Mercedes have again showcased their domination after Nico Rosberg was the fastest in FP1 and Lewis Hamilton set the pace in FP2.
With 15 rounds of the 2016 Formula 1 season concluded, the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend has gone under way with the first two sessions of free practice being concluded.
The first session of free practice saw Nico Rosberg top the time sheets. However, the session was delayed when Kevin Magnussen was forced to abandon his Renault when his car caught fire. Magnussen has just completed his first installation lap and was being wheeled back into the garage, just when the car caught fire. Renault have stated that the issue could be due to a leak in the fuel breather system. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, and the damage was repairable as Magnussen was able to put in 19 laps in the second practice session. Hamilton who was second to Rosberg in the first session by half a second, came back to set the pace in FP2 with a time two tenth quicker to Rosberg’s fastest FP2 lap time.
The FIA meanwhile have announced a provision calendar in addition to provisional rule changes that can be expected for the 2017 season.
The change in the line up of grand prixs in the provisional list see the Malaysian Grand Prix preceding the Singapore grand prix next year. However, it seems that the dates for the Canadian, German and Brazilian Grand Prix are not confirmed.
As far as the provisional amendments to rules go, a change in wet weather starts may see an initial start under the safety car, but the official race would begin with a normal standing start when the conditions would have been declared safe.
The FIA may also ease on the restriction on helmet liveries that have been imposed on the drivers. Additionally, drivers will not be allowed to stockpile on power units anymore. During any single event, if a driver introduces more than one of a power unit element that is subject to penalty, only the last element fitted may be used at subsequent events without further penalty.
However, nothing has been officially proposed in the statement from the FIA regarding closed cockpit or Halo head protection solution system for the drivers, which are being extensively tested during practice session by numerous teams.
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