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After the
disappointment of the double DNF in the Japanese Grand Prix the Williams
team would move to the Shanghai circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix. The
start of the opening Friday practice would see the usual rush of drivers out
onto the track for their installation lap. Kazuki Nakajima would replace
Alex Wurz for this session and it would be Kazuki who would set the first
time of the session, 1m:42.894. In 2006 in the same session it was Alex who set the
fastest time with a 1m:35.574, so Kazuki was some way off the pace. Kazuki's
next lap was a 1m:41.313. Both Spyker cars were also out on the circuit.
Neither of the Ferrari's of Nico had taken to the track. Kazuki would
improve again with a 1m:40.240 as Sutil went second with a 1m:45.017.
Yamamoto was now second but Sutil would move ahead of him, 1m:434.185. But
Yamamoto was again in second as he improved with a 1m:42.956. BMW's Robert
Kubica would leave the pit lane as Sutil improved and moved into second, 1m:42.107.
With under an hour and fifteen minutes remaining Nico had still yet to come
out for his installation lap. Kubica would pit without setting a time.
Kazuki was now down to a 1m:39.879. Now Nico would take to the track as
Kazuki pitted. Sutil was now second, 1m:41.746.
 Nico's
first timed lap was a 1m:40.544 to put him in second behind Kazuki. Sutil
would pit from third and Yamamoto was fourth. Both Spyker drivers had set
times in the 1m:41 second bracket. We now had a few more drivers coming out;
Trulli, Schumacher, Vettel, Webber, and Davidson. Nico would improve with a
1m:40.081. Schumacher was on a quick lap and would set a time of 1m:39.332
to move to the top of the times. Nico would improve by a few hundredths,
1m:40.055. Trulli was now second with a 1m:39.348. Trulli would move ahead
of Ralf with a 1m:38.208. Webber was now in fifth followed by Davidson and
Vettel. Raikkonen would leave the pit lane for the first time. Nico would
pit with just over an hour remaining in the session. Webber was now in
fourth, 1m:39.834.
Button, Coulthard, Liuzzi, Barrichello, and Hamilton had also taken to the
track. Davison would improve to be in fourth, 1m:39.760. Kimi was down in
seventh, 1m:39.866. Schumacher and Davidson would pit. Heidfeld was also out
on the track. Button was now in fourth, 1m:39.743. Team-mate Barrichello was
in ninth. Hamilton would put in a lap that would see him fastest with a
1m:37.810. We had yet to see Massa take to the track. Kimi would move to the top of the
times with a 1m:37.790 but Hamilton would improve his time with a 1m:524 to
again be fastest. Heidfeld would move into fifth, 1m:39.188. Nico was now in
sixth and Kazuki down in ninth. We would have both Alonso and Massa take
to the track. Both Renault's were also out on the circuit.
Barrichello would improve to now be in eighth one place behind team-mate
Button. But both drivers would drop on place when Kubica moved into sixth,
1m:39.123. Massa's first lap would see him in fourth, 1m:38.358. Nico was
back out on the track as Alonso was in eighth, 1m:39.16, after running wide
at the final turn. Hamilton would pit as with just under fifty minutes left
in the session the order was Hamilton from Raikkonen, Massa, Trulli, Alonso, Heidfeld,
Schumacher, Fisichella, Kubica, and in tenth Nico. Kimi would pit. Kazuki
was down in fifteenth. Massa would move ahead of Hamilton with a 1m:37.510.
Alonso had improved to now be in fourth, 1m:37.951. He would pit followed by
Heidfeld. Kovalainen would improve to now be in tenth, 1m:38.758.
Nico was now eleventh with a 1m:39.148. Kazuki would return to the track
with forty three minutes remaining. Kubica was now sixth, 1m:38.216. Most of
the top ten had all pitted with only ninth placed Schumacher still out on
the track. Nico had pitted while Kazuki continued to circulate around the
track. Coulthard had improved to now be in fourteenth with team-mate Webber
in sixteenth. Ralf would pit but Heidfeld, Hamilton, Trulli, and Raikkonen would return to the track.
Kazuki would pit while Hamilton went fastest in the second sector. Heidfeld
would pull off the track with a problem with his car, as smoke was seen
coming from it. That would end his session. Alonso was now out on the track.
With the yellow flags from Heidfeld Heidfeld had to abort this lap. Alonso
would go fastest in sector one as Massa left the pit lane. Alonso's lap,
1m:37.556, would see him now in third. All the top ten were back out on the
track. Nico was now in twelfth and Kazuki fifteenth.
Heidfeld was able to return to his pit as Hamilton improved to now be
fastest, 1m:37.210. He would pit. But Kimi would move ahead of the McLaren
with a 1m:37.094. Massa had improved his lap time with a 1m:37.226 but this
would not see him change his position. Alonso was now in second with a
1m:37.108. Both Nico and Kazuki were back out on the track. Massa would
improve with a 1m:37.128, as most drivers in the top ten were again in their
pits. Nico was down in twelfth, 1m:39.092, and Kazuki, seventeenth,
1m:39.583. The top four were covered by just 0.116 second but fifth placed
Kubica was 1.036 seconds behind Raikkonen. Nico would pit with just
seventeen minutes left. Massa would pit.
With fifteen minutes remaining Kubica would return to the track. There were
only five drivers out on the track at this time. In the final sector speed
trap Nico's FW29 was some 9kph slower than the Ferrari of Raikkonen, 312kph
compared to 321kph. Only three drivers were out on the track; Kubica,
Schumacher, and Webber. Webber would pit while Raikkonen returned to the
track with ten minutes left. Hamilton would also come out, joined by Nico.
Alonso would leave the pit lane. Nico was on a quick lap moving from twelfth
to fifth, 1m:37.707. Massa was also out on the track as the circuit got
busier with six minutes remaining. Kazuki would also come out for his final
run.
Coulthard had improved to now be in twelfth, 1m:38.700. Heidfeld's problem
had been fixed and he was back out on the track. Team-mate Kubica was still
in his pit. Everyone except for Kubica were back out on the track. Massa
would spin at Turn one as Kazuki moved in ninth, 1m:38.270. Kubica would
finally come out. Nico would pit from fifth, his session over. With the end
of the session there was no change in the top four with Raikkonen leading Alonso, Massa, and
Hamilton. Nico was in fifth followed by Kubica, Trulli, Fisichella, Kazuki,
and in tenth Heidfeld. Kimi had set the pace in this session with a
1m:37.024. |
