Monaco GP 2012

MAY 24, 2012

Practice 2 Report - Button tops second Monaco session

Jenson Button, Monaco GP 2012
© The Cahier Archive

Jenson Button (1:15.746) set the quickest time in a rain-spoiled second session of free practice for Sunday's Monaco GP.

Button put on the Pirelli supersoft tyres early in the session to set the time, but second-placed Romain Grosjean (1:16.138) again looked strong, the Lotus setting its time set on the soft tire.

An electric storm brought rain less than half an hour into the session, robbing most drivers of the chance to get in a lap on the supersofts and diluting the value of the rest of the session.

Fernando Alonso's Ferrari set the early pace but it was Felipe Massa (1:16.602) who ended up marginally the quicker Ferrari driver, six hundredths up on Alonso (1:16.661).

Barcelona winner Pastor Maldonado (1:16.820) kept himself in the frame among the front runners, fifth fastest, ahead of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes (1:17.021), Mark Webber's Red Bull (1:17.148), Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber (1:17.153) and Michael Schumacher's Mercedes (1:17.293).

Sebastian Vettel (1:17.303) completed the top 10, fractionally quicker than Lewis Hamilton's McLaren (1:17.375).

With the track at its greasiest, there were trips down the Mirabeau escape road for Maldonado, Williams team mate Bruno Senna and Sergio Perez.

The loss of dry running time should mean a frantic final hour of practice on Saturday morning as teams attempt to complete their tyre analysis ahead of the afternoon qualifying hour.