03/04/2005
NEWS STORY
We could well be in for the hottest Grand Prix in Formula One history today, literally, as forecasters predict that today's race will break all previous record, temperature-wise.
However, the grid order for today's race has yet to be decided, and in the next hour we shall learn if Fernando Alonso is to start from pole for the fifth time in his brief, but meteoric, career, or whether Jarno Trulli can make it pole number three. Then again, Michael Schumacher is chasing down his sixty-fourth pole.
The air temperature is already up to 37 degrees C, while the track temperature is 42 degrees.
The Ferrari crew has had a very busy night, indeed work on Rubens Barrichello's car - which needed a brand new gearbox - only finished around twenty minutes before the start of today's session.
Although the Brazilian is fifteenth on the provisional grid, he can probably improve today and make it into the first four or five rows.
At 10:30 precisely, Patrick Friesacher leaves the Minardi garage, the session is underway. This is (hopefully) the last race weekend for the PS04. The car is still a handful to drive, more so than Albers it would appear, but the youngster does his best, crossing the line at 3:11.261.
Next out is teammate Christijan Albers. At the first split the Dutch driver is already 0.9s up on his teammate, while at the second split he's 1.2s up on the Austrian. He crosses the line at 3:10.422, he lost time in the final sector but he's still quicker than Friesacher.
Tiago Monteiro is 0.4s up on Albers at the first split, extending his 'lead' to 0.6s at the second. The Portuguese driver has been accused of being too conservative, especially in comparison to his Indian teammate. At the line he posts 3:09.428.
Narain Karthikeyan completes the first sector 0.2s ahead of his teammate, the Indian pushing his car really hard. At the second split he's 0.4s down, having lost a heap of time at Turn 10, where he was a little too enthusiastic. He crosses the line at 3:10.143, second.
Last out before the break is Jacques Villeneuve, he really needs a result this weekend. At the first split the Canadian is 1.2s up on Monteiro. It's an aggressive lap, and he's pushing hard. At the second split he's 1.0s up on the Jordan driver. There's no repeat of yesterday's mistake though it's an aggressive lap, crossing the line at 3:07.983.
Crunch time for Rubens Barrichello who is next out. Currently the order is Villeneuve, Monteiro, Karthikeyan, Albers and Friesacher.
At the end of the first sector the Ferrari driver is 0.7s up on Villeneuve. At the second split the gap is up to 1.3s, he's doing well thus far, but not pushing too hard. At the line it's 3:07.693 however he almost immediately pulls off track, he clearly has a problem. He's quickest but only by 0.2s.
David Coulthard is already half-a-second up on Barrichello by the time he completes the first sector. At the second split the Scot is 0.8s up on the Ferrari driver, a great lap from DC. At the line it's 3:05.844, he takes provisional pole by 1.8s.
Next out is Takuma Sato, the BAR driver, like his teammate, having a torrid weekend, thus far. At the first split he's 0.4s up on Coulthard, however he loses time at Turn 12 as he runs wide. At the second split he's 0.5s up on the Scot going on to cross the line at 3:05.563, to take provisional pole.
Teammate Jenson Button is next out, are we going to see another 'Mr Angry' today? At the first split he's 0.2s up on his Japanese teammate, going on to extend the gap to 0.5s at the second. The Englishman crosses the line at 3:04.348 to take provisional pole. However, where will this stand him for this afternoon's grid?
At the first split Ralf Schumacher is already 0.2s up on Button. The German was looking good yesterday, until he made a silly mistake which cost him heavily. No mistakes thus far as he completes the second sector 0.8s ahead of the BAR driver. At the line the Toyota star posts 3:03.271, provisional pole. A good lap from Ralf, and not before time.
At the second break it's: Ralf, Button, Sato, Coulthard, Barrichello, Villeneuve, Monteiro, Karthikeyan, Albers and Friesacher.
Felipe Massa is next out, in the second Sauber. At the first split the Brazilian is 0.3s down on Ralf, and by the time he finishes the second sector he's almost a second down on the German. A 3:05.202 sees him go third, could he be running with a lot of fuel on board?
Montoya stand-in Pedro de la Rosa is already 0.2s up on Ralf by the time he completes the first sector. Unfortunately he loses time in the second sector and again in the third, he crosses the line at 3:03.373 to go second.
Red Bull 'wunder-kid' Christian Klien is next out. At the first split the Austrian is 0.63s up on Ralf Schumacher. The youngster is pushing really hard but by the time he completes the second sector he's only marginally ahead of the Toyota's time. He loses time in the final sector and therefore 'only' manages 3:03.369, which puts him second.
Kimi Raikkonen is next out, he really needs to make up for yesterday's mistake. At the first split the Finn is 0.4s up on Ralf, but loses time in the second sector. It's all to play for in the final sector and the McLaren driver is pushing, but it's not enough. He crosses the line at 3:03.524 to go fourth, he'll be bitterly disappointed.
Webber has a massive wobble in the WilliamsF1 but completes the first sector 0.2s up on Schumacher. Like so many others before, it's the second sector that costs him, he loses time but he's still 'in touch' with Ralf. He makes up time in the final sector, crossing the line at 3:03.262, to take provisional pole. A great lap from the Australian.
In the Ferrari garage the red-shirted crew is working on Barrichello's car, ominously it appears to be the F2005's gearbox that is the root of the problem.
At the final break, the order is: Webber, Ralf, Klien, de la Rosa, Raikkonen, Button, Massa, Sato, Coulthard and the hapless Barrichello.
Melbourne winner Giancarlo Fisichella is next out. At the first split the Roman is already 0.4s down on the WilliamsF1, having locked-up at Turn 4. He loses another tenth in sector two, going on to cross the line at 3:03.765, which puts him sixth, he'll be gutted.
Nick Heidfeld is next out, can he beat his teammate? At the first split he's 0.2s up on the Australian, however it's the second sector where everyone appears to be losing out. And that includes 'Quick Nick', he loses ground to his teammate. However like Webber he finds pace in the final sector and consequently takes provisional pole with a 3:03.217.
All eyes on Michael Schumacher now in the other F2005. He goes wide at Turn 4 but is still 0.2s up on Heidfeld at the first split. At the second split the world champion has stretched his 'lead' to 0.8s. At the line it's 3:02.357, provisional pole for Schumacher, a superb lap.
It's all down to Trulli and Alonso now, first out is the Italian. At the first split he's 0.1s up on the German, can he maintain the pace? It's hard to see why but he loses time in the second sector, he's 0.3s down on the Ferrari. At the line it's 3:02.660, he goes second.
Fernando Alonso is last out, all eyes are on the world championship leader. At the first split he's 0.4s up on the Ferrari star, it's a really good lap from the Spaniard. At the second split he's still ahead, but by 0.3s. Despite going wide at the last turn the Renault star does it, taking pole position with a 3:01.902. A stunning lap, worthy of a (potential) world champion.
Following this morning's session it looks as though we really could be in for a hot Grand Prix in every sense.
The prospect of Alonso and Michael going head to head is in itself an exciting prospect, but with Trulli and the WilliamsF1s breathing down their necks we could be in for an explosive start.
In as much as Ralf Schumacher will be disappointed, Christian Klien will be delighted, and rightly so. Meanwhile Pedro de la Rosa has every reason to question why he has been overlooked for the last couple of years.
Although Fisichella will be disappointed, one has to wonder if the Roman is one of several drivers, including Massa, running a different strategy.
Button and Sato may think they've got problems, but they are as nothing compared to poor Rubens, who really does seem to suffer more than his share of bad luck at Maranello, after all, teammate Michael hasn't retired with a technical problem since Germany 2001.
Pitpass still hates the new qualifying format, and there's still a lot that could be done to improve not just the racing but the whole way F1 treats its customers.
However, the great thing is that nobody can honestly predict which three drivers will stand on the podium later today, far less win the world championship. And that has to be a great thing… a definite sign of improvement.