14/03/2008
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's eagerly awaited opening practice session, the first of the 2008 season, the air temperature is 31 degrees C, while the track temperature is 30 degrees. It is sunny with the remainder of the weekend expected to be extremely hot.
The lights go green, the 2008 season is underway as Nick Heidfeld heads down the pitlane, followed by Kubica, Vettel, Piquet and Bourdais. The last two making their F1 debuts.
Even though it's the first session of the year, it's business as usual as the cars complete an installation lap then head back to the pits. The team that really needs to get some laps in today is super Aguri, which has done very little testing this year.
One by one they come out, Sutil, Webber, Kovalainen, Fisichella, Alonso, Glock, Trulli, Barrichello, Button and Hamilton. Sato is the first of the Super Aguri drivers to make an appearance. Moments later, he is joined by teammate Anthony Davidson.
Fourteen minutes into the session, Bourdais is the first driver to go out for a second run. Only the Ferrari and Williams drivers have yet to make an appearance.
We're not sure what the latest is regarding the Honda crash tests, however, we can reveal that the Brackley crew are wearing the most hideous bilious green trousers, absolutely disgusting.
We hear that Honda has spent the last couple of days trying to get its nose and rear through the crash test. These are the spec used at Jerez last week, which according to the team were a major step forward.
Meanwhile, Bourdais posts the first time of the weekend, the Frenchman crossing the line at 1:35.239. Moment later, Vettel leaves the pits, as Bourdais gets down to 33.900.
Vettel goes quickest (31.879), however, all eyes are on Rosberg, who slows dramatically towards the end of his installation lap, his car sounding far from healthy.
No such problems for his teammate, Kazuki Nakajima, who posts the third time of the day (35.053), as Nelson Piquet heads down the pitlane, followed by Jarno Trulli.
Piquet posts 35.599 to go fourth as Glock and 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen comer out to play. The Brazilian improves to third (33.085), behind Vettel and Bourdais.
Having completed his installation lap, Raikkonen continues round to begin what should be the first really hot lap of the weekend. Meanwhile, Trulli goes quickest with a 31.023.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, as Massa heads down the pitlane. However, a poor final sector sees the Finn go seventh (of seven) as Trulli improves to 30.028.
Massa goes quickest (29.847) only to be demoted, almost instantly, by his teammate, who crosses the line at 28.997. Moments later, the scarlet duo are split by Trulli, with Piquet fourth, ahead of Glock and Bourdais.
As the Hondas take to the track, Massa goes quickest only to be nudged out yet again by his teammate, who this time posts a 28.158. Elsewhere, Trulli gets a little out of shape in the final corner.
Glock goes fourth, as Button goes eighth and Barrichello tenth. Meanwhile, Alonso fires up his Renault and heads off down the pitlane.
Hamilton leaves the McLaren garage as Raikkonen improves to 27.709. However, moments later the Finn gets badly out of shape, his rear end kicking up the Albert Park turf.
As Button goes sixth (30.761), Rosberg is back on track. Massa consolidates second with a 27.930, as Coulthard complains of being uncomfortable in the Red Bull. Elsewhere, Glock gets well and truly out of shape.
As Massa goes quickest (27.524), Kovalainen goes fifth, ahead of Webber, Barrichello, Piquet and Button. However, all eyes are now on Hamilton who posted a 31.830 on his first lap to go thirteenth. Next time around the Englishman goes third (28.332)m much to the obvious delight of Ron Dennis.
At half-time, it's: Massa, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Glock, Trulli, Alonso, Webber, Barrichello and Piquet. No times from the BMWs, the Super Aguris, Coulthard ort Rosberg.
Kovalainen goes third with a 27.929 as Hamilton and Fisichella both go cross-country. Nonetheless, the Englishman goes quickest (27.386), having gone quickest in the first and final sectors.
Next time around the 2007 runner-up posts 27.085 to consolidate the top spot. Elsewhere, Heidfeld goes eleventh, albeit 2.8s off the pace, while Alonso has a real rough ride over one of the notorious Melbourne kerbs.
Coulthard goes eighth (29.301), as Heidfeld attempts to improve on 29.899, but with little apparent success. The German complaining of 'graining' and understeer.
Coulthard drives back into his garage, smoke pouring from the back of his Red Bull, the engine having appeared to give up the ghost. Not the ideal start for the Scot or his team.
Hamilton takes to the grass as he heads back into the pits, while further down the pitlane Kimi Raikkonen returns to the fray. As Alonso goes fifth, the big surprise is Toyota, which has sixth (Glock) and seventh (Trulli).
With half-an-hour remaining, Bourdais is tenth, ahead of Vettel, Sutil, Webber, Barrichello, Piquet, Button, Fisichella and Nakajima. Kubica, Sato, Davidson and Rosberg have still to post a time.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, as Massa closes to within 0.090s of Hamilton. The Finn improves, but remains 0.186s off the pace.
Moments after improving to ninth (29.561), Heidfeld slows and then pulls off track, his session over. Meanwhile, as Robert Kubica heads down the pitlane, Felipe Massa goes quickest in the first sector.
Kubica posts 33.505 to go eighteenth (of nineteen), as Hamilton kicks up another cloud of dust. Piquet spins 180 degrees and is left stranded his engine having stalled. With twenty minutes remaining, the session is red flagged as the Renault is removed from the track.
Hamilton, Massa, Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Alonso, Glock, Trulli, Coulthard, Heidfeld and Bourdais. The air temperature has increased to 33 degrees C, while the track temperature is up to 38.
Fastest through the main speed-trap is Massa, ahead of Raikkonen, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Glock and Alonso.
The session resumes with seventeen minutes remaining, however, there is no mad rush to get back to work, indeed, only six drivers head back down the pitlane.
In the McLaren garage, Hamilton is working on his laptop whilst sitting in his car… the mind boggles.
With Rosberg playing no further part in this session, Sato and Davidson, the only other drivers that haven't posted a time, are back on track. The Englishman goes eighteenth (32.886) but is instantly demoted by his teammate who posts 32.611. elsewhere, Fisichella improves to fourteenth, ahead of Barrichello, Sutil, Piquet and Button.
Kubica improves to sixth with a 28.579, giving BMW some consolation following a difficult session. Meanwhile, Hamilton goes quickest in the final sector but fails to improve. Elsewhere, his former teammate takes a trip across one of the large red gravel traps.
As Webber goes tenth, Massa goes quickest in the second sector. However, in the final sector he closes in on Trulli and loses time, consequently he fails to improve, much to his obvious frustration. Meanwhile, no such problems for Raikkonen, who takes the top spot with a 26.823, despite only going quickest in the final sector. To add to Massa's frustration, Kovalainen goes third (27.114).
Next time around Raikkonen goes quickest in all three sectors, finally crossing the line at 26.461, putting 0.624s of daylight between himself and Hamilton.
A late improvement sees home-boy Webber go fifth, ahead of Alonso, Kubica and Glock. While a late charge from Massa sees the Brazilian take third with a 26.958.
The session ends with Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Massa, Kovalainen, Webber, Alonso, Kubica, Glock, Vettel and Trulli.
Early days, but pretty much as expected as far as Ferrari and McLaren are concerned. While Alonso looked good, Piquet was disappointing, and while Red Bull and Toro Rosso impressed, the big surprise was Toyota.
Williams was a major disappointment, while Fisichella and Button were both impressive for Force India and Honda, respectively.
Still, like we said… early days.