BMW WilliamsF1 on top after practice in Japan

By Andrew Hooper
October 11 2003

	Japanese GP Saturday 2nd Practice
	The final practice before this afternoons qualifying would see the BMW WiliamsF1 pair of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya finish the session on top, with Ralf fastest. The session would start with Juan Pablo Montoya been the first driver out onto the track. He was joined by Jordan's Ralph Firman, team-mate Ralf Schumacher. Both Renault drivers would come out early in the session. Trulli would be the first to set the quickest time of the session. He would be joined in second by team-mate Alonso. Their times were no where near those that they had set previously. But after ten minutes Sauber's Heinz-Harald Frentzen would spin off the track after losing the back end of his car. He would spin across the track and was able to continue. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher was out early in the session but would only set a very slow time, being two seconds off the pace through the second sector. He would be down in ninth. For rival Kimi Raikkonen he was forced to wait while his mechanics worked to fix his car, which he’d damaged in the day’s first practice. Kimi would finally make an appearance after about fifteen minutes of the session. Justin Wilson continued to his good run of form from practice one and claimed sixth place, but lost it to his team-mate Mark Webber. Montoya would move into first with a time of 1m:31.422, which was 0.92 seconds quicker than Trulli’s time. Raikkonen would move into third position with his first flying lap. BAR's Takuma Sato was in eleventh. Raikkonen would lose his position when Michael Schumacher was able to improve to second place. Ralf would push his his brother down to third when he went fastest with a time of 1m:31.149. Montoya was to try and respond but was to spin off across the gravel after he spun on oil left on the track moments early when Fernando Alonso’s Renault blew up.
	Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. R. Schumacher WilliamsF1 BMW (M) 1:31.149 229.352 km/h 10 2. Montoya WilliamsF1 BMW (M) 1:31.422 + 0.273 15 3. M. Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:31.705 + 0.556 12 4. Trulli Renault (M) 1:32.343 + 1.194 19 5. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:32.796 + 1.647 11 6. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:32.930 + 1.781 7 7. Panis Toyota (M) 1:33.082 + 1.933 16 8. Alonso Renault (M) 1:33.107 + 1.958 15 9. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:33.133 + 1.984 17 10. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:33.411 + 2.262 21 11. Sato BAR Honda (B) 1:33.662 + 2.513 10 12. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:33.694 + 2.545 16 13. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:33.807 + 2.658 15 14. Wilson Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:33.952 + 2.803 18 15. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:34.558 + 3.409 19 16. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:35.476 + 4.327 15 17. Firman Jordan Ford (B) 1:35.620 + 4.471 15 18. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:37.379 + 6.230 6 19. Kiesa Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:37.884 + 6.735 18