15/06/2007
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session the air temperature is 32 degrees C, while the track temperature is 57 degrees. It remains sunny and warm.
A number of drivers had offs this morning, including Trulli, Schumacher, Raikkonen and Heidfeld, however, it was only Sutil who went off and stayed off, though, thankfully, this happened right at the end of the session.
Schumacher is first out on track, followed by Heidfeld, Davidson, Liuzzi and Speed. The Renaults were disappointing this morning so we'll be expecting an improvement in this session, particularly from Kovalainen.
Schumacher posts the benchmark time, crossing the line at 16.034, however, this is quickly beaten by a number of drivers. When the dust settles it is Vettel who tops the timesheets, having posted a 14.357. Trulli has a moment, but somehow keeps it all on the 'black stuff'.
For a brief moment Fisichella goes quickest, only to be beaten by fellow Renault (powerplant) user David Coulthard, who posts 13.124. Webber goes third, ahead of Vettel, Liuzzi and Speed.
Another off for Heidfeld, who appears to be having more problems staying on track than his rookie teammate.
In the Honda garage one of the mechanics applies an ice pack to his head. We know the feeling.
Alonso is on a hot lap, the Spanish looking very aggressive. He goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second, finally crossing the line at 1:12.719. The World Champion really seem to mean business. Hopefully he will let his driving do the talking.
Hamilton leaves the pits, followed by Massa and Raikkonen. As Massa has a brief off, Robert Doornbos watches progress in the Red Bull garage. The Dutch driver is having an excellent debut season in Champ Car with Minardi Team USA.
A 13.781 sees Raikkonen go third, ahead of Heidfeld, Fisichella and Webber. Hamilton and Massa return to the pits having failed to post a time. Next time around the Finn improves his time but remains third.
Sutil and Albers are currently thirteenth and fourteenth, it would be good to see the Dutch team score some sort of result this weekend.
Scott Speed is stationary at the end of the pitlane, his crew goes to rescue him. Meanwhile, Raikkonen gets all crossed up, sending his Ferrari into a high-speed slide.
Hamilton goes quickest in the first sector. He loses a little pace in the second but is still up on Alonso. The Englishman finally crosses the line at 12.588, taking the top spot from his teammate.
David Coulthard goes third (13.124), as Nick Heidfeld bumps Raikkonen out of fourth with a 13.591. The Scott and the German both appear to have a little more in reserve.
Sure enough, DC goes quickest in the final sector, and though he remains third he improves to 13.042. The Scot is having a great season, and we hope it isn't too long before he is confirmed for 2008, he certainly deserves it.
Webber goes fourth, further proof of the fact that Red Bull is improving with each race weekend.
After almost half-an-hour, Massa is the only driver that hasn't posted a time.
That said, the Brazilian is on track and currently quickest in the second sector. He crosses the start/finish line at 12.454, thereby taking the top spot from Hamilton, who watch (unblinking) from the McLaren garage.
Jenson Button goes tenth, one place ahead of his Honda teammate. Currently, the Japanese team is ahead of Toro Rosso, Toyota, Super Aguri, Spyker, Williams and a Renault.
That said, Kovalainen goes seventh, slotting in behind his Renault teammate.
As Fernando Alonso begins a flying lap Raikkonen leaves the Ferrari garage. The English and Italian teams appear to be far better matched this weekend. Lewsi Hamilton is also on track.
Hamilton and Raikkonen are running close together, and don't really appear to be helping one another by being that close. The Englishman, on the softer compound, opts to dive into the pits.
Moments later, Raikkonen gets involved in a little squabble involving Vettel and one of the Hondas, who are both so busy playing their own little game that they fail to notice the scarlet Ferrari.
In the McLaren garage, Hamilton is out of his car watching intently as his mechanics work on it. Back on track, Liuzzi is up to eighth, courtesy of the softer tyres. Next time around the Italian improves to seventh.
Nick Heidfeld, currently tenth, just ahead of his BMW teammate, posts a personal best in the second sector. Unfortunately the German is unable to improve.
At 'half-time', it's: Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Coulthard, Raikkonen, Webber, Liuzzi, Fisichella, Kovalainen and Heidfeld.
Despite having completed 17 laps, Wurz remains down in twenty-first place, 2.3s off the pace. Teammate Rosberg goes eighth with a 13.428.
As Rosberg improves to fifth (13.057), Fisichella, Speed and Vettel are all on quick laps. The German goes seventh, while the Italian and American fail to improve.
Schumacher is on track, improving from fifteenth to fourteenth. Meanwhile, Alonso leave the McLaren garage, followed, shortly afterwards, by Hamilton and Felipe Massa.
Though the 'big guns' are on track it is Trulli and Kovalainen who look set to improve. Sure enough, the Italian goes thirteenth.
A 13.026 sees Heidfeld go fourth, only for the German to go cross-country (again) just moments later. A few seconds afterwards, Hamilton repeats the Heidfeld manoeuvre, as does Mark Webber. On the pitwall Christian Horner is clearly unimpressed.
Coulthard is quickest through the speed-trap (336 kph), followed by Webber, Vettel and Massa. While in terms of laps completed, Vettel leads the way (30), ahead of Coulthard, Fisichella, Button, Fisichella and Sato (all on 28).
Talking of Button, the Honda driver has a big off, but is able to continue.
Raikkonen improves with a 12.901 to go fourth, as Kovalainen appears to be wringing the neck of the Renault… but to no avail. The Finn remains twelfth, 1.102s off the pace.
Looks like its all over for Webber, the Australian pulls off track and climbs out of the Red Bull. Just when things had been looking good. He's currently ninth on the timesheets, 0.809s off Massa's pace.
Talking of Massa, the Brazilian is back on track, as is Raikkonen.
Vettel sets a personal best in the second sector, crossing the line at 13.217, which moves him up to eighth. That said, when Rosberg posts 13.057, he's bumped back down to eighth.
With fifteen minutes remaining, it's: Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, Heidfeld, Coulthard, Rosberg, Vettel, Webber and Liuzzi.
Webber confirms that his problem was gearbox - clearly the Red Bull's Achilles heel - whereas he originally thought his problem was the driveshaft.
Hamilton and Alonso are both on track. The Englishman (on the soft option) goes quickest in the first sector, but Alonso (also softer option) goes quicker. Hamilton posts 12.309 to go quickest, but is almost instantly demoted by his teammate who crosses the line at 12.156. Massa and Raikkonen remain in the Ferrari garage.
With eight minutes remaining, Massa leaves the Ferrari garage. The Brazilian goes quickest in the second sector, but is unable to improve and remains third overall.
With five minutes left, everyone except Raikkonen, Wurz, Trulli and Schumacher is on track. That said, there are few improvements.
Raikkonen and Wurz leave the pits, as Kovalainen improves to eighth. Elsewhere, Barrichello posts personal bests in all the three sectors to go ninth.
Raikkonen posts a personal best in the first sector, and again in the second. At the line it's 12.587, he stays fourth.
Next time around the Finn posts another personal best in the first sector. He loses ground in the second sector, and once again fails to improve.
Schumacher posts personal bests in the first and final sectors, but remains twentieth, 1.6s off the pace.
The session ends with Alonso topping the timesheets, ahead of Hamilton, Massa, Raikkonen, Heidfeld, Coulthard, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Barrichello and Button.
Far too early to read much into this, it is Friday after all, but once again McLaren appears to have the edge over Ferrari, albeit less than half-a-second. Yet again, BMW appears to be 'best of the rest'.
Tomorrow is when it begins to get serious.
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