Webber fifth in opening Belgian Practice

The first practice session for the the 2005 Belgian Grand Prix at the
Spa-Francorchamps circuit would get under way with Antonio Pizzonia replacing the still recovering Nick Heidfeld at the BMW WilliamsF1 team. Despite the rumours linking tem to the WilliamsF1 team McLaren announced this morning sponsorship from the Hilton Hotel company.

Jordan's third driver Nicolas Kiesa was first out onto the circuit. He would be joined by Zonta, Wurz, and Liuzzi. The track would be declared wet for the session with overnight rain leaving the circuit damp. We would also see the Sauber's Felipe Massa and Jacques Villeneuve, the BAR's of Button and Sato, Kimi Raikkonen, the Red Bull's of Coulthard and Klein, and both Toyota cars all come out for their installation lap.

With eleven minutes of the hour session run it would be Zonta who would set the first time, a 2m:01.833. He would be joined by Wurz who would set a time of 2m:00.253. Liuzzi would set a time of 2m:01.432 to be in second. But Zonta would improve on his time with a lap of 2m:00.658. With nearly thirty minutes of the session run only four drivers had set a time.

Ricardo would move ahead of Wurz with a time of 1m:56.232, 4.021 seconds ahead of Wurz. All the Friday drivers were completing a large number of laps with Zonta having completed ten laps and Wurz eight. Zonta would set an even quicker time with a lap time of 1m:54.104 to now be 6.149 seconds ahead of Wurz. Liuzzi would return to the track and his first lap back would see him move into second with a time of 1m:56.167.

With twenty five minutes remaining neither BMW WilliamsF1 driver had taken to the track. Liuzzi would improve his time with a 1m:54.375 to now be just 0.271 behind Zonta. With the conditions improving Liuzzi would go fastest with a time of 1m:52.494, 1.610 seconds ahead of Zonta. Toccacelo's first lap would see him set a time of 2m:03.431 to be a massive 10.937 seconds behind Liuzzi.

With Zonta back out his first lap would see him go fastest with a time of 1m:50.580. Kiesa would move into third with a 1m:59.785. Despite lowering his time, 2m:02.502, Toccacelo was now 11.922 seconds behind the fastest driver. Wurz would lower his time to move into third with a 1m:53.134. His next lap would see him lower his time with a 1m:53.073.

Massa would be the first of the non Friday drivers to set a time, 1m:58.330, to be in fifth behind Kiesa. Toccacelo would go off the circuit in sector two bringing out the yellow flags. Wurz would move into second with a 1m:51.713, while Massa improve his time with a 1m:55.326 to move into fourth.

Both Toyota's were back out on the circuit with Ralf Schumacher setting a time of 1m:57.761 to be in seventh. Both Wurz and Zonta were now in the 1m:50 seconds with Wurz going fastest with a time of 1m:50.046. Zonta's time was a 1m:50.580. Wurz would improve with a time of 1m:49.617. Trulli was in fifth with a 1m:53.706. Both Mark Webber and Antonio Pizzonia had come out for their installation lap. Villeneuve was in eleventh with a time of 2m:03.779.

Ralf would improve to now be in fourth with a time of 1m:52.714. Mark would start his first lap. Villeneuve was now in seventh. Liuzzi was still in third but had set a time of 1m:50.951. Both of the Ferrari's were now out with just over five minutes remaining. Sato was in sixth with a time of 1m:53.076. As for Mark his first lap would see him move into second with a time of 1m:49.692.

Zonta was now in third and Fisichella had moved into fourth with a time of 1m:49.791. Pizzonia was down in eighteenth. Fisichella would go fastest with a time of 1m:48.619 but Wurz would move back ahead of the Italian with a time of 1m:48.216. Michael Schumacher was in tenth with a time of 1m:51.858. But he would improve to now be in fifth with a time of 1m:50.564.

Kimi was out and his first lap would see him move into second with a time of 1m:48.537. Mark was now in fifth while Antonio was in fifteenth. Button was now in sixth and Trulli seventh as the session came to an end. In his final lap Raikkonen was able to sneak ahead of Wurz to go fastest with a time of 1m:48.206. Neither Alonso or Montoya, or the Red Bull's of Coulthard and Klein would set a time during the session. Pizzonia would leave the track in the second sector on his final lap.