24/09/2004
NEWS STORY
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Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature has risen to 27 degrees C, while the track temperature now stands at 35 degrees.
Bjorn Wirdheim is first out, followed by teammate Mark Webber, Leinders, Briscoe and Doornbos.
Ralf Schumacher is one of the first to post a time, the German crossing the line at 1:36.889, though moments later Fernando Alonso posts 1:36.814.
Michael Schumacher goes quickest with a 1:36.462, but is almost instantly demoted as Jenson Button posts 1:36.126. Juan Pablo Montoya is also on the pace, the Colombian goes second with a 1:36.260. However his stay in second is short-lived, as Barrichello posts 1:36.157. It's fast and furious.
Although Button is quickest, it's a question of 'sweet and sour' for BAR, as Takuma Sato stops in the third sector. The Japanese driver suffers an engine failure, which of course will affect his grid position on Sunday.
Michael Schumacher goes quickest but once again he is almost instantly knocked off the top spot, this time by Felipe Massa. With just thirteen minutes gone, everyone has posted a time except for Davidson and the two McLarens.
It's Massa, then Schumacher, Button, Barrichello, Montoya, Alonso, Ralf, Fisichella, Panis and Zonta. Villeneuve is currently fifteenth.
Both McLaren are on track. Kimi Raikkonen goes sixth with a 1:36.274, while DC goes eighth with a 1:36.517.
Fisichella is quickest through the main speed-trap, the Italian hitting 206.2 mph.
Raikkonen goes quickest, the Finn lapping this amazing new circuit in 1:35.370. Elsewhere, Mark Webber goes eighth.
Olivier Panis, who is set to retire from racing at the end of the season, goes fourth, the Frenchman posting 1:36.093. Moments later however, he's demoted by Fernando Alonso, who goes third with a 1:35.514.
From out of nowhere, Rubens Barrichello produces a 1:35.045, to go quickest. Ralf Schumacher improves with a 1:35.636, as brother Michael has one of his traditional 'moments'.
Ryan Briscoe goes quickest in the first sector, only for Montoya to go even quicker. Whereas the Australian maintains his pace in the second sector, the Colombian loses ground. Briscoe goes sixth with a 1:35.728, while Juan Pablo fails to improve, despite his tremendous pace in the first sector.
Jenson Button is first to break the 1:34s barrier, the BAR star posting 1:34.787, that's 0.258s quicker than Montoya. Elsewhere, Montoya improves, but remains tenth, while Villeneuve improves to seventeenth, almost 2s slower than his teammate.
At the halfway stage, it's Button ahead of Barrichello, Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Ralf, Briscoe, Panis, Michael and Montoya. Anthony Davidson improves to twelfth, as Ricardo Zonta produces a 1:35.166 to go third.
Briscoe has completed the most laps (18), and is currently eighth.
As Villeneuve improves to seventeenth, Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, going on to complete the lap in 1:34.648, thus taking top spot from Button.
Michael Schumacher is currently eleventh, just ahead of Montoya and Coulthard. Moments later, the Scot posts 1:35.291 to go fifth.
Jenson Button appears to be on a hot lap, going quickest in the first sector. He's quickest again in the second sector, going on to cross the line at 1:34.177, and consequently go quickest. That was a very, very impressive lap.
Barrichello goes quickest in the first sector, however he loses pace in the second. At the line the Brazilian registers 1:34.448, which puts him second.
Webber and Klien are both on track, the Jaguar duo currently languishing in fifteenth and nineteenth, respectively. Neither improve, however, Michael Schumacher goes fourth with a 1:34.776.
Juan Pablo Montoya also improves, but can only manage tenth, while teammate Ralf Schumacher improves to fourth - leapfrogging his brother - with a 1:34.714.
The two Saubers remain quickest through the main speed-trap, though Massa has now slipped to ninth on the timesheets and Fisichella thirteenth. That said, moments later the Brazilian improves to eighth, as Villeneuve improves to fourteenth.
Kimi Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, going on to cross the line at 1:34.289, which puts him second. The top eight are covered by 0.782s.
With five minutes remaining, Fisichella (1:34.680) goes fourth, behind Button, Raikkonen and Barrichello. Moments later however, Coulthard goes third with a 1:34.362.
It's not over yet, Anthony Davidson goes quickest in the first and second sectors, crossing the line at an incredible 1:33.289 to take the top-spot. He's 0.885s quicker than second-placed Button.
OK, it's a crass pun, but it really was a 'sweet and sour' session for BAR, with Davidson and Button quickest, and Sato suffering yet another engine failure.
Behind the two Brackley boys, it's Raikkonen, Coulthard, Barrichello, Fisichella, Ralf, Michael, Zonta and Panis.
Briscoe is eleventh, ahead of Massa, Alonso, Montoya, Villeneuve, Webber, Wirdheim, Heidfeld, Baumgartner, Klien, Bruni, Glock, Leinders and Doornbos.
Although it's still 'early days', things certainly look good for BAR and indeed McLaren, however it's been a low key day for Ferrari and indeed Renault.