17/06/2005
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's first free practice session for the 2005 United States Grand Prix, the air temperature is 23 degrees C, while the track temperature is 45 degrees.
When the lights turn green, it is Robert Doornbos who is first out on track, the Dutch driver back in the third car for the first time since Monaco.
The Jordan driver is followed by Friesacher, Speed, de la Rosa, Zonta, Montoya, Albers, Karthikeyan, Villeneuve and Monteiro. It is unusual to see one of the big guns (Montoya) go out so early - then again he has been having problems with coloured lights recently.
Red Bull drivers Klien and Coulthard are other early risers, as is Takuma Sato. This trio is soon followed by Montreal winner, Kimi Raikkonen, and Rubens Barrichello.
Having completed the obligatory installation lap, Ricardo Zonta is the first driver to go out with the intention of posting a time. The Brazilian is followed by de la Rosa and Speed.
Surprisingly, Zonta heads back to his garage, leaving de la Rosa to post the benchmark time (12.913) as Speed goes second with a 1:16.594.
De la Rosa stops in the first sector, the McLaren clearly suffering a technical problem. Scott speed improves to 1:15.270, still 2.35s off the pace, as Doornbos goes third (16.269) and Monteiro fourth (19.018).
Ricardo Zonta goes second with a 1:13.435, going on to improve to 1:13.395.
Elsewhere, Alonso, Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher have completed their installation laps. As have Button and Massa.
With twenty-five minutes of the session complete, only seven drivers have posted a time: de la Rosa, Zonta, Speed, Monteiro, Doornbos, Friesacher and Karthikeyan.
Zonta is considerably quickest through the speed-trap, the Toyota hitting 213 mph.
Jarno Trill is on track, as are Ralf, Alonso and Fisichella. The busiest man, thus far, is Scott Speed, who has completed 13 laps, and remains third quickest.
With 25 minutes remaining, there is only one car on track, Zonta. One wonders what the race fans think of this lack of action.
The Brazilian improves to 1:13.328, but remains 0.415s off de la Rosa's pace.
Several cars are back on track, including Michael Schumacher, and Nick Heidfeld. WilliamsF1 teammate, Mark Webber, is the only driver yet to make an appearance.
Schumacher completes his installation lap then goes on to become the first 'big gun' to post a time, he goes second with a 1:13.277. Meanwhile, Sato goes fourth ahead of Heidfeld, while Barrichello can only mange ninth.
Schumacher improves (13.242) but is leapfrogged by Button, who goes second with a 1:13.190. Mark Webber (13.930) goes seventh, slotting in behind his teammate.
Although he only completed 4 laps before suffering technical problems, de la Rosa remains quickest, though Giancarlo Fisichella closes the gap, the Italian posting 1:13.024. Moments later, his teammate goes second with a 1:12.961, just 0.043s shy of the McLaren tester's time.
With 15 minutes remaining, de la Rosa remains quickest, ahead of Alonso, Fisichella, Button, Michael, Sato, Zonta, Barrichello, Heidfeld and Webber.
With 10 minutes remaining, de la rosa's time is finally toppled, as Ricardo Zonta goes quickest with a 1:12.085, having taken 0.8s out of the Spaniard's best. 8 drivers have yet to post a time.
Juan Pablo Montoya is back on track, indeed the Colombian goes quickest in the second sector. Having gone quickest in the final sector also, the McLaren drivers goes to the top of the timesheets, having posted a 1:12.027. Elsewhere, David Coulthard goes eleventh (13.740).
Fernando Alonso goes third (12.666) as Raikkonen goes off into the gravel trap. However, the Finn is able to extricate himself (not as painful as it sounds) and continue.
Nick Heidfeld goes fourth (12.804) ahead of Button (12.865), as de la Rosa slides a little further down the timesheets.
In the closing moments, Sato improves to seventh (13.013), while Massa leapfrogs Villeneuve to take seventeenth (14.637). elsewhere, fellow Brazilian, Barrichello, improves to eleventh, splitting the Schumacher siblings.
Another typical Friday session ends with Montoya quickest, ahead of Zonta, Alonso, Heidfeld, Button, de la Rosa, Sato, Fisichella, Webber and Michael.
Eleventh is Barrichello, ahead of Ralf, Trulli, Coulthard, Speed, Klien, Massa, Villeneuve, Karthikeyan, Monteiro, Doornbos, Friesacher and Albers, with Raikkonen failing to post a time.