m:39.586, to remain fastest. Rubens had moved
into front of Pastor with a 1m:42.798, while Pastor's time was a 1m:42.910.
Vettel was in fifth and would have a moment at Turn one hitting the barrier
fairly softly seeing him get out of his car. Button and Hamilton would both
pit as the marshals removed Vettel's car. With thirty minutes of the session
remaining Hamilton was fastest from Button, Alonso, Webber, Vettel, Massa,
Schumacher, Sutil, Di Resta, and Kobayashi in tenth. Rubens and Pastor
remained in sixteenth and seventeenth. Pastor was in his pit as we saw Massa
improve to now be in fourth, 1m:39.980. Team-mate Alonso would also follow
Vettel's lead crashing his car at Turn one. He lost the rear of his car
seeing the crash crash into the techno barrier. Pastor was now back out with twenty minutes remaining.
Alonso's car would be moved back behind the barrier as more drivers took to
the track. With fifteen minutes remaining the track was very busy with just
a few drivers still in their pits. Rubens would pit briefly and with ten
minutes remaining we only had Liuzzi still in the pits, apart from the
damaged cars of Vettel and Alonso. A lot of drivers weer doing longer runs
on the softer tyre.
Liuzzi was able to come out seeing only D'Ambrosio in his pit with eighth
minutes left in the session. With his car recovered and checked out Vettel
was able to get back out onto the track running on the medium compound. Five
minutes remaining and everyone except Alonso was out on the track. It was
not looking like there would be ay improvement in the times as the drivers
completed the session. Webber would pit briefly completing a pit lane run
through. Schumacher would also pit but he too would come back out after a
pit lane time loss test. The session would come to an end with Hamilton
still fastest from Button, Alonso, Massa, Webber, Vettel, Schumacher, Sutil, Di Resta and Kobayashi. Rubens and
Pastor remained in sixteenth and seventeenth. The teams would be allowed to
conduct a start on the grid. For the Williams team it was early days but the
lack of pace must still be a major concern, with both Rubens and Pastor over
three seconds off the pace of Hamilton. |
