FP2: Felipe Massa underlines return to form

<< Return to the news list

FP2: Felipe Massa underlines return to form

Published on 12 Apr 2013 10:48
0
By: Rob Veenstra

Felipe Massa emerged fastest from a second practice session at the Shanghai International Circuit on Friday in which lap times were heavily affected by rubber thrown off Pirelli's soft-compound tyres.

The Brazilian lapped his Ferrari in 1m 35.340s on the soft tyres, but it was his long run pace on the mediums that was really impressive and bodes well for the Scuderia's race chances.

More about Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa Faces Moment of Truth: Former Ferrari Driver Takes F1 to Court

Oct 29 2025

The ghost of Crashgate - lawsuit that can rewrite F1 history

Oct 29 2025

Kimi Raikkonen got closest to his outright pace with 1m 35.492s for Lotus, and Fernando Alonso took third place for Ferrari with 1m 35.755s. Nico Rosberg, who had set the pace initially, rounded out the top four for Mercedes with 1m 35.819s.

As the session reached the hour mark there was so much rubber off line that going any faster wasnt possible and teams concentrated on longer runs.

That left Mark Webber fifth for Red Bull on 1m 36.092s, from Jenson Buttons McLaren on 1m 36.432s, the unwell Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes on 1m 36.496s, the Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta on 1m 36.514s and 1m 36.595s, Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull on 1m 36.791s, Sergio Perez's McLaren on 1m 36.940s and Romain Grosjean's Lotus on 1m 36.963s.

Perez began his session as he ended the previous one - with another minor accident, this time tapping a tyre wall with the back end of his McLaren after a high-speed spin. Sutil also went off early on.

Esteban Gutierrez was Sauber's lead runner in 13th on 1m 37.103s ahead of Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso on 1m 37.206s. His team mate Jean-Eric Vergne was next up with 1m 38.127s ahead of Valtteri Bottas's Williams, which stayed in the pits for some time with an indisclosed problem before the Finn lapped it in 1m 38.185s.

An unhappy Nico Hulkenberg finished with a best time of 1m 38.211s for Sauber, just quicker than Pastor Maldonados Williams on 1m 38.276s. Jules Bianchi did another tremendous job for Marussia, with the 19th fastest time of 1m 38.725s.

Giedo van der Garde was another to go off track on his way to 1m 39.271s, then came the Dutchman's Caterham team mate Charles Pic on 1m 39.814s. At the rear, Max Chilton lost time with an engine oil pressure problem, got going again to post 1m 43.227s, but later stopped out on the track again with a suspected return of the symptoms. (Formula1.com)

Order the latest Formula 1 merchandise here!

F1 News Fernando Alonso Jenson Button Valtteri Bottas Felipe Massa Romain Grosjean Pastor Maldonado Daniel Ricciardo Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Sebastian Vettel Sergio Perez Esteban Gutierrez Pirelli Mercedes Sauber Williams McLaren Lotus F1 Ferrari Marussia