15/06/2007
NEWS STORY
Ahead of the start of today's opening free practice session, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. It is bright, sunny and warm.
While many are wondering whether rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton can repeat his Montreal form here at Indianapolis, we cannot help but wonder whether another little bit of F1 history might be made this weekend.
As Sebastian Vettel steps in to the second BMW to replace Robert Kubica, who was involved in a horrific accident in last weekend's Canadian GP, we cannot help but think back to the last time a young German stepped in to replace a colleague. We refer, of course, to Spa Francorchamps 1991, when Michael Schumacher replaced Bertrand Gachot at Jordan.
The Belgian driver, unlike Kubica was not recovering from an accident, but rather spending time in one of Her Majesty's jails following an incident involving a London taxi driver and a can of CS gas.
The lights go green and first out is Sutil, followed by Albers, Schumacher, Trulli, Heidfeld, Davidson, Sato and the man (boy?) himself, Sebastian Vettel. Watching from the pit-wall is Timo Glock, who we understand is far from impressed that he didn't get the call to replace Kubica.
Once again, Kazuki Nakajima is replacing Alex Wurz.
Local hero Scott Speed completes two installation laps before heading back to the pits.
There's a first, for the first time this season Scott speed isn't complaining. Asked how the track feels, he replies; "to be honest, it doesn't seem too bad at all, it feels good". Even he seem surprised that he can find nothing to moan about.
Trulli, Schumacher and Nakajima are the first drivers to come out for a second run. After fifteen minutes the only drivers that haven't appeared are Massa, Raikkonen and Rosberg.
Trulli posts the first time of the weekend, the Italian crossing the line at 1:14.376. Moments later Schumacher posts 14.394 to go second.
At the back of the McLaren garage Ron Dennis appears to share a joke with Lewis Hamilton. God only knows what the media will read into that.
Trulli improves to 13.879 as Nakajima gradually gets down to 15.830. However, Schumacher goes quickest in the first sector, finally crossing the line at 13.819 to take the top spot. The German is under pressure to raise his game, as are the two Spyker drivers who have both been publicly criticised by the Dutch team.
Jenson Button is on track in the Honda, the Japanese team not expecting any significant improvements until Magny-Cours. Liuzzi and Vettel are also on track.
As Button goes third (14.327), Hamilton is strapped into his McLaren. Vettel goes fifth (18.631), as S0peed begins his first hot lap of the weekend.
Posting the best time in sector four is enough to see Speed go fourth (14.671), as Vettel gets down to 14.690.
Twenty-three minutes into the session Hamilton heads down the pitlane, followed by Rosberg. Massa appears to be getting ready to go out in the Ferrari.
A 14.099 sees Vettel go third, as Hamilton goes quickest in the second sector. The Englishman crosses the line at 13.444 to take the top spot, having gone perilously close to the wall.
Next time around the World Championship leader improves to 13.143, leaving Schumacher almost 0.7s in his wake.
A 13.864 sees Nick Heidfeld go fourth, ahead of Trulli, Vettel and Speed. Elsewhere, Massa heads down the pitlane.
As Kovalainen goes eleventh, Rosberg gets all locked up in the infield.
Massa begins his first flying lap as Heidfeld goes second (13.504). The Brazilian goes fifth (13.927), as Raikkonen leaves the pits. Elsewhere, Hamilton makes a mistake and goes wide on to the grass. Moments later, Raikkonen makes a similar error having just gone sixth with a 13.955. The replay appears to show the car went straight on instead of turning in. Another replay show Hamilton locking up big time as he entered the pitlane.
Massa goes second (13.187), as teammate Raikkonen goes fourth. Alonso, like Sato, Webber and Fisichella, has yet to post a time.
That said, the World Champion is now on track and pushing hard. Sure enough, his first flying lap sees him go quickest, crossing the line at 13.127. Next time around Fernando improves to 12.914, the guy clearly meaning business.
As Davidson prepares to go out, Massa locks up big time, consequently failing to improve. Like Hamilton, the Brazilian locks up as he enters the pitlane.
At half-time it's: Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Button, Schumacher, Vettel, Trulli and Speed. Webber and Fisichella, the only drivers that haven't posted times, are currently on track.
As Webber goes fifteenth (14.4956), Heidfeld goes quickest in the first sector. The German finally crosses the line at 12.962 to go second, just 0.048s shy of Alonso. Teammate Vettel improves to sixth (13.590).
Fisichella goes tenth (14.215), as Heidfeld gets it all wrong and enjoys a little bit of rally-cross.
Hamilton is back on track and immediately goes quickest in the first sector. Though he loses ground in the second sector he is still up on his teammate. At the line it's 12.910, to takes the top spot by four-thousandths of a second.
Rosberg is concerned that his car doesn't have the same top speed as the Red Bull of Webber through the speed trap.
With just under half-an-hour remaining, Hamilton goes quickest in the first sector, meanwhile, Massa, Fisichella and Coulthard are all on good laps. The Englishman fails to improve, however, Alonso is now on his own quick lap, having gone quickest in the first sector. The Spaniard is quickest in the second sector also, finally crossing the line at 12.344, taking the top spot by over half-a-second. Elsewhere, Rosberg goes thirteenth (14.223).
With twenty-six minutes remaining, it's: Alonso, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Massa, Vettel, Button, Schumacher, Trulli and Fisichella. The top five are covered by 0.696, as Vettel goes sixth with a 13.399.
Schumacher goes cross-country as Coulthard slows right down, making a last minute decision to dive into the pits.
There's a bit of a misunderstanding on the main straight as Heidfeld closes in on Barrichello. The two come very, very close as Heidfeld gets a tow. Nonetheless, the German goes second, posting a 12.801. Elsewhere, a big lock-up for Webber and a 'tank-slapper' for Button.
Kovalainen remains seventeenth, over 2s off the pace, while Fisichella is tenth, only 0.4s quicker.
Trulli goes off track as does Button, the track clearly not quite as good as Scott Speed would have us believe.
Vettel is back on track, the German running the softer option for the first time this session. Sure enough, the German goes third, behind Alonso and Heidfeld, crossing the line at 12.869. Next time around he fails to improve (just), proof that the 'white stripe' option is at its best on the first flying lap.
Twelve minutes remaining, and fastest through the speed trap at this stage is Heidfeld (333 kph), ahead of Coulthard, Speed, Webber, Vettel and Massa. Vettel has completed the most laps (30), ahead of Trulli (27), Nakajima and Sutil (both 21).
Sato, on the harder compound, improves to eighteenth with a 14.596.
Massa is on track and pushing hard. He posts a personal best in the first sector but loses ground in the second. At the line it's 13.040, he fails to improve. Moments later the Brazilian locks up big time.
Hamilton is on track and immediately goes quickest in the first sector. However, he slows right down in the second sector, appearing to have aborted the lap.
As Hamilton begins another fast lap, Heidfeld consolidates second place with a 12.391. The Englishman crosses the line at 12.628 to go third, splitting the BMWs but leaving his teammate at the top of the timesheets.
A 13.020 sees Rosberg go sixth, as Alonso begins his flying lap. The Spaniard posts a personal best in the first sector, but goes quickest overall in the second. At the line the World Champion posts 11.925, almost half-a-second clear of his nearest riival (Heidfeld).
Sutil spins off into the sand trap, and despite his best efforts he isn't going anywhere. Luckily the session is almost over. The yellow flags come out which means there will be no further improvements.
The session ends with Alonso quickest, ahead of Heidfeld, Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Massa, Coulthard, Button and Webber.