Webber heads Heidfeld in final Hungarian Practice

For the first time this weekend Mark Webber would lead team-mate Nick Heidfeld as the BMW WilliamsF1 team drivers completed the final practice session in Hungary. Mark and Nick would finish in tenth and eleventh. With Mark having to start qualifying second the situation looks very difficult for the WilliamsF1 team.

With Kimi Raikkonen fastest in the first Saturday practice session, closely
followed by Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya the final practice session would get under way. With nearly ten minutes of the session run only Raikkonen, Villeneuve, and the Jordan's of Monteiro and Karthikeyan had taken to the track. They would be joined by Sato, Michael Schumacher, Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, and Jarno Trulli.

The first time would be set by Villeneuve with a 1m:24.653. Raikkonen's first lap was a 1m:27.339. He would be beaten by Karthikeyan who did a 1m:27.239. Sato would move to the top of the times with a 1m:24.391. Both Renault's ad Nick Heidfeld had come out to complete their installation lap. At the front it would Montoya who would go fastest with a 1m:21.863. But the situation would quickly change as Kimi went fastest with a 1m:21.527. Michael was now in third with a 1m:22.053. Trulli and Ralf were in fourth and fifth. Alonso was in sixth with a 1m:23.951. Sato was seventh and Villeneuve eighth.

Nick's first lap would see him in sixth with a 1m:22.985. Ralf was now in fourth with Fisichella sixth. Trulli was now in seventh. Alonso had improved to now be in fourth with a 1m:22.071. Button was in ninth with a 1m:23.548. Mark Webber had completed his installation lap, with just under thirty minutes remaining. Mark's first lap was a 1m:23.660 which would see him in tenth. Button was in eighth with a 1m:22.797. Nick was in ninth. The Red Bull's of Coulthard and Klein were in thirteenth and fourteenth.

So with twenty five minutes remaining the order was Raikkonen, Montoya, Michael Schumacher, Alonso, Ralf Schumacher, Fisichella, Trulli, Button, Heidfeld, and Webber. Klein would move into ninth with a 1m:22.953. Team-mate Coulthard was now in eleventh. Mark had dropped to twelfth and Nick tenth. There would be the usual lull in on-track proceedings as drivers prepared for their final laps prior to qualifying.

But one driver who was still out was Rubens Barrichello and he would go fastest with a time of 1m:21.266 to be 0.261 ahead of Kimi. Michael would lower his time with a 1m:21.544 but remained in fourth. On four drivers were in the 1m:21 second bracket, the two McLaren's and Ferrari's. Trulli had stopped in sector two after he had left the track bringing out the yellow flags. Alonso was on a quick lap and would move into second with a 1m:21.336, to be just 0.070 behind Rubens.

Nick and Mark were now down in eleventh and fifteenth. The Sauber's of Massa and Villeneuve were in thirteenth and fourteenth. Nick would move into tenth with a 1m:22.949. At the front Kimi would again move to the top of the times with a stunning 1m:20.219 to be over one second faster than Rubens. Montoya would join him, moving into second with a 1m:20.517. Mark would move into twelfth with a time of 1m:23.078. Coulthard would push Nick out of the top ten with a time of 1m:22.866. Button would move into fourth with a 1m:21.301 splitting Barrichello and Alonso.

With just over ten minutes remaining the order was Raikkonen, Montoya,
Barrichello, Button, Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher, Fisichella, Trulli, and Coulthard. Albers in his Minardi was one place ahead of Mark. Rubens would come back out for another run. Team-mate Michael was also back out, joined by Montoya. Several other drivers would join them in the final five minutes of the session. Kimi would also come out for his final laps.

Michael was now in third with a 1m:20.773 while Sato had moved into seventh. At the front Ralf was now in fourth behind Michael. Rubens was now in fifth. Kimi was again fastest with a 1m:20.203 while Mark was now in tenth with a 1m:21.889 and Nick eleventh with a 1m:21.918. So with the end of the session the order was Raikkonen from Montoya, Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher, Barrichello, Fisichella, Button, Alonso, Sato, and Webber.