09/07/2005
NEWS STORY
Ahead of the first of today's (two) free practice sessions, the air temperature is 15 degrees C, while the track temperature is 19 degrees.
The track is still (slightly) wet following overnight rain.
At 9:00 precisely, the lights go green and first out is Patrick Friesacher, followed by Tiago Monteiro. Over the next few minutes, Albers, Karthikeyan, Raikkonen and Montoya all come out for installation laps.
Fifteen minutes into the session - with no action other than those few installation laps, Jacques Villeneuve is the first driver to post a time (30.774). Next time around the Canadian improves to 1:26.711, as Friesacher goes second (28.131).
Villeneuve improves again (25.726) as does Friesacher (27.637).
With twenty-five minutes gone, Alonso comes out to play and immediately goes quickest with a 1:23.061. Next time around the Spaniard improves to 1:21.576.
With the conditions improving, Barrichello, Massa, Fisichella, Michael and Sato venture out.
Barrichello goes second (24.460) ahead of Massa (25.126), while Fisichella can only manage 1:41.079.
For a fleeting moment Massa goes second (24.388) before he is demoted by Sato, who crosses the line at 1:24.375.
Following the earlier inactivity, it's frantic at present, as Michael goes second only to be out-paced by Fisichella (22.331). It's 1-2 for Renault.
With ten minutes remaining, it's Alonso, Fisichella, Michael, Massa, Sato, Barrichello, Monteiro, Villeneuve, Albers and Friesacher. These are the only drivers to have posted times.
Coulthard has a big spin but is able to continue, as Ralf goes seventh (24.769) ahead of Karthikeyan.
A 1:25.442 sees Heidfeld go eighth, though moments later he's demoted by Klien (24.190).
With five minutes remaining, Montoya and Webber are the only drivers that haven't posted a time.
Kimi Raikkonen goes second (21.577) as Alonso goes quickest in the third sector. Elsewhere, Klien goes sixth (22.645), ahead of Ralf, Button and Massa.
Juan Pablo Montoya goes fourth with a 1:22.377, as teammate Raikkonen goes quickest with a 1:20.975. 1:22.103 is enough to see Button go third.
Webber goes sixteenth, two places behind teammate Nick Heidfeld. The WilliamsF1 duo is split by Rubens Barrichello.
The session ends with Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Alonso, Button, Fisichella, Montoya, Sato, Massa, Michael, Klien and Ralf.