Second practice for the Indian Grand Prix had the same result as the previous five practice sessions at the Buddh International Circuit: Sebastian Vettel was quickest.
As in first practice the Red Bull drivers topped the times, with almost three tenths of a second separating Vettel from team mate Mark Webber. Vettel had a KERS problem earlier in the session as he did on Saturday in Japan.
Romain Grosjean came closest to the Red Bulls but was almost half a second slower than Vettel. Kimi Raikkonen was eighth after running wide at turn ten during his fastest lap on the soft tyres.
Several drivers found the front-left tyre was wearing out very quickly, particularly when using the soft compound.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso completed the top five ahead of their respectively team mates – Alonso avoiding a repeat of his first practice gearbox problems. McLaren pair Sergio Perez and Jenson Button were ninth and tenth.
Pastor Maldonado missed the final 20 minutes of running after suffering a wheel nut problem on his Williams for the second Friday running. His front-right wheel nut came off in turn five, and he had to pull to a stop before the pit lane entrance, though unlike in Japan the wheel remained on the car.
2013 Indian Grand Prix
- Vettel takes fifth Driver of the Weekend win
- This year’s Indian Grand Prix voted best so far
- F1 still struggling to gain a foothold in India
- 2013 Indian Grand Prix fans’ video gallery
- 2013 Indian Grand Prix team radio transcript
Image © Red Bull/Getty
Dizzy
25th October 2013, 11:22
So it looks like this will be yet another tyre management race. So more ‘maintain a 2 second gap’ & less ‘push’ messages to be heard over the radios.
I am growing real tired of this nonsense now, Im sick of what F1 has become to the point where I don’t have much love left for it.
I’ll watch Vettel/Red Bull wrap up the titles & that may very well be it for me as far as F1 is concerned, Im sick of the tyre management, Im sick of artificial highway passing with DRS & Im just sick of been constantly told ‘But its entertaining’ when frankly as far as im concerned its far more boring & significantly less entertaining/interesting.
Watching the level of tyre management were stuck with now, Having tyres been the dominating factor of practically every weekend as they have been the last 2 years & having 95% of the ‘passing’ been done easily at the push of a button is anything but entertaining in my view.
Lucas Wilson (@full-throttle-f1)
25th October 2013, 11:26
Don’t leave us Dizzy. See if the grass is greener in 2014 before you leave ;-)
TheBass (@)
25th October 2013, 12:29
@full-throttle-f1 We have green technology in 2014, of course it will be!
Hue hue
HK (@me4me)
25th October 2013, 11:33
That’s one way to look at it. Not saying it is right or wrong. But when Pirelli choose conservative compounds last year (or even this year, at other races), and tirewear was minimal, the race suddenly get rated “boring”. Pirelli is basicly doomed if they do, and doomed if they don’t. There is always someone complaining.
MazdaChris (@mazdachris)
25th October 2013, 11:40
The weird thing is, until Pirelli showed up, I don’t think anyone was blaming the boring races on the tyres.
TMF (@)
25th October 2013, 12:03
@me4me – COTA had a conservative tyre choice but it was a great race. imo, the tires don’t make the spectacle – they can only ruin it.
HK (@me4me)
25th October 2013, 12:33
@tmf42 – 1 result does not make that true. Counterargument being Australia 2012, with quickly degrading tyres. It’s currently the highest rated race of the year.
TMF (@)
25th October 2013, 18:34
@me4me – not saying it does. Just wanted to say that not all races with conservative tyres are boring and maybe it’s worth looking into alternatives. A lot of races this year with a lot of tyre management got rated poorly as well – so it can’t be the rubber that makes the show.
petebaldwin (@)
25th October 2013, 13:20
2014 brings with it uncertainty so I will go into the season excited as I normally do. Pirelli have already said they are going conservative next year (who can blame them!?) so tyre management shouldn’t be an issue.
My main worry is the fuel situation. I haven’t seen anything to suggest most races won’t be mainly spent in fuel saving mode.
PeterG
25th October 2013, 17:02
I 100% agree, Its getting silly this season.
I also find it a bit odd how some of the fans who support the extreme nursing of the tyres we have seen this season are so against the prospect of fuel saving next year. Both amount to the same thing, Drivers tootling around well off the pace been told to run to a lap delta & at times to not race the cars around them.
Fuel saving in Indycar & Champcar before it has been an issue for years & its a constant sore point amongst fans yet sadly something various rule changes over the years (From bigger/smaller fuel tanks, pit windows, longer/shorter races & the removal of driver controlled fuel mix settings) has failed to solve.
robbyvert
25th October 2013, 11:30
0,5 second betwen vettel and grosjean, i really hope grosjean have a magnificent start like last race
BasCB (@bascb)
25th October 2013, 11:38
Should we get hour hopes of at least a mildly tense race up after we saw Red Bull struggling to make their soft tyres last?
aka_robyn
25th October 2013, 11:49
I missed FP2, but wasn’t everyone having the same problem (not just Red Bull)?
Lucas Wilson (@full-throttle-f1)
25th October 2013, 11:54
Can I pitch my idea of Grid Reversing?
Vettel in 22nd and Chilton 1st, that would make for some good ‘overtaking’.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
25th October 2013, 12:11
Would make for a pretty boring qualifying as everybody tries to go as slowly as possible!
@full-throttle-f1
Lucas Wilson (@full-throttle-f1)
25th October 2013, 12:14
arrgh, why is there always complications! xD
favomodo (@favomodo)
25th October 2013, 12:42
Not if you can earn chamionship points for good qualification results. I like this idea!
eljueta
25th October 2013, 13:28
Then just make it a 2-race event already, with reverse grid on the second!
Yoshisune (@yobo01)
25th October 2013, 12:15
I think that the race will be only on mediums, except the first few laps. It’s true that Ferrari and Lotus were able to do several laps on the soft tyres, but they were almost three seconds slower than the Red Bull with mediums. I don’t know if it’s worth doing 10 laps on those tyres for Ferrari and Lotus.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
25th October 2013, 11:46
Hulkenberg said on team radio at the end: “Car is mega on prime!”
McLaren, watch out for your 5th place!
caci99 (@)
25th October 2013, 11:59
He’s being the entertaining factor last couple of races, so let’s hope so.
Ivan (@wpinrui)
25th October 2013, 12:03
I doubt McLaren are really under threat from Sauber. In the last 4 races, when Hulkenberg started his points scoring streak, Sauber scored 38 points. In the same period, McLaren scored 18 points. There are four races to go, and the gap between McLaren and Sauber is 38 points. If the form of both teams stays about the same, Sauber might expect to catch up to within 18 points of McLaren at the end of the season, but unless McLaren becomes horrible and Sauber finds some extra improvement, I think Sauber will finish 6th in the championship.
For Force India, on the other hand, the gap from Sauber has been reduced by 37 points in the last 4 races, as they have only scored 1 point. Seeing that the current gap between Force India and Sauber is only 17 points, with four races to go Force India will likely drop to 7th at the end of the season, while Sauber take 6th.
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
25th October 2013, 12:10
It really depends on whether Gutierrez can get more decent points finishes. If he can, this could be a problem for McLaren.
I agree though that it is more likely that McLaren will retain 5th.
aquataz
25th October 2013, 12:38
Dog of a McL … it’s hard to believe we’re doing math vs. a sauber reborn on ’12 tyres
caci99 (@)
25th October 2013, 11:58
Do you think Mercedes have more in hand? I don’t think they are so behind, on pace with Ferrari (talking about one lap pace).
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
25th October 2013, 12:12
I liked the Vettel rebellion:
Rocquelin: “We think torque five would be better at this point.”
Vettel: “Negative. I don’t like torque five.”
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
25th October 2013, 13:04
Grosjean and the Hulk to shine again, while the Bulls storm to 1-2?
svarun (@svarun)
25th October 2013, 14:48
Missed the Free practice, i wanted to know about the results of free practice of the long runs?
Are there any surprises in store? Do the bulls have a second even in long runs? :(
Bobby (@f1bobby)
25th October 2013, 21:25
Yawn. At least the race is on early so I don’t waste the afternoon watching Vettel bore me to tears.