The two Red Bull have again set the tone on the second Friday session closely followed by both Alonso Grosjean as a lap with the softer tires.
The two Mercedes have finished behind Felipe Massa who was fifth, Hamilton 6th and Rosberg 7th. Kimi finished 8th but with a very distant time of the real one since in his two timed runs has been hampered by Button.
As usual, in the second practice session, all the teams make a quick stint with the harder tyre and one with the softer ttre. Once these fast sessions ends the times don’t move, as the teams are based only on long runs and race simulations.
In short runs or classification, there has been a great equality between the top 4 teams, Red Bull, Mercedes, Lotus and Ferrari. But it has been on long runs when it has been shown the great superiority of Red Bull, Lotus could keep the rhythm but without reaching the time Vettel and Webber, and Ferrari very far from Lotus.
It is obvious that they are only free practices and any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence, but these sessions set the tone for what will be the race. A raceon Sunday that is expected to reach temperatures above 40-50 degrees and 50-60 degrees -ambient track-, much more than today’s temperature, so everything can change.
Finally, and speaking of new tyres (2012 and composite construction 2013) seems not affected and benefited to no one in particular, but it does seem to have some stability and little degradation between the teams, as we have seen very long runs with the hardest tyres today.