07/07/2007
NEWS STORY
Clearly the 'weather gods' feel that the good people of Silverstone deserve time off for good behaviour. For, ahead of this morning's free practice session, the Northamptonshire track is bathed in bright…. wait for it… sunshine!
That said, it's not exactly warm, with the air temperature currently 18 degrees C and the track temperature 30 degrees. OK, it's not exactly tropical but it is a start, and it is only 10-o-clock in the morning after all.
Following his back twinges yesterday, which caused him to sit out the second session, Jenson Button is back in the Honda.
The lights go green and Christijan Albers leads Trulli, Sutil, Schumacher and Davidson as the day's activities get underway.
Having only contested the first session, Button is keen to get in some more track time, consequently, while other complete a sole installation lap, he stays out to post the first time of the day (1:24.438).
Eight minutes into the session, everyone has been out except for the Ferrari drivers. Back on track, Button raises the benchmark to 23.751.
As Button improves to 23.386, he is joined by Albers, Trulli, Sutil, Davidson, Sato and Kubica.
Trulli knocks Button from the top spot but Kubica is already on a hot lap. As Davidson goes third, ahead of Sutil, Albers and Sato, the Pole posts a 22.827 to go quickest. However, moments later Trulli improves to 22.427, eclipsing the Pole by 0.380.
Davidson is demoted to fourth when Tonio Liuzzi goes third with a 22.881. Moments later the Italian is eclipsed by his American teammate, who posts 22.775.
It's fast and furious, as Liuzzi goes quickest (21.933), only to be beaten by Kubica, who crosses the line at 21.863. Heidfeld is also on track, the German posting 22.247 to go sixth.
Kubica has a problem. He slows down in the entry to Becketts and for a moment it looks as though he is allowing other cars to pass. However, he continues down the Hangar Straight at low speed, his BMW clearly in trouble.
Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen has picked up where he left off yesterday, going quickest with a 20.886. As Kubica heads back into his garage, teammate Heidfeld goes second (21.609).
Schumacher goes second and Rosberg third, giving Germany a 2-3-4, behind Raikkonen, who improves (slightly) to 20.881. Meanwhile Trulli tells his crew that his engine doesn't sound as good as it did yesterday. They don't make 'em like they used to Jarno, they don't make 'em like they used to.
Speed is fifth, ahead of Kovalainen, Fisichella, Kubica and Liuzzi, as Massa comes out to play.
As Kovalainen improves to fourth, Alonso leaves the pits.
Massa posts 20.865 to go second, as teammate Raikkonen improves with a 20.607. The Brazilian is on the edge through Becketts.
On his first flying lap Alonso goes second (20.611), but Raikkonen and Massa both improve, thereby retaining the Ferrari 1-2.
As Hamilton begins his first flying lap, Alonso posts 20.168 to take the top spot. Davidson and Button have completed the most laps (10) but remain seventeenth and eighteenth.
Hamilton posts 21.609 to go eighth, however, next time around he improves to fourth (20.876), despite never looking that convincing.
Webber goes ninth, ahead of Wurz, Speed, Fisichella and Kubica, as Massa posts a personal best in the first sector. Despite looking as though he's going to improve, the Brazilian opts to dive into the pits.
At half-time, it's: Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton, Schumacher, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Heidfeld, Webber and Wurz.
A 21.378 sees Speed go sixth, splitting Schumacher and Rosberg.
The McLaren crew is working furiously on Hamilton's car, while two crew members appear to be painting one of the nose cones. Lesser sites would probably says that they're airbrushing out the Ferrari logos - but Pitpass is above all that nonsense.
Button tells his crew that the circuit appears to have more grip - other than Turn 13 - and that the car feels a lot better, particularly under braking.
As Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, Wurz spins at Woodcote. The Ferrari driver crosses the line at 19.751 to take the top spot, taking 0.417s off of Alonso. Elsewhere, Massa takes to the grass at Becketts.
Kubica heads down the pitlane, his problem clearly resolved. The Pole is currently fifteenth, 2.117s off the pace.
The top six are all on track, with Alonso and Massa clearly about to improve. The Spaniard posts 20.094 to consolidate second, while the Brazilian fails to improve.
Button, Albers and Sutil have completed the most laps, and Raikkonen is quickest through the speed-trap, ahead of Fisichella, Kovalainen and Webber.
With just over ten minutes remaining, it's Raikkonen, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Speed, Heidfeld, Schumacher, Rosberg, Kovalainen and Fisichella. Meanwhile, Liuzzi goes off at Chapel.
Next time around, the Italian improves to eleventh, ahead of Button and Webber, before improving again to sixth with a 21.074.
A 20.666 sees Rosberg go fifth, ahead of Speed and Liuzzi.
With just over five minutes remaining, the drivers prepare for their final runs.
Barrichello is on a good lap, posting personal bests in the first two sectors. The Brazilian improves to tenth, however, he is almost demoted by Schumacher and then Wurz. Elsewhere, Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector. The Finn fails to improve, having lost time in the final sector, as both Renault drivers look set to leap up the timesheets.
A spin for Wurz, as Kovalainen goes seventh, ahead of Heidfeld and Davidson. The replay shows that the Austrian was lucky not to collect one of the BMWs.
Elsewhere, Hamilton has close encounter with a Super Aguri, and consequently fails to improve. Meanwhile, teammate Alonso splits the Ferraris with a 19.920. The Spaniard is pushing, he might be saying publicly that this weekend's is Hamilton's, but clearly he has other ideas.
The session ends with Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Rosberg, Schumacher, Liuzzi, Kovalainen, Heidfeld and Davidson.
Button and Sutil completed the most laps (24), ahead of Davidson, Sato and albers (23). Quickest through the speed-trap was Raikkonen (185 mph), ahead of Speed, Fisichella, Kovalainen, Webber and Liuzzi.