08/09/2007
NEWS STORY
Ahead of this morning's practice session, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, and the track temperature is 28 degrees. It is bright and sunny.
The lights go green, and Yamamoto leads the way, followed by Sutil, Button, Trulli, Kubica, Schumacher, Davidson, Liuzzi, Rosberg and Kovalainen.
As Sato looks set to be the first driver to post a time, Alonso heads down the pitlane.
Sure enough, Sato posts 26.178, a benchmark, albeit over 3s off the sort of pace was are expecting.
Sutil is back on track in the Spyker B-car, the German losing track-time yesterday due to a gearbox problem.
In the Ferrari garage, Luca di Montezemolo watches the action - or lack of it - with Felipe Massa. The two share a joke, which is sure to please Raikkonen. Back on track, Sutil is 0.55s off Sato's pace.
As Sutil improves to 25.694, to go quickest, Trulli and Schumacher head down the pitlane. Meanwhile, the Red Bull and Toro Rosso garages appear to contain more giggling 'models', complete with digital cameras, then mechanics.
As Davidson is told that his team expects a massive improvement this morning, Schumacher gets it all wrong at the second chicane, spinning 180 degrees. Kovalainen watch from the Renault garage, a smile on his face.
Heidfeld goes quickest (24.066), ahead of Trulli, Liuzzi and Davidson. However, moments later, Rosberg pops in a 23.852 to go quickest. Next time around the German improves to 23.454.
As Rosberg heads back to the pits, enjoying a 0.45s advantage of Heidfeld, Hamilton heads down the pitlane, to whistles from the partisan fans in the stands opposite.
At the first split the English youngster is 0.119s up on Rosberg, and by the second split he enjoys a 0.332s advantage. At the line it's 23.096, the McLaren driver going quickest by 0.358s.
Massa, Raikkonen and Alonso are all on track now, the Spaniard immediately going second (23.189).
However, all eyes are on Raikkonen who goes head first into the tyre wall at the entry to Ascari. Under braking, the car jinks to the right and into the barriers before continuing head first into the barrier opposite. The Finn gets out of the car unhurt, on the pit-wall Jean Todt breathes a sigh of relief.
The session is red flagged as the car is removed and the tyre wall rebuilt.
The replay shows that the Finn begins to turn into the chicane but the car instead jerks to the right and into the wall.
On its return to the pits, the damaged Ferrari is quickly covered up with a tarpaulin by its crew.
As the stewards announce that the session will re-start at 11.45, leaving just 15 minutes, only Kovalainen and Kubica haven't posted times.
Sure enough, at 11.15 the session resumes, and one of the first out is Hamilton, along with teammate Alonso. The Spaniard is keen to get ahead of the English driver but Hamilton isn't about to oblige, almost forcing the World Champion on to the grass. That said, Fernando gets his way.
On his next flying lap, Alonso goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 22.494, outpacing Hamilton by 0.046s. Massa goes third (23.043), ahead of Rosberg, Vettel (yes Vettel!) and Fisichella.
Kubica is finally on the timesheets (tenth), as is Kovalainen (nineteenth).
Trulli improves to fifth, as Massa consolidates third place with a 22.916.
With Raikkonen having lost much of session two yesterday, due to a hydraulics problem, this morning's crash is further bad news for the Finn.
From out of nowhere, Heidfeld produces a 22.855 to go third, while Kubica goes fifth with a 23.287.
Both McLaren back on track, and as Alonso improves to 22.054, Hamilton can 'only' manage 22.200. Massa re-takes third place from Heidfeld with a 22.615.
The session ends, with Alonso quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Massa, Heidfeld, Kubica, Rosberg, Wurz, Trulli, Kovalainen and Webber.
McLaren ups the pace as Raikkonen's Monza misery continues.