WilliamsF1 4th & 7th after Saturday practice


By Andrew Hooper
September 28 2002

   
United States GP Saturday 2nd Practice
 
In the teams final practice before qualifying both BMW WilliamsF1 drivers would set times in the 1m:11 sec. mark but they were still only good enough for fourth and seventh for Ralf and Juan Pablo respectively. If both drivers are going to perform well in qualifying they are going to have to find extra performance from their cars as they are somewhat off the pace.

Ralf SchumacherThe final practice session would see Ralf has leave the pits first, whilst the first driver has already parked his car with Minardi's Mark Webber stopping out on the circuit with a technical problem. McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen would spin as he put one wheel onto the wet grass.

According to Juan Pablo they need to find a better set-up. With just under half the session remaining Ralf would set a quick time to be only 0.789 behind his brother. Ralf would return to the pits, after a short trip across the grass, which considering the wet conditions he did well to keep under control.

Ralf would return to the track and put in another quick lap to move up into third half a second behind Michael Schumacher. Juan Pablo would join his team-mate out on the track. Both were fitted with new tyres. But after two aborted laps, Juan Pablo would return to the pits. Juan Pablo's laps on new tyres was full of mistakes.

With around ten minutes left, Ralf would go back out. For Juan Pablo he would improve going into sixth, whilst Ralf was still in third. Michael Schumacher would go even faster after changing the rear wing of his car. Both Michael Schumacher and Barrichello were changing their rear wings every few minutes in order to find the best downforce compromise for the tight infield and the long straight.

The last few mins things would see Jaguar's Eddie Irvine set a best time of 1m:11.688 which would see him jump into third in front of Ralf. It is very much the case that Jaguar is on the pace. The session would come to an end with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen spinning out at Turn eight damaging his car. He would finish in eighth.

By the end of the session it was very much the case that Michael Schumacher will go into qualifying looking as favourite to take his sixth pole of the season.

 
Driver Team (Tyres) Time Gap Laps

01. M Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:11.158 28
02. R Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:11.394 0.236 29
03. E Irvine Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:11.688 0.530 25
04. R Schumacher BMW.WilliamsF1 (M) 1:11.849 0.691 26
05. D Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:11.909 0.751 22
06. N Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:11.910 0.752 26
07. JP Montoya BMW.WilliamsF1 (M) 1:11.992 0.834 25
08. K Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:12.162 1.004 26
09. G Fisichella Jordan-Honda (B) 1:12.220 1.062 28
10. Heinz H. Frentzen Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:12.589 1.431 23
11. M Salo Toyota (M) 1:12.656 1.498 25
12. P de la Rosa Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:12.679 1.521 28
13. J Villeneuve BAR-Honda (B) 1:12.726 1.568 17
14. O Panis BAR-Honda (B) 1:12.746 1.588 28
15. J Trulli Renault (M) 1:12.756 1.598 30
16. T Sato Jordan-Honda (B) 1:12.826 1.668 17
17. J Button Renault (M) 1:12.878 1.720 28
18. A McNish Toyota (M) 1:13.204 2.046 33
19. M Webber Minardi-Asiatech (M) 1:13.547 2.389 20
20. A Yoong Minardi-Asiatech (M) 1:13.562 2.404 34 
 
 
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