01/08/2008
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's first free practice session, the air temperature is 26 degrees C, while the track temperature is 31 degrees. It is bright and sunny.
The lights go green and as usual, Fisichella leads the way. Since it is rarely used, other than for the GP, the track here is extremely green, and it won't be until tomorrow that it will really begin to 'rubber in'.
Tyre options this weekend, like Monaco, are soft and super-soft, the Hungaroring, like the Principality, requiring maximum downforce.
Jenson Button stays out for a second lap, the Honda featuring the 'dorsal fin'. Most of the drivers are running their installation laps on super-softs.
Eight minutes into the session, Glock heads down the pitlane. The German has been given the all-clear to race this weekend following his heavy crash at Hockenheim, although he did a day's testing at Jerez last week.
Oh dear. You'll be aware of the moment when fans realise that they are on the telly, having seen themselves on the big screens. In this instance, the camera closes in on a young woman who is picking her nose, and making a thorough job of it.
The Ferrari is also running the 'dorsal fin' today, though it is not yet decided whether the Italian team will use it for the remainder of the weekend.
With all but the Ferraris having made an appearance, there is a long period of inactivity. While drivers chat to their mechanics, and spectators apply the sunblock, in the nearby water-park kids do what do best, have fun.
The waiting continues, half an hour into the session there are still no times on the timesheets.
There's hope! Kimi Raikkonen is sitting in his car. However, it is a former Ferrari driver who breaks the deadlock, Rubens Barrichello, who takes to the track on super-softs.
As Jenson Button heads down the pitlane, Barrichello, who goes wide posts the first time of the day, the Brazilian crossing the line at a disappointing 1:34.765, improving to 33.698 next time around. Button soon raises the benchmark with a far more healthy 31.6547.
That's more like it, Barrichello posts 27.409, as Fisichella, Bourdais, Nakajima and Trulli leave their garages.
A 26.708 sees Bourdais go quickest, yet we are still over 7s - yes seven seconds - of last year's pole-winning time.
Trulli, who has just gone quickest with a 23.354, spins at Turn 2, but then makes a total fist of things as he attempts to spin the car around and continue. Bourdais is now second, ahead of Fisichella, Nakajima and Sutil.
Raikkonen, on softs and running the dorsal fin, goes eighth with a 29.468. However, on his next lap he goes quickest in the first sector, and again in the second, finally crossing the line at 22.032.
A problem for Vettel, the German pulls off to the side of the track. The replay shows a puff of smoke and then bits of metal flying in all directions as his engine detonates. Not a great start to the weekend for Toro Rosso or indeed Renault.
Trulli improves to second and teammate Glock third, as Massa heads down the pitlane. On his first flying lap, the Brazilian goes second, crossing the line at 22.725.
As Glock improves to third, Kubica goes fourth, ahead of Piquet, Trulli and Webber. The Italian complains of lack of grip and that the car is bottoming.
A 22.579 sees Kubica improve to second, splitting the Ferraris, as Hamilton, who is not running a dorsal fin, goes fifth with a 22.820.
As Hamilton improves to fourth (22.158), there are still no times from Alonso or Coulthard.
Kovalainen improves from seventh to sixth with a 22.396, as teammate Hamilton goes quickest in the second sector. A relatively poor final sector however, means the youngster fails to improve.
Kovalainen goes quickest with a 21.951, thereby demoting Hamilton to fifth. Elsewhere, Alonso goes sixteenth with a 24.702. Still no time from Coulthard.
"The balance of the car is good," Kubica tells his mechanics, "as is the grip". Wow! Finally we have a driver who doesn't complain!
Coulthard is on track, as is Barrichello, who improves from seventeenth to tenth in one fell swoop, improving his pace by over a second. Alonso improves to seventh as Coulthard goes eleventh.
No doubt, BMW is trying out different strategies, which hopefully explains the difference in pace - over a second - between Kubica and Heidfeld.
Glock is sporting a new helmet livery, which really plays up the German flag.
Massa is back out on softs, the top seven covered by just 0.324s. However, worryingly, both Williams are over 2s off the pace.
Massa goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 21.946 to go quickest by 0.005s. And let's not forget, that was on softs as opposed to super-softs. The top three - Massa, Kovalainen and Raikkonen - now covered by just 0.086s.
Hamilton (softs) goes quickest (21.535) as Glock goes second, however, moments later Massa re-takes the top spot with a 21.465. Next time around the Brazilian improves with a 20.981.
Replay shows Hamilton having a major twitch at Turn 4. Brilliant control, fantastic reactions.
Just over seven minutes remaining and the final assault begins, however, it is in this afternoon's session when we really expect things to get serious.
The Williams duo is propping up the timesheets, both cars over 3.3s off the pace.
A 21.839 sees Alonso improve to fourth, as Kovalainen locks up at Turn 2.
Raikkonen (softs) is pushing hard, but failing to match the leaders' pace. Elsewhere, Rosberg and Nakajima improve to seventeenth and eighteenth, but remain over 2.4s off the pace.
With seconds remaining, Hamilton goes quickest in the first sector, but a poor final sector sees him fail to improve. Raikkonen, however, posts a personal best in the first sector. At the line it's 21.345, which sees the Finn go second. A late attack by Hamilton sees the Englishman fail to improve on fourth.
Therefore, the session ends with Massa quickest, ahead of Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Alonso, Glock, Kubica, Piquet, Heidfeld and Trulli.
The top six are covered by 0.950s.