Welcome to second practice from Malaysia. We had a brief rain shower between sessions but the track is now dry under the heat 32C of the sun.

Hamilton was quickest in FP1 but we didn't see any serious attempts at a hot lap from any of the teams. We'll see the teams try out the softs in this session, but the 49C track temperature is causing a few problems with rear tyre graining.

Tyres could play a big part in the race.

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Kovalainen is first out on track after getting it back in one piece from test driver Fairuz Fauzy.

Liuzzi is also out after taking his Force India back from Friday tester Paul di Resta.

Kovalianen starts a flying lap, he'll have to work quickly to find the right set up at this high-speed track. Fauzy made a couple of mistakes this morning but Trulli looked very smooth.

Kovalainen clocks a 1:44.393 - not spectacular by any means, but a good place to start for him. Di Grassi is quicker on a 1:43.500 and Liuzzi goes one better with a 1:38.679.

Kobayashi loses the rear of his Sauber in the final corner but no damage done.

News from Virgin: "Timo due in - he'll be checking clutch bite point on the way in."

Buemi now fastest on a 1:36.926 but Hamilton is on a flyer.

Hamilton slides the car out of the final hairpin and sets a 1:34.954, just fractions off his time this morning.

Senna's HRT is lurching all over the track through the high speed corners, he is no where near the front runners. Where the likes of Hamilton and Alonso are flat he coming right off the throttle.

Vettel sets a slow first lap of 1:39.126. Hamilton was on course for a quick lap but got blocked by Trulli. He then dispatched him with ease down the pit straight.

Schumacher out on a timed lap after hydraulic problems ruined his first session. His Mercedes looks very unstable at high speeds.

Hamilton now comes up behind a HRT and gets blocked again.

Glock is complaining of high speed understeer and the car bottoming out. It sounds pretty bad but he says he can cope with it.

Kubica also complaining of understeer in the Renault.

Steve from Ontario offers his prediction: I predict we will see a third constructor win a race this year in this the third race of the year. I peg Schumacher or Rosberg with their Malaysian sponsorship for this race, and then Vettel, finally, for the fast Red Bull team next race. That would make it four different constructors in four races if it happens.

If you've got your own prediction or question contact us by clicking here.

Webber four seconds off the pace on his last lap, Red Bull still appear to be working on heavy fuel loads.

Alonso's car also looks heavy through the corners. His last lap was also four seconds down on Hamilton.

Nico Rosberg is back in the pits but has the second fastest time, 0.397 off Hamilton. Button is third, 0.587 off his McLaren team-mate.

Chandhok still struggling in the HRT with a big lock up, he is 10 seconds off the pace of Hamilton.

The track temperature is 51C but remember the race will start a bit later in the day and in cooler conditions.

Di Grassi says the rear of his car in snapping away after a set-up change. Back to the drawing board for Virgin.

Buemi is hounding the back of Massa coming down the main straight.

Lots of drivers struggling under braking for the final chicane. Hulkenberg is the latest driver to lock his tyres there.

Hamiton is back on track and is happy with his car so far this weekend.

Ferrari is slaving away on Alonso's car: "First run for Fernando again with hard tyres. He is reasonably happy with the car balance but more work on the car set-up is required."

Hamilton goes quicker with a 1:34.765. Rosberg also on track, he has looked quick so far today.

Schumacher sets the second fastest time, 0.544 off Hamilton.

Hamilton returns to the pits suggesting that was a low-fuel run. Schumacher also back in the pits after just a couple of flyers. A replay shows he has snappy rear-end into turn 9.

Kubica struggling to get his car into the tight corners and is one second off the pace. Slow motion action shows Button's rear-left tyre is wearing badly.

Webber goes straight on at turn 9 and into the gravel. It sounds like a gearbox or engine failure for Red Bull. That's the end of his session, bad news for Red Bull who need reliability and a result this weekend.

Rosberg is on a fast lap as Webber's car is lifted away. Sets the second fastest lap after diving around Senna into the final corner. 0.380 off Hamilton.

Vettel circulating for seconds off the pace on old tyres. Red Bull reports a "loss of power" on Webber's car - not very helpful.

Nico Rosberg's best lap was on soft tyres but still slower than Hamilton on hards.

Buemi sets a personal best of 1:35.660, which is good enough for fifth.

Alonso out on the soft tyres and setting personal best sectors. But his time is only good enough for 15th - Ferrari must be working on race set-up with heavy fuel.

The strain on the Renault's tyres is visble through turns 5 and 6 as the tyre walls flex.

A question from Arshdeep: "What's the story with the Ferraris? Are the on heavy fuel load? They didn't put up a quick lap in the first session either. Any news?"

I think they are working on race strategy, they did exactly the same thing in Melbourne. A lot of teams wait for Saturday practice to work on one-lap set-up as the track conditions are closer to what they can expect in qualifying. Ferrari don't seem concerned by the lap times.

Hamilton is about to go even quicker. Schumacher goes fastest with a 1:34.674. But he is immediately pipped by Hamilton with a 1:34.276. Both are on soft tyres.

Schumacher goes straight back into the pits after that fast lap.

A weather forecast from Virgin: "Gotta go out Timo. Showers coming? *looks up at sky*"

Hamilton is going even quicker as Button sets a 1:34.538 for second place.

Hamilton shaves a tenth off his time with a 1:34.175 but says the upshifts are causing wheelspin. His tyres looked as though they were just going off towards the end of that lap.

Rosberg heads out on a quick lap on soft tyres, he's faster than Hamilton through the first sector... but not through the second sector... and goes second fastest overall with a 1:34.443, 0.268 off Hamilton.

Alonso is slower than the Lotus as he continues to pound round on soft tyres and heavy fuel. But he is joined by Vettel and Massa at the back of teh field.

Sutil gets wide on the kerb in turn 11 and understeers into the gravel.

Vettel goes slightly qicker on a 1:34.863, that's good enough for fifth.

Schumacher is back on track in the Mercedes. Alonso has now completed 23 laps in the Ferrari more than anyone else.

More problems for Vettel and Red Bull as he complains of power steering problems. He's asked his team for a lap to cool down as a result.

Schumacher is now out on hard tyres, and presumably heavy fuel, as he is nearly 6 seconds off the pace.

Alguersuari off in the Toro Rosso and into the gravel at turn 7. He got huge amounts of oversteer there and the car slid wide.

Despite his problems, Vettel goes second fastest with a 1:34.441.

Buemi goes off at turn 7 in exactly the same way as his team-mate Alguersuari.

Alguersuari having more problems as he again loses the rear of his car, this time in turn 12.

A good observation from Valvestech: "Looking at the timing screens it appears both Mercedes are losing out to both Mclarens in sector 3 otherwise they are very close or slightly better - anything from the track that can shed light on that?"

Well the final sector comprises of a long straigh and a big stop. The McLaren's are over 10 kph faster than the Mercedes through the speed trap on that part of the circuit, suggesting the F-duct is making a fair bit of difference.

Hamilton is currently recording 303 kph through the speed trap, his closest competitor is Petrov at 297 kph.

Hamilton reported a minor gearbox problem but the team have it all sorted.

Virgin urge Glock on: "Timo is on it. We need to get closer to Lotus. Trulli quicker than both Ferraris!" But as they tweet, Glock runs off the track at high speed and takes a big whack to the floor of the car over the kerbs at turn 13.

Massa is still content racking up the laps on soft tyres 4-5 seconds off the pace.

Schumacher returns to the pits after a long run on softs. Massa was 9 seconds off the pace on his last lap.

Button is out on soft tyres in the McLaren, but he too is off the pace and probably on heavy fuel. He was 5 seconds off his team-mate on his last lap.

Massa is back within 4 seconds of Hamilton. He must have made a mistake on the previous lap.

Alonso back on track on soft tyres, will this be a low fuel run? Ferrari has kept its cards close to its chest so far today. He's definitely lighter setting a personal best first sector... the same in the second sector...

Alonso goes seventh fastest. He is 1.406 slower than Hamilton.

Button complains of high speed understeer but oversteer under braking. But he's not the only one struggling for set-up.

Alonso creates a gap for himself ahead of a flying lap. But he is 0.480 off Hamilton through the first sector. With 10 minutes remaining we might not see the Ferrari's true pace today.

Alonso dives into the pits. Schumacher is bottoming out badly through turn 12 - he is still struggling for set-up and again is off the pace of Rosberg.

Final tweaks to the Virgin's set-up: "Changing roll bars on Timo's car I think. Nose going on now. Engine cover still off on Lucas' no it's going back on."

Vettel still looks heavy with fuel and sets a time nearly 6 seconds off the pace.

Track temperature is 42C now, which is closer to waht we can expect for the race.

Lots of cars out on track now for the final five minutes.

But nobody looks capable of beating Hamilton at the moment.

Just Petrov in the pits now, of course Webber's car won't be making a return.

Massa still 19th fastest but could be about to set a quick lap on a brand new set of softs. He locks up into turn 1. Bit he's still 0.7 off Hamilton so probably not on an empty tank.

Alonso set a personal best middle sector on his last lap but is still off the pace.

Chequered flag is out and Hamilton's time looks safe.

Massa won't threaten it after a mistake in turn 11.

So Hamilton is fastest on a 1:34.175, 0.266 up on Vettel and 0.268 up on Rosberg. Button is fourth on a 1:34.538, ahead of Schumacher on a 1:34.674.

Thanks for joining us today. We'll be back for the final practice session and qualifying tomorrow.