European Grand Prix 1st Saturday Practice.


By Andrew Hooper
June 28 2003

   
European GP Saturday 1st Practice
 
The opening Saturday practice at the Nürburgring would see the BMW WilliamsF1 drivers set the fourth and seventh fastest times with Juan Pablo leading Ralf. Early in the session Ralf had set the fastest time. Juan Pablo would have a spin in the Mercedes Arena between turns two and three but he was able to continue.

MontoyaAt the top of the times it would be Toyota's Olivier Panis. With staff visiting the circuit from the team's factory in Cologne Olivier was able to put in a a late run that would see him beat the time set by Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello, with a time of 1m:31.181.

Barrichello set a time of 1m:32.039 to finish 0.858 seconds behind, with third place going to McLaren's David Coulthard. David was 1.290 seconds off the pace of the Toyota. Juan Pablo finished fourth while Kimi Raikkonen was fifth ahead of Michael and Ralf, sixth and seventh respectively.

Jaguar's Antonio Pizzonia was eighth, while Toyota's second driver Cristiano da Matta backed up his Toyota team-mate Panis' performance with an impressive ninth place. Da Matta would lose control of his Toyota under braking at turn one and had a brief trip across the gravel.

Renault's Italian Jarno Trulli completed the top ten for Renault. For Sauber's Nick Heidfeld he would go off at turn one but was able to continue.
 
Pos Driver Team Time Laps

1. Panis Toyota (M) 1:31.181 203.253 km/h 18
2. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:32.039 + 0.858 15
3. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:32.471 + 1.290 14
4. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:32.477 + 1.296 16
5. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:32.803 + 1.622 12
6. M. Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:32.852 + 1.671 16
7. R. Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:32.891 + 1.710 15
8. Pizzonia Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:33.127 + 1.946 11
9. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:33.140 + 1.959 17
10. Trulli Renault (M) 1:33.707 + 2.526 15
11. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:34.127 + 2.946 13
12. Alonso Renault (M) 1:34.179 + 2.998 12
13. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:34.564 + 3.383 13
14. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:34.582 + 3.401 10
15. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:34.775 + 3.594 10
16. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:34.784 + 3.603 12
17. Firman Jordan Ford (B) 1:34.967 + 3.786 12
18. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:35.332 + 4.151 11
19. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:36.845 + 5.664 9
20. Wilson Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:37.001 + 5.820 8 
 
 
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