27/05/2005
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second session, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature has risen to 51 degrees.
As soon as the lights go green, this morning's pace setter, Alexander Wurz, is out of the trap, followed by Albers, Liuzzi and Klien.
Unlike the first session, when we had to wait and wait and wait, its frantic in session two. Within the first few minutes ten drivers post times, with Wurz, once again, topping the timesheets, this time with a 1:33.807.
Moments later, Webber goes quickest, the Australian posting 1:32.088. Of the big guns, Alonso goes fourth (34.344) ahead of Coulthard, while Fisichella is twelfth (38.461).
Kimi Raikkonen posts 1:32.644 to go second, as Fisichella (33.839) improves to fourth. Moments later however, it's Heidfeld that raises the benchmark, the 'home boy' posting 1:31.813.
As Michael Schumacher leaves the pitlane, Monteiro spins off and promptly stalls his engine. Looks like the session is over for the Portuguese driver.
It's a WilliamsF1 1-2, with Heidfeld quickest ahead of Webber, with Raikkonen third, ahead of Montoya, Michael and Wurz.
After a relatively disappointing first lap, Barrichello improves to fifth, thereby leapfrogging his teammate, with a 1:1:33.656. Moments later however, the status-quo is re-established as Michael posts 1:33.242.
The two Ferrari drivers continue to trade places, as Alexander Wurz goes seventh, the Austrian crossing the line at 1:33.674.
Of the drivers that didn't go out this morning, Fisichella is ninth, Alonso eleventh and Button thirteenth, while Sato has yet to leave his garage.
As Monteiro slowly makes his way back to the pits, Klien has a bit of a moment.
Giancarlo Fisichella improves his time but remains ninth, as Felipe Massa goes twelfth with a 1:34.303.
A 1:32.736 sees Alonso go fourth, whilst Sato goes nineteenth (35.258), those BAR boys both nursing their Imola engines.
The session appears to be over for Webber, he spins off and is stuck firmly in the sand-trap. He appeared to make a mistake under braking. The Australian had been second quickest, though it is unlikely that he'll be able to hold that position.
A 1:32.143 sees Barrichello go third, however, moments later he and Webber are demoted by Raikkonen who goes second with a 1:31.870. McLaren teammate Wurz also improves, the Austrian going sixth (32.879), ahead of Montoya, Fisichella and Michael. Elsewhere, Sato improves to thirteenth.
Another disaster for WilliamsF1, as Heidfeld's session comes to an end. He stops shortly after the pits, he appears to have lost drive.
Zonta improves to sixth (32.577), as Button goes twelfth and Montagny twentieth.
With just over twenty minutes remaining, the only driver that hasn't been out is Friesacher.
Juan Pablo Montoya is on a hot lap, the Colombian going quickest in the first sector. He's quickest again in the second, but is unable to maintain it in the third, though his time of 1:31.841 is good enough for second. This leaves McLaren first, second and eighth.
With fifteen minutes remaining, we encounter the traditional lull. That said, the second of the Jordan's appears to be out, as Karthikeyan stops in the second sector, thereby bringing out the yellow flags.
Trulli improves to tenth (33.168), still 1.3s off the pace.
With eight minutes remaining, it's Heidfeld, Montoya, Raikkonen, Webber, Barrichello, Alonso, Zonta, Fisichella, Wurz and Trulli. Michael is eleventh, ahead of Coulthard, Button and Sato.
Amazingly, Montagny has his Jordan in fifteenth (34.090), ahead of Klien, Massa, Ralf, Villeneuve and Liuzzi. Furthermore, only Klien and Zonta, both on 30, have completed more laps.
Liuzzi's session is over, the Italian goes off in the final sector.
Ralf improves to tenth (33.098), but it seems unlikely that we're going to see any further major changes to the order.
That said, Wurz goes quickest in the first sector, then again in the second. The Austrian crosses the line at 1:30.263, to go quickest, and 1.190s quicker than Heidfeld.
However, Zonta is also on a quick lap. Having gone quickest in the first sector, the Brazilian loses ground in the second, finally crossing the line at 1:30.630, to go second.
The session ends with Wurz quickest, ahead of Zonta, Heidfeld, Montoya, Raikkonen, Webber, Barrichello, Alonso, Fisichella and Ralf.
Trulli is eleventh, ahead of Klien, Michael, Coulthard, Sato, Button, Montagny, Massa, Villeneuve, Monteiro, Liuzzi, Albers, Friesacher and Karthikeyan.
We've said it before and we'll say it again, a typical bloody Friday.