FIA F1 - Rosberg Fastest Again In Second Practice

Bahrain, Apr. 20, 2012: Nico Rosberg picked up where he left off in China by dominating second practice in Bahrain on Friday afternoon, lapping his Mercedes 0.446s faster than Mark Webber’s Red Bull and 0.709s faster than Sebastian Vettel’s sister car.

Rosberg was the only runner to break the 1m 33s barrier, with 1m 32.816s, leaving Webber to lap in 1m 33.262s and Vettel in 1m 33.525s. Close behind them came morning pacesetter Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren on 1m 33.747s and Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes on 1m 33.862s.

Jenson Button was sixth for McLaren on 1m 34.246s, followed by Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber on 1m 34.411s, Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari on 1m 34.449s, Romain Grosjean’s Lotus on 1m 34.615s, Sergio Perez’s Sauber on 1m 34.893s, Daniel Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso on 1m 34.895s and Felipe Massa’s Ferrari on 1m 34.941s.

Kimi Raikkonen didn’t break 1m 35s with 1m 35.183s in his Lotus, ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne in the second Toro Rosso on 1m 35.229s, Pastor Maldonado’s Williams on 1m 35.459s, Vitaly Petrov’s Caterham on 1m 35.913s and Heikki Kovalainen’s sister car on 1m 35.968s.

Bruno Senna played himself in with 1m 36.169s for Williams, ahead of the Marussias of Timo Glock and Charles Pic on 1m 36.587s and 1m 37.803s. Pedro de la Rosa kept the French rookie honest with 1m 37.812s in his HRT, with team mate Narain Karthikeyan 22nd and last on 1m 39.649s. Neither Force India ran, the team citing “logistical reasons”.