23/09/2005
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, while the track temperature is 39 degrees. It's remains slightly overcast, with the sun breaking through in patches.
The lights go green, and Wurz can hardly wait to get back to work. The Austrian is followed by Liuzzi, Zonta, Albers, Massa, Kiesa, Monteiro, Doornbos and Karthikeyan.
The McLaren driver crosses the line and posts the benchmark (1:15.711), as Liuzzi goes second, ahead of Massa, who failed to post a time in the first session.
Liuzzi is pushing hard but the car looks a real handful, appearing to lack front-end grip. Nonetheless, the Italian goes quickest with a 1:15.385.
Wurz goes quickest in the first sector, as Massa goes quickest in the second. The Brazilian improves to second (15.661), as the Austrian improves his time but drops to third.
Next time around the McLaren test driver goes quickest (14.928), as Liuzzi goes second.
As Michael Schumacher and Antonio Pizzonia take to the track, Rubens Barrichello goes fifth (16.543).
On his first flying lap, Michael goes quickest, the German crossing the line at 1:14.643. Next time around he pushes just a little too hard, and spins on the far side of the circuit - the track is clearly very dusty.
Kimi Raikkonen goes second with a 1:14.734, as Pizzonia goes seventh (15.859), ahead of Barrichello, Monteiro, Albers and Karthikeyan.
Kimi posts 1:13.950 to go quickest, as Wurz slots in behind with a 1:14.595.
Jarno Trulli goes fourth (14.932), only to be demoted, moments later, by his teammate, Ralf Schumacher, who posts 1:14.832.
It's a McLaren 1-2-3 as Juan Pablo goes quickest with a 1:13.896. Behind the Woking trio it's Trulli, Michael, Ralf, Zonta, Button, Liuzzi and Massa. Only Klien hasn't been out yet.
Giancarlo Fisichella breaks McLaren's apparent stranglehold on the top of the timesheets with a 1:14.343. Moments later, his teammate goes third with a 1:14.032.
As Sato goes eighth, and Massa thirteenth, Alonso improves (13.957), but remains third. The Renault driver goes quickest in the first sector but loses a whole load of time in the second.
Michael goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second, this is a hot lap. He crosses the line at 1:13.205, having set a personal best in the final sector, and giving team boss, Jean Todt, cause to smile.
Giancarlo Fisichella posts 1:14.135 to go fifth, as Raikkonen consolidates second spot with a 1:13.756. The Finn continues around, and immediately goes quickest in the first sector and again in the second - he crosses the line at 1:13.510, but remains second.
It's suddenly all change at the top as Felipe Massa goes quickest in the Sauber, the local hero crosses the line at 1:12.710. Alonso and Fisichella both improve, but remain fourth and fifth.
Montoya retakes the top spot with a 1:12.694, as Webber posts 1:13.650 to go eighth.
It's suddenly looking quite good for Sauber, as Jacques Villeneuve posts 1:13.202, to go fourth, as teammate Massa holds second spot. The pair are split by Barrichello, who posts 1:13.088.
Michael is pushing hard and has his second spin of the afternoon.
Coulthard, who has completed nine laps, is way down in twenty-second place, but he has Ralf, Takuma and Narain to keep him company.
It's all over for Christian Klien who crashes where Michael span earlier, the back end of the car is badly damaged. The Austrian is OK, though the car is badly damaged - it appears as though there was a suspension failure.
There is lots and lots of track signage for (McLaren sponsor) Johnnie Walker.
Kimi Raikkonen posts 1:13.172 to go fourth, edging out Jacques, as Zonta goes quickest in the first sector. The Brazilian sets a personal best in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 1:12.802, to go third. Next time around he is again quickest in the first sector, again posting a personal best in the second. He crosses the line at 1:12.706 to go third.
David Coulthard is back on track, posting personal bests in the first two sectors. He crosses the line at 1:14.006, to go fourteenth. Ralf, currently eighteenth, is also on track.
Antonio Pizzonia has a big spin, another driver caught out by the dirty conditions here.
With seven minutes remaining, it's: Montoya, Zonta, Massa, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Villeneuve, Michael, Trulli, Fisichella and Alonso.
Zonta goes quickest in the second sector, he's determined to take the top spot.
Both BARs are well off the pace, with Button seventeenth, and Sato twenty second. They've both completed over 23 laps apiece. The Japanese driver improves to twentieth.
Wurz goes quickest in the final sector, but remains eleventh. However, with just moments of the session remaining, he goes quickest in the first sector. He crosses the line at 1:11.083 to take spot, having gone quickest in the final sector. Elsewhere, Albers appears to have a problem and slides off track at the bottom of the hill that leads up to the pit straight.
Therefore, the Austrian ends the session quickest, ahead of Montoya, Zonta, Massa, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Villeneuve, Michael, Trulli and Fisichella.
Alonso is eleventh, ahead of Webber, Pizzonia, Doornbos, Coulthard, Liuzzi, Button, Ralf, Albers, Sato, Monteiro, Klien, Kiesa and Karthikeyan.