08/09/2006
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's first free practice session, the air temperature is 29 degrees C, while the track temperature is 31 degrees. It is warm and overcast, though occasionally the sun breaks through the cloud.
First out is Franck Montagny, followed by Yamamoto, Davidson, Vettel, Jani, Sato, Doornbos and Wurz… the Friday guys.
Less than three minutes into the session, the red flags are brought out as Anthony Davidson's engines blows big time in the Curve Grande.
A couple of minutes later the all-clear is given, but that's no use for Davidson, whose session is over, a bad start to the weekend for Honda, which this weekend is using the engine it hopes to have homologated for 2007 and beyond.
For quite a while, over ten minutes, there's no action, then, one-by-one drivers return to the track, Montagny, Vettel, Jani, Raikkonen and de la Rosa. Will the Finn be driving a Ferrari here next year?
Alex Wurz posts the benchmark time, crossing the line at 1:26.002, moments later, Vettel posts 27.354.
As Wurz improves to 25.518, Sato goes third (27.695), ahead of Montagny, Doornbos and Yamamoto.
While the 'big guns' wait resolutely in their garages, the Friday boys do what they always do, complete lap after lap after lap.
In the Ferrari garage, Felipe Massa gives team boss Jean Todt an affectionate hug, the Brazilian and the Frenchman both clearly relaxed, despite all the media pressure. Michael Schumacher, sporting a new, short, haircut, looks equally at ease, as he jokes with Todt's wife.
At half-time, there are but seven times on the timesheets, Wurz, Jani, Doornbos, Vettel, Sato, Montagny and Yamamoto. Other then these seven drivers, only four others - Davidson, Raikkonen, Kubica and de la Rosa - have been out.
As Michael talks to guests in the Ferrari garage, the 'action' continues on track - Tiago Monteiro joins Vettel and Jani, the only other drivers currently working.
With 22 minutes remaining, Felipe Massa heads down the pitlane, much to the delight of the partisan crowd. The Brazilian completes the obligatory installation lap and then returns to the pits.
Wurz remains quickest (25.518), ahead of Vettel, Doornbos and Jani, as Trulli leaves the pits, followed by Heidfeld and Ralf.
Albers and Liuzzi come out to play, yet there are still only seven times on the timesheets.
Doornbos goes quickest in the first sector, but Wurz is right behind him, also upping the pace. The Austrian is quicker in the second sector, and again in the third, crossing the line at 23.868.
This is the cue for Scott 'this big' Speed to head down the pitlane. The American is followed by Webber and Rosberg - the WilliamsF1 duo making a rare Friday morning appearance.
Turkey sensation Sebastian Vettel steals Wurz' thunder, the German crossing the line at 23.808 to go quickest.
With under 10 minutes remaining, this has to be one of the most tedious of the year, the fans deserve better than this. But since when did the people in the stands matter?
Vettel goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second, .313s better than his previous best. At the line it's 1:23.263, which puts him .605s clear of Wurz.
Woo-hoo, we have a couple more times on the timesheet, as Monteiro goes fifth, Mondini ninth and albers tenth.
Kubica posts 24.197 to go third, but is quickly demoted by Jani, however, a flurry of activity in the final moments sees the Pole go second, ahead of Wurz and Raikkonen, who came out at the very end of the session.
Vettel quickest, ahead of Kubica, Wurz, Raikkonen, Jani, Monteiro, Doornbos, Albers, Sato, Yamamoto, Montagny and Mondini.
Let's hope we see a little more action in the second session.