10/03/2006
NEWS STORY
 |
Following the relative lack of action in the opening session, we'll be hoping to see a few more names on the timesheets in the second.
The big surprise, was the lack of laps from Honda's third driver Anthony Davidson (2), however it appears that the Englishman encountered a gearbox problem, so much for Jenson Button's claim that the RA106 is the most reliable car on the grid.
That said, first out is Davidson, closely followed by Robert Doornbos and Alexander Wurz.
Davidson goes quickest, but his time is almost immediately beaten by Wurz, moments later the Englishman goes even quicker with a 1:35.660.
Scott Speed has a couple of minor offs in the Toro Rosso, the track clearly very dusty.
Kimi Raikkonen is on track in the McLaren, he goes quickest in the first sector. He's quickest again in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 1:33.577.
Juan Pablo Montoya is on track as is Neel Jani, as the Ferrari crew works on Felipe Massa's car.
Raikkonen is currently quickest ahead of Kubica, Wurz, Montoya and Doornbos, with Davidson sixth.
Davidson goes quickest with a 1:32.997, Button watches from the Honda garage, the merest hint of a smile.
Massa returns to the pits, his tyres badly flat-spotted following a lock-up. That's one set gone, six more remaining.
Kubica is setting a blistering pace in the BMW, he's proving a real surprise here. The Polish driver closes the gap to Davidson. That said, he has a puncture, and is now heading back to the pits… it appears that he clouted the kerb.
With thirty minutes gone, it's Davidson, Kubica, Fisichella, Raikkonen, Alonso, Michael, Wurz, Montoya, Speed and Liuzzi.
Nick Heidfeld is on track, as Alonso goes quickest with a 1:30.528.
It's is the same old story, as Kimi Raikkonen grinds to a halt, the Finn climbs out of the car, wondering is he's looking at a repeat of 2005. That said, we do not know at this time whether it's an engine problem, as there was no smoke.
Meanwhile, Jarno Trulli has also stopped on track, as Liuzzi goes second… that should get the protests going.
Alonso is quickest ahead of Liuzzi, Wurz, Davidson, Fisichella, Button, Kubica, Raikkonen, Montoya and Heidfeld.
With thirteen minutes remaining, we have yet to see an appearance from either Webber, Rosberg or Villeneuve.
Robert Doornbos improves to fifth (32.926), as Ralf Schumacher improves to twentieth.
Elsewhere, Jacques Villeneuve is finally on track.
Giancarlo Fisichella is on track, but is already 0.5s down on his teammate by the end of the first sector. Meanwhile, Ide goes off and explores the Bahrain countryside.
Felipe Massa goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second. The Brazilian crosses the line at 1:32.175 to go quickest.
Meanwhile, Davidson goes quickest in his first sector, carrying the pace into the second. Despite being slowed by a Midland, the Englishman crosses the line 0.8s quicker than Massa to take the top spot.
However, now it's Michael Schumacher's turn to grab the spotlight, the German going quickest in the first sector. He loses pace in the second sector, as Rosberg finally comes out to play.
Schumacher goes second (31.751), despite a lock-up at Turn Ten.
Webber leaves the pits as Rosberg goes twenty-first, 4s off the pace.
Raikkonen sits on the pit-wall, clearly frustrated, as Montoya attempts to improve from twelfth. The news from McLaren however is that his problem was electrical and not engine related.
Webber goes twenty-sixth, 5.6s off the pace, as teammate Rosberg improves to twentieth.
Winkelhock spins off at Turn Eight, as Ide comes to a halt in sector two.
Webber improves to seventeenth, as Wurz goes quickest in the first sector. He loses a little pace in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 1:31.764, to go third.
The session ends with Davidson quickest, ahead of Michael, Wurz, Massa, Alonso, Liuzzi, Doornbos, Fisichella, Button and Kubica.
McLaren will be disappointed with twelfth and thirteenth, as will Toyota, who finished twenty second and twenty fourth.
It remains to be seen how the FIA and indeed the teams react to the clear pace of the Toro Rosso, which other than having a V10 powerplant, has a huge question mark against its 'parentage'.
The good news is that other than the disappointment regarding McLaren and Toyota, we can already see that there is some real competition amongst the other teams, with Ferrari looking much better than anticipated.
Then again, we do not know how the Bridgestones will respond over a number of laps, besides which this is only the first day of the season.