Hamilton
and Button had no equals in FP2, though, the former setting a time of one
minute 50.828secs – 15 seconds off last year’s pole time – and Button just
0.104secs adrift.
The rest, spearheaded by Red Bull’s new double champion Sebastian Vettel, were
nowhere, but then given the weather all teams would simply have been
focusing on getting the correct set up ahead of what is anticipated to be a
drier weekend.
Vettel finished the afternoon session 1.8secs down, followed closely by
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber.
Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari was sixth, despite being hit by the Mercedes of
Nico Rosberg at the circuit’s notoriously difficult pit exit.
Emerging from the pit lane, which curves round onto the outside of turn one,
Alguersuari had nowhere to go as Rosberg turned into him as he completed a
flying lap.
The front wing on the German’s car broke off and lodged underneath his
front-right tyre, acting like a ski and ultimately forcing him to pull over.
Alguersuari eventually finished 2.5secs adrift of Hamilton, with Rosberg two
places and half a second further back in eighth.
Paul di Resta was 10th for Force India, with the rear brought up by Hispania
Racing duo Daniel Ricciardo and Vitantonio Liuzzi, both just over nine
seconds down.