Canada – Free Practice 2: Alonso raises the tone

It’s dry at the start of the second free practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix, but rain could disrupt the day’s second session. It’s not surprising, then, to see many drivers taking to the track as soon as the lights turn green at the end of the pit lane. Among them are the Ferrari drivers using Pirelli’s experimental tires.

From the start, the lap times are faster than this morning. Mark Webber clocks in at 1:18.516. On the next lap, drivers go under the 1:18 mark. 1:17.332 for Nico Rosberg beaten by Paul di Resta with a time of 1:17.044. Räikkönen lowers the benchmark with a lap completed in 1:16.979. With many cars on track, the rankings change with each pass over the start/finish line. Note that these times are achieved with the new tires Pirelli is evaluating on this first day in Montreal.

Even though the track conditions are better than this morning, there are still a few approximations, notably from Pastor Maldonado and Sebastian Vettel, who is on medium (white) tires. The cool temperatures do not help to warm up the tires. It’s 17 degrees in the air with a track temperature of only 19 degrees. Nevertheless, the times keep dropping with Felipe Massa clocking a 1:16.001. The Brazilian is ahead of Di Resta and Webber after just over a quarter of an hour into this second session.

Fernando Alonso improves in the first two sectors but loses time in the last one, even giving himself a little scare at the famous Wall of Champions. The Spaniard is sixth at this point in the session. Mark Webber also performs an unplanned maneuver in the 5-6 sequence. However, no damage for the Red Bull driver.

After the first 30 minutes, Lewis Hamilton is in front. The Mercedes driver clocked a time of 1:15.702. He is ahead of Felipe Massa and Paul di Resta. Further down the rankings, Pic leads the duel between Marussia and Caterham in 19th position. The Frenchman’s teammate, Giedo Van der Garde, is the first to fit the super soft (red) tires on his car. Other drivers quickly make the same choice, and after a few laps, the times drop.

At mid-session, the two Red Bulls are leading the pack. Vettel holds a time of 1:15.280. Vettel is displaced by his teammate by a few hundredths. The top 5 is composed of drivers on super-soft tires. Fernando Alonso, on mediums, is 6th. A few minutes later, the two Mercedes join the fray. Lewis Hamilton clocks a 1:15.006 while Nico Rosberg takes third position. On the radio, the German is informed that the rear tires of his Mercedes are too hot while at the front it’s the opposite.

While Lewis Hamilton is the first to go under the minute 15 mark, Alonso sets the benchmark time at 1:14.818. Romain Grosjean, equipped with medium tires, places his Lotus E21 in third position. However, for the main man of the first session, things do not go as planned. Di Resta, as he is the one in question, has to return to his pit due to a fuel delivery problem on his Force India. The Scotsman, who, 30 minutes before the end of the session, is 12th.

Last half-hour which will be an opportunity for the teams to prepare for Sunday’s race by performing long stints. Consequently, the lap times are no longer improving.

At the start of the last 15 minutes, a few drops of rain appear on the track, but not enough to force the drivers to pit for a tire change. There is even a lot of activity on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with most of the cars on the track. Among those absent is Kimi Räikkönen, who has already returned to the paddock. The number 7 Lotus is reported to have brake issues, which would explain the Finn’s misjudgment at the braking of the circuit’s final chicane.

A session that ends with the fastest time from Fernando Alonso. 1:14.818 for the Spaniard, ahead of Hamilton and Grosjean. The rest of the top 10 consists of Webber, Rosberg, Massa, Vettel, Sutil, Button, and Ricciardo.

Result of Free Practice 2 of the Canadian Grand Prix: