03/08/2007
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's first free practice session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 36 degrees. It is bright and sunny.
There are two driver changes since the European GP, with Sakon Yamamoto taking over the second Spyker, while Sebastian Vettel replaces Scott Speed at Toro Rosso.
Yamamoto contested seven Grands Prix for Super Aguri last year, his best result being sixteenth in the Chinese and Brazilian races, while at Indianapolis this year, Vettel became the youngest point scorer in the history of the Formula One World Championship. The 19-year-old (at that time) was standing in for Robert Kubica at BMW.
Fist out is Adrian Sutil, followed by Yamamoto, Sato and Davidson… the session is underway.
One by one the drivers come out for an installation lap of the Hungarian track… one by one they return to their garages on its completion.
At the back of the McLaren garage Lewis Hamilton looks relaxed as he sips a drink through a straw, showing no signs of going to work just yet. Looking even more relaxed is Nico Rosberg, who is on the pit-wall talking to his crew.
Eleven minutes into the session, Yamamoto return to the track. The Japanese youngster posts the first time of the day (1:32.593), while, in the Honda garage, Rubens Barrichello is cuddling one of his mechanics.
As Trulli and Schumacher leaves the pits, Yamamoto raises the benchmark with a 31.351.
As the Japanese driver continues to lap the Hungarian track, getting down to 30.849, the Toyota duo heads back to the pits.
Having completed nine laps, Yamamoto returns to the pits, clearly a signal for teammate Sutil to get to work. On his first flying lap, the German posts 28.724.
Twenty-five minutes into the session, Vettel leaves the pits, as Sutil raises the benchmark to 27.828. Moments later, Vettel posts 32.446.
While the majority of drivers wait and watch, or chat, Vettel goes quickest, crossing the line at 27.303.
The youngster's glory is short-lived however, for moments later Trulli goes quickest (24.986), followed by Liuzzi, in the second Toro Rosso. Elsewhere, Schumacher spins off but is able to continue.
Button and Webber are now on track as Schumacher goes quickest (24.496). Elsewhere, Barrichello, Hamilton and Raikkonen head down the pitlane.
In the first sector alone, Hamilton takes 0.8s out of Schumacher, finally crossing the line at 23.657. Moments later Raikkonen posts 25.391 to go fourth.
Robert Kubica has a lot of support here, and the Polish flags are waved when the BMW driver goes third with a 24.841, splitting the Toyotas.
At 'half-time', it's: Hamilton, Schumacher, Kubica, Trulli, Raikkonen, Webber, Barrichello, Button, Wurz and Davidson.
Heidfeld goes fifth, as Rosberg goes tenth, ahead of Fisichella.
As Alonso leaves the pits, followed by Coulthard, Heidfeld improves to third, thereby demote his teammate to fourth.
A 23.600 sees Alonso go quickest, giving McLaren a 1-2, as Massa finally leaves the Ferrari garage.
Between them, the Spyker drivers have completed 28 laps, while Massa and Kovalainen are the only drivers yet to post a time.
That said, Massa posts 29.325 to go twentieth. Next time around the Brazilian improves to fifth with a 24.347.
Kubica complains of graining, lack of grip and understeer, particularly in the final sector. Other than that it's OK we presume.
As Coulthard goes seventh, Raikkonen slips down to ninth. Elsewhere, Button has spun and stalled.
Webber clearly has a problem. The car grinds to a halt at the end of the pitlane. The Australian, currently twelfth quickest, gets out and gamely pushes the car back up the pitlane. As his crew come to help him, car and driver are engulfed by a crowd of photographers.
The replay shows the Red Bull simply lost drive as it was heading down the main straight. Webber was not leaving the pits, he merely coasted across to the end of the pitlane when his car lost power. Not a promising start to the Australian's weekend.
Nick Heidfeld is looking just a touch ragged, going off twice in one lap. Elsewhere, Liuzzi has stopped at the end of the pitlane. Unlike Webber, however, he was leaving the pits when his car ground to a halt. The Italian believes it to be a clutch problem.
While all this was happening, Raikkonen has gone fourth (24.120).
Hamilton takes the top spot with a 23.303, taking over a quarter-of-a-second off his teammate's previous best.
As Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, Heidfeld improves to 24.124, but remains fifth. The Finn loses time in the second sector, when Vettel, running just ahead, gets his backside all out of shape.
Next time around, Raikkonen improves to third (23.551), yet remains over half-a-second off Hamilton's pace.
While his mechanics work frantically on his car, Webber watches (almost) impassively). In the BMW garage, Kubica is told of the changes the crew have made to his car. "Did you notice any difference," he is asked. "No," is the reply.
Alonso re-takes the top spot with a 23.030, as Massa posts 23.333 to go third. Next time around, the Brazilian goes quickest, crossing the line at 22.519, taking half-a-second off Alonso.
With eight minutes remaining, Kubica goes quickest, much to the delight of his many fans in the stands and on the banking. The Pole posts 22.390.
Both McLarens are on track as Heidfeld goes third, giving BMW 1-3.
Behind the 'usual suspects', the Toyotas are seventh and eighth, just ahead of the Hondas.
As Raikkonen begins a hot lap, Rosberg posts 22.983 to go fourth.
As the session comes towards its conclusion, the action is fact and furious with twenty cars on track. Only Webber and Fisichella are 'missing' the fun.
Hamilton improves to third (22.654), as Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector. The Finn loses pace in the second sector but thanks to a good final sector he improves to third. Teammate Massa, however, stops at the end of the pitlane with what appears to be a technical problem.
The session ends with Kubica quickest, ahead of Massa, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Button, Barrichello and Schumacher.