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The opening
Friday practice session for the 2014 Australian Grand Prix would see both
Williams Martini drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa complete their
installation lap running on the soft tyre. The other tyre Pirelli had
brought for the weekend was the supersoft tyre. Both drivers would pit while
it would be the Mercedes team that would see their drivers take to the track
to set the first lap times of the session. With ten minutes of the session
it would be Rosberg fastest with a 1m:13.508 with Hamilton second. But as it had been in the opening laps
Hamilton would swap positions with his team-mate setting a 1m:13.261.
Joining the pair would be Ericsson and Vettel. Gutierrez was next out while
for Williams Felipe would be first back out. He was joined by Kobayashi in
the second Caterham. Each driver would have an extra set of soft tyres but
would have to return then after thirty minutes.
A slow 1m:25.644 from Ericsson would see him third as more drivers came out
for their first timed runs. Valtteri was one of these drivers, joined by
Magnussen, Perez, Bianchi, and Sutil. Felipe would go off at Turn three but
was able to continue as Gutierrez set a 1m:18.505 to be third. Felipe's
first lap was a 1m:19.892 as Kvyat also came out joined by Hulkenberg. A
1m:12.255 from Hamilton would see him improve his time by a considerable
margin, while for Williams Valtteri would set a 1m:14.089 and Felipe a 1m:14.873. Magnussen was now fifth with a
1m:15.058 followed by Gutierrez, Perez, Sutil, and Bianchi. But Vergne would
improve to be sixth with a time of 1m:15.191. But the times were rapidly
changing with Sutil now fourth seeing Felipe drop to fifth. For Caterham
Ericsson would stop out on the track just after Turn one with the track now
very busy. Felipe would improve to now be second with a 1m:13.219 splitting
the two Mercedes.
Vergne was now fifth followed by Sutil, Kvyat, Magnussen, Hulkenberg, and
Bianchi tenth. Button was now eleventh while Hamilton would pit. Hulkenberg
would be the next to move up the order setting a 1m:13.280 to be third. But
Magnussen would take this spot with a 1m:13.22. But Valtteri would also find
time setting a 1m:12.613 to be third one place behind Felipe. Rosberg had
dropped to eighth with Ricciardo now seventh, 1m:13.453. Team-mate Vettel
had yet to set a time as Alonso went third, 1m:12.554. Tenth was now Vergne
followed by Kvyat and Rosberg. Felipe would pit after nine laps as Rosberg
returned to the track. Now it was Button third, 1m:12.503, followed by
Alonso, and Valtteri. Hulkenberg would set a 1m:12.370 to now be second but
Raikkonen would move ahead with a1n:12.365. With just over an hour remaining
the order was Hamilton from Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Felipe, Button,
Alonso, Valtteri, Ricciardo, Magnussen, and Kvyat now tenth.
The track would become empty after drivers completed their first runs.
Vergne was now fourth, 1m:12.436, while for Red Bull Vettel was down in
fourteenth followed by Maldonado. The second Lotus of Grosjean was down in
twentieth. At this stage Felipe and Valtteri were only a few tenths off the
quickest time of Hamilton. Prior to pitting Alonso had gone off at Turn
eight but was able to continue. The first drivers to return to the track
would be the two McLarens with Button and Magnussen now sixth and seventh.
Kvyat and Gutierrez were next out as Magnussen set a 1m:12.385 to
now be fourth. Magnussen had previous experience but in a Formula Renault
3.5 cars. The Mercedes drivers were warned that rain could fall on the track
shortly. Magnussen would go off at Turn one but was able to continue.
Gutierrez would also run wide at the same turn while for McLaren Button
would set a 1m:11.839 to be quickest.
Hamilton was now second and back out on the track. Both Marussia cars were
also out on the track with Chilton currently seventeenth and Bianchi
nineteenth. Button would pit as Vergne took to the track as Hamilton was
warned about his entry into the pits by his engineer to stay to the right of
the white line. Grosjean would run wide at Turn one but like others was able
to continue. Rosberg was able to move back to the top of the times with a
1m:11.295 with Hulkenberg coming back out. Button had pitted and was
currently second followed by Hamilton, Magnussen, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg,
Vergne, Felipe, Alonso and Valtteri tenth. The rain would start to fall with
the track surface becoming slippery with Vettel saying the rain was getting
harder. Ricciardo would report that the track was a bit greasy. Vergne would
have a moment at Turn eight. Most drivers would pit with only the two Force
India and Marussia cars still out.
Bianchi would improve to now be sixteenth while for Williams Valtteri would
return to the track, currently tenth. Sauber would confirm that Sutil would
not be back out as he had a broken turbo hose that had to be replaced.
Bianchi would join a long list of drivers going off at Turn one but was able
to continue. More drivers started to return to the track with just under
thirty minutes remaining. Valtteri would find time going third fastest with
a 1m:12.114 but Hulkenberg would move ahead with a 1m:12.072. Felipe was
also back out on the track as Perez went third fastest with a 1m:12.009.
Hamilton was now sixth but this would become seventh as Felipe set a
1m:11.756 to be second 0.461 behind Rosberg. Vettel would spin twice exiting
Turn nine while on the grass but would continue as both Raikkonen and
Valtteri would run wide at Turn one.
It may have been a short track with just nine corners but some were proving
quite difficult. Rosberg would also run wide at Turn one. Replays had shown
Valtteri suffering a massive lock-up when he went off at Turn one badly flat
spotting his front tyres. Valtteri was told to go for another lap as his
engineer did not see any issue with the car. But Valtteri would pit along
with the rest of the field leaving the track empty as the rain returned
making the track very slippery. With fifteen minutes
remaining the top ten was Rosberg followed by Hamilton, Alonso, Felipe,
Button, Perez, Hulkenberg, Valtteri, Magnussen, and Raikkonen tenth. Apart
from the two Ferrari's the top ten was dominated by Mercedes powered cars.
Kvyat would return to the track joined by Vergne and Perez. Williams would
complete some work on Felipe's left front brake as Button and Hamilton came
back out with twelve
minutes remaining.
Alonso would also leave the pit lane joined by Rosberg. Hamilton would go
off at Turn one but was able to continue with Ricciardo, Raikkonen,
Magnussen, and Vettel amongst the drivers having come back out. Raikkonen
was told that the wind up picked up and was helping push cars into Turn one.
The next driver to go off would be Maldonado going off at Turn three and
spending time running across the gravel prior to coming back onto the track.
Felipe had come back out with just over six minutes remaining in the
session. Felipe was currently fourth and Valtteri eighth. Rosberg was in his
pit as drivers continued to run wide at Turn one this time it being Vergne.
The last five minutes of the session would commence with Valtteri still in
his pit. Gutierrez was the next to go off at Turn one as Felipe would go off
at Turn eight. Felipe would be followed by Kvyat shortly after. Alonso had
pitted with a few minutes remaining in the session.
The session would come to an end with Felipe and Valtteri remaining in
fourth and eighth. Valtteri had lost a reasonable amount of time stuck in
his pit. There would be major changes to the top ten with Vergne pushing
Raikkonen out of tenth. while outside the top ten was Ricciardo and Vettel
thirteenth and fifteenth. The Lotus cars were in sixteenth and seventeenth
with Grosjean leading Maldonado. It was certainly looking like a race where
Mercedes powered cars are going to dominate with eight of the top ten
powered by this engine. |
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