“We covered quite a lot of ground today, especially on the aero side. We have definitely made some progress and are taking the right direction, but we are not 100 per cent there yet. It was quite slippery out there and not easy to keep the car on the track, but I don't think the temperatures here are causing us too many problems, which is a plus.”

Giancarlo Fisichella:

“This morning I was really struggling with the balance and with the grip on the circuit, but then we made a few changes on the car and it felt much better, much more consistent. I think it was a good afternoon; it was definitely a step forward in the second session.”

Rubens Barrichello:

“The car was nicely-balanced in the morning, and we were pleased with our progress. However we made a mechanical change over lunch which changed the balance. It was too big a change to go back in the time available, so we have some work to do overnight to understand what has changed. We should be able to get the car back to how it felt this morning, then I believe we have a good chance of getting through to Q3 tomorrow.

“Most importantly, when I'm in the car, it's a normal weekend for me. It's fantastic to have the celebrations [for his record-breaking 257th grand prix start] here, with all my family and the team, but on the track nothing changes. When I began my career back in 1993, I never thought that I would break this record, but now it really means a great deal to me.”

Nelsinho Piquet:

“My day was pretty normal – I had quite a busy programme with set-up work this morning and tyre testing in the afternoon. The aim was to feel at home in the car and to try to improve the balance, and we managed to do this because we did not have any problems during the two sessions.

“The track conditions were relatively stable, even though it rained a little bit at the beginning of the afternoon. Overall I think that we have prepared well, and I am determined to make the most of the final practice session tomorrow.”

Sebastian Vettel:

“I am quite happy with the way practice went today. Obviously it was difficult because of the changing condition – which limited our track time – but I think we completed a good and consistent programme, which produced a lot of useful information, especially for Sunday. I feel happy with the car again, which is the most important thing, so I am looking forward to tomorrow afternoon.”

Sébastien Bourdais:

“It's my first time at this track and I have to say it is very interesting. Turn eight is particularly tricky, as it is both quick and bumpy and these cars don't like bumps very much! The car can step out on you quite quickly.

“Today, sometimes the car felt good and at other times it seemed to get away from me. The conditions were really difficult. I wouldn't say it was a case of low grip, but rather that we struggled to take care of the tyres and this made the car difficult to drive. We got plenty of data, though, so we have something to work on for tomorrow.”

Mark Webber:

“Going off the track at turn six was 100 per cent my fault. I didn't respect the green Astroturf that sits on the outside of the track enough. I was a bit too loaded up on the outside of the track, the Astroturf was a bit damp and I went off. It was my fault. I apologise to the guys and we'll bounce back from this tomorrow.”

Adrian Sutil: