15/09/2007
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's sole free practise session, the air temperature is 16 degrees, while the track temperature is 21 degrees. It is bright and sunny, but like yesterday it is cool.
The lights go green, and Sutil leads the way, followed by Davidson, Schumacher, Yamamoto, Sato, Vettel and a whole load of others.
As the main group of drivers return to the pits, their installation laps completed, the remaining 'stragglers' head down the pitlane. Five minutes into the session only Alonso and the Ferraris haven't been out.
Eleven minutes into the session, following several minutes of total inactivity, Yamamoto heads back down the pitlane, along with Schumacher, Sutil, Davidson and Liuzzi.
It's Ralf that posts the first time of the day, crossing the line at 1:48.567. In the moments that follow, Sutil goes second, ahead of Yamamoto. Elsewhere, Raikkonen is on track.
It's all over for Kubica who pulls to the side of the track at Rivage. Before he slowed thare was a brief puff of blue smoke from the BMW.
Raikkonen's first lap sees the Finn go fifth (49.914). Next time around the Finn goes quickest in the first and final sectors, however, he has to ease off in the second due to the yellow flags that are waved following Kubica's retirement.
No such problem for Hamilton, who goes quickest with a 47.545, even though the timing screen still shows the yellow caution icon.
Raikkonen goes quickest with a 47.363, as Massa heads down the pitlane. Alonso has yet to make an appearance.
Behind Raikkonen and Hamilton, it's Schumacher, Rosberg, Liuzzi, Vettel, Sutil, Heidfeld and Barrichello.
Raikkonen improves with a 46.624, as Massa goes second with a 47.238. Meanwhile, Kubica talks of hearing a "strange noise" before his failure. Sadly, he gives an example of the noise, it consists of a quite disgusting sucking sound.
Webber goes fourth (48.653), while Fisichella and Kovalainen languish in seventeenth and eighteenth, No times as yet from Coulthard and Trulli, while Alonso has yet to leave his garage.
That said, thirty-one minutes into the session the Spaniard heads down the pitlane. He was awesome yesterday, can he maintain that form today.
As Trulli goes fourth, Massa closes to within 0.107s of his Ferrari teammate.
Business as usual for Yamamoto, who goes off into the gravel kicking up clouds of dust.
On his first flying lap, Alonso is up on Raikkonen by 0.121s at the first split. At the second split he's 0.282s down on the Finn, finally crossing the line at 46.951 to go third.
Nico Rosberg, currently tenth, is mighty impressive through Eau Rouge, showing the total commitment we previously saw in his father. That said, he only improves to ninth, 2.1s off the pace.
Raikkonen raises the benchmark with a 46.137, having gone quickest in the first and final sectors. Hamilton briefly goes quickest in the final sector but is unable to improve overall.
Spa is a real racer's circuit, and it is clear that Raikkonen loves it here. Elsewhere, Hamilton is making full use of the wide run off strips.
Fisichella improves to seventh, as Kovalainen goes sixth, the Renault drivers sandwiching Nick Heidfeld. On the pit-wall Pat Symonds is wrapped up in his Renault fleece, clear proof of exactly how cool it is here.
Hamilton improves with a 46.782, thereby leapfrogging his teammate. Meanwhile, Coulthard goes eleventh with 48.564, 2.4s off the pace.
Yamamoto has finally run out of luck - or is that talent - as he stuffs the Spyker into the tyre barriers at what appears to be the entry to Blanchimont.
With ten minutes remaining, Vettel, on the harder compound, goes tenth, as Button goes eighth. The final charge appears to be underway.
The Renault duo goes fifth (Kovalainen) and sixth (Fisichella) with three minutes remaining. However, the top four are all on fast laps.
Massa, on the softer compound, fails to improve, having locked up big time at Bus Stop. Alonso, also on the softer option, re-takes third from his McLaren teammate.
However, all eyes are on Raikkonen, (softs) who is on a blinder, going quickest in the first sector. At the second split he's already 0.119s up on his previous best, finally crossing the line at 46.140, missing out on his previous best by 0.003s.
The session ends, with Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Massa, Alonso, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Trulli, Rosberg, Heidfeld, Schumacher and Webber.
Once again, the entire field, except Kubica and Yamamoto head round to the starting grid to perform practice starts.