Practice 1: Behind The Two Ferrari’s
By Sam Cooper
September 28 2007
The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One Team have completed the first practice session for this weekends Japanese Grand Prix, with reigning champion Fernando Alonso in 3rd place, current championship leader Lewis Hamilton ended the session in 4th place, seven tenths of a second behind pace setter and Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen.
Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen looks to have maintained his Belgium Grand Prix momentum into today’s first practice session, the ‘Iceman’ as he’s known finished on top of the timesheets three tenths clear from team mate Felipe Massa.
Reigning world champion Fernando Alonso finished the first session at the new Fuji circuit in 3rd place, just two tenths shy of second placed Felipe Massa. Fernando’s team mate Lewis Hamilton ended his first 90 minute session at the new circuit in fourth place, seven tenths shy of the leading Ferrari.
In fifth was Williams driver Nico Rosberg, the young German is looking good around the Japanese track, Nico ended the session just 0.2 seconds behind the McLaren of Hamilton. BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica ended the first 90 minute session in 6th place two tenths slower than Nico.
Alexander Wurz in the second Williams Toyota finished just four tenths behind his team mate, and 1.3 seconds behind pace setter Räikkönen. Jarno Trulli ended the session in 8th place almost 1.4 seconds behind Kimi.
Spyker F1 driver Adrian Sutil was out to impress other teams the German ending the session in a fantastic 9th place just 1.4 seconds behind Kimi. Behind the super quick Sutil was Anthony Davidson in the Super Aguri, who finished the first session one and a half seconds behind Kimi.
Times from the first session will be shown below.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1 | K. Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:19.119 | 26 |
| 2 | F. Massa | Ferrari | 1:19.498 | 27 |
| 3 | F. Alonso | McLaren | 1:19.667 | 27 |
| 4 | L. Hamilton | McLaren | 1:19.807 | 24 |
| 5 | N. Rosberg | Williams | 1:20.058 | 26 |
| 6 | R. Kubica | BMW | 1:20.297 | 26 |
| 7 | A. Wurz | Williams | 1:20.411 | 24 |
| 8 | J. Trulli | Toyota | 1:20.483 | 32 |
| 9 | A. Sutil | Spyker F1 | 1:20.516 | 29 |
| 10 | A. Davidson | Super Aguri | 1:20.601 | 22 |
| 11 | R. Barrichello | Honda | 1:20.068 | 24 |
| 12 | H. Kovalainen | Renault | 1:20.718 | 27 |
| 13 | N. Heidfeld | BMW | 1:20.728 | 26 |
| 14 | V. Liuzzi | STR | 1:20.808 | 29 |
| 15 | R. Schumacher | Toyota | 1:20.828 | 28 |
| 16 | G. Fisichella | Renault | 1:20.851 | 23 |
| 17 | T. Sato | Super Aguri | 1:21.186 | 15 |
| 18 | M. Webber | Red Bull | 1:21.437 | 18 |
| 19 | J. Button | Honda | 1:21.541 | 22 |
| 20 | S. Vettel | STR | 1:21.854 | 18 |
| 21 | D. Coulthard | Red Bull | 1:22.436 | 18 |
| 22 | S. Yamamoto | Spyker F1 | 1:22.902 | 17 |
