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BAR Honda racer Jenson
Button maintained his impressive run of form by setting fastest Michelin
time on the on the opening day of the Spanish Grand Prix meeting in
Barcelona. The Englishman, who has finished on the podium in each of the
previous three races, lapped the Circuit de Catalunya in 1m 15.935s –
the fastest time this afternoon and second on aggregate behind world
champion Michael Schumacher.
Button was strongly supported by team-mate Anthony Davidson (second this
afternoon, fourth overall), who completed 60 laps during the day. Most
Michelin drivers set their quickest times in the second session, in
which Ricardo Zonta (Toyota) was third ahead of Ralf Schumacher (BMW
WilliamsF1 Team, fourth) and local favourite Fernando Alonso (Renault,
fifth).
• McLaren star Kimi Räikkönen failed to complete the second session when
his car stopped on the track with technical trouble.
• Jaguar rookie Christian Klien missed most of today’s afternoon session
after spinning on his first flying lap. The young Austrian, who was 17th
fastest this morning, spun off at Turn Five, Seat Corner. Jaguar tester
Bjorn Wirdheim also ran off the track but the Swede was able to extract
his R4 chassis from the gravel.
• Takuma Sato (B•A•R-Honda/Michelin) was eighth fastest this morning but
was forced to spend most of the second session in the pits because of
car problems.
Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin Motorsport Director:
“Barcelona is different from other tracks at which we have raced so far
this season. It is very abrasive and our partner teams’ have been
working particularly hard to assess the best tyre option for Sunday.
Between them, the test drivers on Michelin tyres have completed some
unusually long runs for a Friday and these have confirmed that all our
dry-weather options are well suited to the track.
Conditions have evolved
significantly during the day – they are much less abrasive now than they
were this morning, but rain remains a possibility and a heavy shower
could put things back to square one. Drivers have to make their final
choice before tomorrow morning’s final free practice sessions, of
course, and it could be a marginal decision.” |
