15/06/2007
NEWS STORY
Just five days after leaving Montreal, Formula One was back in action in Indianapolis today where the first free practice sessions were held in preparation for Sunday's race. Hot and sunny weather prevailed during the two 90-minute sessions at the end of which the Honda Racing F1 Team's Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button held 9th and 10th positions respectively.
The drivers achieved plenty of laps through the day as they tailored the set-up of the RA107 to suit the characteristics of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The set-up challenge here is all about finding the right compromise between the higher downforce essential to good grip in the infield and the lower drag required for the very long straight.
Rubens Barrichello: We have completed a lot of hard work today but we were able to achieve a lot, particularly in the afternoon session. I struggled with the balance of the car during this morning's practice, but this afternoon we made some improvements during the course of the session which leaves us with a lot of good data to be working with this evening. Generally a good foundation from which to move forward this weekend.
Jenson Button: It has been a fairly routine Friday for us really. We achieved a good number of laps between Rubens and myself so we have plenty of information to work with tonight. I had some issues in the morning and early afternoon with understeer at certain corners but we were able to work through this and pick up some good front and rear grip by the end of the session. A good start.
Jacky Eeckelaert, Engineering Director: We experienced two trouble-free practice sessions today, working through our full programmes as planned. Both of the soft and medium tyres seem to be well-suited to this track. We still need to work on improving our balance a little for tomorrow but we are pleased with the start we have made to the weekend.
To check out our Indianapolis practice gallery, click here