19/06/2004
NEWS STORY
Minutes away from the start of today's second free practice session, the ambient temperature has risen to 21 degrees C, while the track temperature is now 32 degrees.
The lights go green, but nobody seems that desperate to go out and get the session underway, after around thirty seconds, Mark Webber drives out of the Jaguar garage. Almost a minute later, Olivier Panis joins him.
The Australian continues around, as both WilliamsF1 drivers come out. 1:12.652, Webber posts the first time of the session, as Trulli, Fisichella and Michael Schumacher take to the track.
Webber improves to 1:12.590, as Olivier Panis goes second, but Ralf is already on a very fast lap. The German posts 1:12.465 to go quickest, but this is almost instantly eclipsed by Montoya who posts 1:12.413.
In the next few moments, Sato, Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher all heads the timesheets, and as the dust settles, the Ferrari driver is quickest on 1:11.063.
Jenson Button goes second quickest, as Klien goes third ahead of Sato. da Matta goes seventh, as teammate Panis goes ninth, elsewhere, Barrichello is on track. The Brazilian goes second with a 1:11.614, over half-a-second off his teammate's pace.
Jarno Trulli improves to sixth, though the Renaults are failing to convince this weekend.
As Coulthard and Bruni come out, Olivier Panis goes quickest in the second sector. Despite losing pace in the final sector, the Frenchman goes second, posting 1:11.242.
Coulthard goes eleventh, three places behind teammate Raikkonen. With seventeen minutes gone, everyone has posted a time, except for Alonso and Pantano.
Montoya improves, but remains eighth, as Alonso goes thirteenth. Next time around, the Spaniard goes sixth, as da Matta goes quickest in the first and second sectors. The Brazilian crosses the line at 1:10.895, which puts the Toyota drivers first and third, sandwiching the World Champion.
Raikkonen goes sixth as Button consolidates his fourth position, albeit 0.657s off da Matta's time.
Trulli goes third, closing to within 0.233s of da Matta, as Pantano finally comes out. Meanwhile, Webber's session is over, he goes off in the second sector and hits the barriers, damaging the R5.
Alonso improves to fifth, posting 1:11.500, the order is now da Matta ahead of Michael, Trulli, Panis, Alonso, Button, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Ralf and Klien.
Takuma Sato, currently tenth, is on a good lap, he posts personal bests in the first two sectors. At the line it's 1:11.513, which puts him sixth, ahead of his teammate.
Both Coulthard and Massa improve their times, but not their positions, remaining tenth and sixteenth respectively.
Meanwhile Michael Schumacher goes quickest in the first sector by around 0.2s. He loses time in the second sector but is quickest again in the third, crossing the line at 1:10.566. The German now tops the timesheets by 0.329s.
Meanwhile, teammate Rubens Barrichello goes second quickest, a mere 0.146s slower than his teammate.
With under ten minutes remaining, Michael is quickest ahead of Barrichello, who is followed by da Matta, Trulli, Panis, Alonso, Sato and Button.
Moments later Raikkonen goes fifth, as Button goes quickest in the first two sectors. The Englishman crosses the line at 1:10.056, that's 0.510s quicker than the Ferrari. Da Matta also improves, but remains fourth.
Alonso goes fourth, as Sato posts 1:10.251 to go second, it's all-BAR at the top of the timesheets.
In the final minutes of the session the action is frantic, as the drivers try to find the ideal set-up for the forthcoming qualifying sessions.
Schumacher hasn't given up, and splits the Lucky Strike cars with a 1:10.199, as Montoya goes fifth with a 1:10.708.
The session ends with Button quickest, ahead of Michael, Sato, Barrichello, Montoya, Alonso, da Matta, Ralf, Trulli and Raikkonen.
Panis is eleventh, ahead of Coulthard, Klien, Heidfeld, Webber, Pantano, Fisichella, Massa, Baumgartner and Bruni.