11/09/2004
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature has risen to 25 degrees.
In the first session, the top 11 drivers were covered by a mere 0.669s.
Surprisingly, Kimi Raikkonen is first out. The Finn sets the benchmark at 1:22.137.
Zonta, Panis, Button and Alonso come out, as Raikkonen continues lapping the legendary Autodromo.
Zonta goes second with a 1:23.715, as Alonso goes quickest in the first sector. For a brief moment Jenson Button goes second (1:23.173), but he's soon displaced by Alonso and Zonta, the Spaniard posting 1:22.630. However, the order is shuffled once again as Montoya posts 1:22.148 to go second. Elsewhere, Massa goes fifth.
Baumgartner and Pantano are involved in a curious incident in the first sector. Something appears to break on the Italian's car. He spins, goes off the track, slides back on to the track and hits Baumgartner at high speed! It's a heavy crash, but both are fine, however it's further misery for Jordan and Minardi. Baumgartner was the innocent victim at Spa the other week when he was hit by Button.
Fifteen minutes into the session and Barrichello comes out, closely followed by teammate Michael Schumacher. Montoya has now gone quickest with a 1:21.605.
As in the last session, Barrichello's first 'flying' lap is in actual fact rather slow, he goes thirteenth, of thirteen. Teammate Schumacher however, goes fourth with a 1:22.583, albeit 0.978s off Montoya's pace.
Barrichello goes third, the Brazilian crossing the line at 1:22.352. Meanwhile, Trulli appears to be on a very fast lap, as Schumacher goes second (1:21.891). Sure enough, Trulli goes third, the Renault star posting 1:22.054.
Barrichello improves to second, 0.071s off Montoya's pace, as Sato goes sixth.
It's understood that Pantano suffered a puncture. The Italian knew that he would hit Baumgartner and consequently took his hands off the wheel. The Hungarian however, didn't see him coming. The incident occurred at the same spot where Michael Schumacher crashed last week in testing.
The Toyotas are running fairly well, Zonta is currently seventh with Panis ninth.
Other than Pantano and Baumgartner, Coulthard is the only driver not to have posted a time.
Fernando Alonso is on a fast lap, the Spaniard goes quickest in the first and second sectors. He crosses the line at 1:20.987, that's 0.618s quicker than Montoya's previous benchmark.
Button goes quickest in the second sector, as Montoya goes quickest again, the Colombian crossing the line at 1:20.653. Moments later Button posts 1:20.734 to go second.
Pizzonia goes quickest in the first sector, but then loses ground in the second. He loses more time in the final sector, but still manages to cross the line at 1:21.278, which puts him sixth. Elsewhere, Coulthard goes fifth with a 1:21.058.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Montoya is quickest ahead of Button, Raikkonen, Alonso, Coulthard, Pizzonia, Trulli, Barrichello, Schumacher and Sato.
Ten minutes remain, and as ever, there's a lull in the action, with only Massa, Klien and Heidfeld on track.
Alonso is fastest through the speed-trap, the Spaniard touching 226 mph.
Just over seven minutes remaining and Schumacher, currently twelfth, leaves his garage, along the pitlane his rivals follow suit.
Massa improves to tenth, the Brazilian posting 1:21.859.
The world champion goes fourth with a 1:20.898, having gone quickest in the final sector. Meanwhile Coulthard is now quickest through the speed-trap226.8 mph.
A 1:20.555 sees Barrichello go quickest, that's only marginally better than the best time posted yesterday morning by Schumacher.
Alonso improves to fourth, the Spaniard posting 1:20.773, as Sato also improves (1:20.805).
The top eight are covered by 0.366s, which is pretty amazing when you think about it.
The session ends with Barrichello quickest, ahead of Montoya, Button, Alonso, Sato, Raikkonen, Schumacher, Pizzonia, Coulthard and Trulli.
Massa is eleventh, ahead of Panis, Fisichella, Zonta, Klien, Webber, Heidfeld and Bruni.