Heavy rain just before the start of the session kept everybody in the garage
for the opening 25 minutes, other than an installation lap from Bruno Senna
in his Williams.
That was simply a shakedown to assess the car given the minor damage sustained
at the end of FP1 when reserve Valtteri Bottas spun into the gravel and
clipped a tyre wall in Senna’s car.
It was only when the rain finally stopped and the track began to dry a little
did the times fall, with Venezuelan Maldonado the driver at the head of
affair when the heavens opened again 27 minutes from the end.
It did ease late on, but not enough for the track to offer up hope of anyone
dislodging Maldonado, who was fastest by just 0.088secs from Mercedes’ Nico
Rosberg.
As for Rosberg’s team-mate Michael Schumacher, he brought out the red flag
with four minutes remaining – which ended the session – when he ploughed
into a tyre barrier in the stadium complex.
It at least allowed the fans in that part of the circuit a close-up of the
seven-times champion who obliged with an acknowledging – if not slightly
embarrassing – wave.
Reigning champion Sebastian Vettel was within half a second of Maldonado,
whilst Sauber’s Sergio Perez and Romain Grosjean in his Lotus were just
under a second down in fourth and fifth.
The rest of the field was spread out behind, with Button eighth and 1.040secs
off the pace, followed by Red Bull’s Mark Webber, winner last time out at
Silverstone.
Paul di Resta, forced to sit out for FP1 for Jules Bianchi, was down in 18th,
managing just 14 laps, leaving him with one hour ahead of qualifying
tomorrow to fine tune the car.
Hamilton was down in 19th, three seconds off the pace, followed by
championship leader in Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, with Schumacher 23rd, the
trio all failing to post a decent time when the conditions were more
favourable.