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The opening
Friday practice for the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix would see the Williams F1
team arrive with some updates with the team testing two different low drag
rear wings, one with a big scoop in the main plane. The lead-up to the start
of the session would see heavy rain falling and just prior to the start it
would get heavier. The weather forecasts had rain falling for most of the
day. For Williams Valtteri Bottas would replace Bruno Senna for the first
session, joining regular driver Pastor Maldonado.
The first driver to venture out would be Vergne followed by Ricciardo and
Clos, who was driving for HRT. For Williams Valtteri would be first out
joined by Petrov, Kobayashi, and Pastor. After one lap Vergne would pit as
Glock came out. More drivers would slowly come out as other drivers pitted
having completed their installation laps. Both Valtteri and Pastor had
pitted while we now had both Force India and Lotus cars come out. Kobayashi
would continue and would set a 2m:23.141. Team-mate Perez would also
continue as Kobayashi set a 2m:17.705. Perez would pit while Rosberg,
Vettel, and Button came out of the pits. Next out were Massa, Schumacher,
and Webber. Kobayashi would pit followed by others leaving the track empty.
The only drivers yet to come out were Hamilton and Alonso.
Grosjean would return to the track joined by Hamilton. Grosjean would pit
while Hamilton would have a aquaplaning moment on the run back up the hill
towards Blanchimont. He would pit as the rain continue to fall even harder.
Alonso would come out with just over an hour remaining. He would pit leaving
the track empty. The rain continued to fall seeing the track covered with
water making it unlikely that any drivers would come out. With forty five
minutes remaining the sun would try to peak through and the rain ease. The
first drivers to test the conditions would be Ricciardo and Vergne. Glock
would also come out joined by Kobayashi. Hulkenberg would also take to the
track as more drivers got back into their cars. Ricciardo would set a
2m:14.520 while Vergne set a 2m:16.362. Kobayashi would set a 2m:13.721 to
be second behind Ricciardo. More drivers would come out including both
Valtteri
and Pastor.
Glock was now fourth and Petrov fifth. Out on the track were many drivers
including Clos, De la Rosa, Perez, Grosjean, Vettel, Schumacher, Webber, and
Pic. Vergne would go fastest with a 2m:13.179 from Ricciardo, Kobayashi,
Perez, Pastor, Glock, and Petrov. Pastor's first time was a 2m:14.684.
Kobayashi would also improve setting a 2m:12.015 as Webber moved up to sixth
with 2m:15.365. Vettel would pit having been told that the team wanted to
make a front wing change. Vergne would set a 2m:12.824 as Pastor was told
that he had six timed laps. Ricciardo would go fastest with a 2m:12.004.
Pastor was currently sixth while Valtteri set a 2m:15.603. Pastor would
improve with a 2m:11.941 to be fastest. Valtteri was seventh as Pastor
continued to improve going fastest in sector one but he would pit. Button
and Schumacher had left the pits as others returned to their pits with just
over twenty
minutes remaining.
Valtteri had improved with 2m:15.130 while Button was eleventh with a time
of 2m:16.861. Valtteri would pit with the order been Pastor fastest followed
by Ricciardo, Kobayashi, Vergne, Perez, Webber, Valtteri, Di Resta, Glock,
Petrov, Button, Pic, De la Rosa, Clos and in fifteenth Kovalainen. Pastor
would come back out as Kobayashi went fastest with 2m:11.389. Several
drivers had missed their braking at Le Combes as Kobayashi pitted. Valtteri
would also come back out while Rosberg moved up to ninth with a 2m:15.861.
Pastor would also lock up at Le Combes but he was able to continue with
twelve minutes remaining. There were only four drivers on the track with
Pastor having pitted. Valtteri had improved his time with 2m:14.660 but was
now eighth as Rosberg had moved up to seventh.
with under five minutes remaining Pastor was back out as Vettel moved up to
ninth, 2m:14.860. Six drivers had yet to set a time while out on the track
it was quite busy. Neither of the Ferrari's had set times joined by
Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, and Hamilton. With under a minutes
remaining all twenty four drivers were out on the track as the session drew
to a close. Pastor would have a moment at Eau Rouge running wide but he was
able to continue. Hamilton would complete just one lap setting a 2m:16.827
to be sixteenth. With the end of the session Pastor was second and Valtteri
eighth. Massa would have an engine problem that would see lots of smoke come
from his car at the Bus Stop. Not a session where any real conclusions can
be drawn given the wet conditions but still encouraging to see both Williams
drivers in the top ten. |
