Hockenheim, 23 July 2010

The first free practice session for the eleventh round of the Formula 1 World Championship, the German Grand Prix, has just ended under cloudy skies, having started in the rain, at the Hockenheim circuit. The rain eased off towards the second half and, come the end, Felipe Massa was second for Ferrari in 1.26.850, behind the Force India of Adrian Sutil (1.25.701) and ahead of Jenson Button in the McLaren (1.26.936.) Fernando Alonso set the nineteenth time, (1.29.684) having completed just fifteen laps in the other F10, opting to save his tyres for the afternoon, confident that the track conditions will be more settled. Both Ferrari men started on full wets, before switching to intermediates halfway through and then trying some practice starts at the end.

Heikki Kovalainen and Karun Chandhok did not take part, with Lotus’s Finn replaced by Malaysian test driver Fairuz Fauzy, while the Indian Force India driver was substituted by Japan’s Sakon Yamamoto.

The second free practice session gets underway at 14.00 this afternoon.