10/09/2004
NEWS STORY
The air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 39 degrees, as the drivers prepare for today's second free practice session.
This morning the Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello were quickest, though BAR's Anthony Davidson gave them a run for their money.
Once again, Timo Glock is first out, followed by Baumgartner, Wirdheim, Bruni, Briscoe and Leinders.
Wirdheim posts the benchmark, the Swede crossing the line at 1:23.880, though moments later Briscoe posts 1:22.352.
Nick Heidfeld's session is already over, the German stops in the first sector with what appears to be engine failure.
Davidson is back on track and almost immediately the English youngster goes quickest in the first sector, then again in the second. He crosses the line at 1:21.745. Meanwhile the WilliamsF1 duo of Montoya and Pizzonia goes third and fourth, ahead of Wirdheim and Glock.
Pizzonia improves to third as Jarno Trulli goes fourth, though moments later David Coulthard slips into third as Alonso goes fifth.
Kimi Raikkonen is on track and immediately goes quickest in the second sector, as Barrichello goes eleventh after posting a 1:22.824. Raikkonen crosses the line at 1:22.018 to go second.
After fourteen minutes, the only drivers yet to post a time are Schumacher, Panis, Fisichella and Heidfeld, whose session is over. A little more action than the first session.
As Barrichello improves to fifth, teammate Schumacher goes eleventh. Moments later the German improves to fourth, behind Davidson, Raikkonen and Briscoe.
Mark Webber goes fifth, ahead of Coulthard, Barrichello and Button.
Sato is on a hot lap, having posted a personal best in the first sector, he goes quickest of all in the second. He crosses the line at 1:21.313 to go quickest, though Pizzonia too appears to be on a hot lap. Despite being quickest in the first sector, the Brazilian loses time in the second and third, consequently he fails to improve.
Ricardo Zonta improves to sixth, the Brazilian posting 1:22.298, while Fisichella, on his first flying lap, goes seventh.
Juan Pablo Montoya is quickest in the first sector and post a personal best in the second. He finally crosses the line at 1:21.419, second quickest and just 0.106s down on Sato.
Coming up to the halfway mark, Sato is quickest ahead of Montoya, Davidson, Raikkonen, Briscoe, Schumacher, Zonta, Fisichella, Webber and Coulthard.
Jenson Button improves to fifth, the BAR driver posting 1:22.175, meanwhile, Olivier Panis improves to eighteenth.
Michael Schumacher posts a personal best in the first sector, then goes quickest of all in the second. The German finally crosses the line at 1:21.080, which puts him quickest by around 0.233s.
There's a definite lull in the action, with none of the drivers making any significant improvements until Barrichello posts 1:21.528 to go fourth. Previously he was running fifteenth quickest, just ahead of Coulthard.
With seventeen minutes remaining, Schumacher is quickest, ahead of Sato, Montoya, Barrichello, Davidson, Raikkonen, Button, Trulli, Briscoe and Alonso.
Pizzonia goes quickest in the first sector, but loses a little ground in the second. He crosses the line at 1:21.264 to go third, behind Button who has just gone second with a 1:21.124.
Once again, Barrichello is quickest through the final speed-trap, the Brazilian hitting 224.9 mph.
Pizzonia's session is over, the Brazilian crashes at the Parabolica. He's fine but his car is damaged. It's not clear at this point precisely what went wrong.
Coulthard improves to ninth as teammate Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector. The Finn loses a little time in the second sector but rediscovers his pace in the third, crossing the line at 1:20.846, to go quickest. Moments later, Barrichello goes second quickest, the Brazilian posting 1:20.899.
With less than a minute remaining it's clear that there aren't going to be any significant improvements, though both Ferrari drivers are on track. Glock improves to sixteenth, which puts him ahead of his Jordan teammates, not to mention Mark Webber and Olivier Panis.
The session ends with Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Barrichello, Schumacher, Button, Pizzonia, Sato, Montoya, Davidson, Alonso and Coulthard.
Trulli finishes eleventh ahead of Briscoe, Massa, Zonta, Fisichella, Glock, Webber, Panis, Wirdheim, Klien, Pantano, Leinders, Baumgartner, Bruni and Heidfeld, who failed to post a time.