No times for Webber or Rosberg

With Alex Wurz returning to continue his Friday duties the WWilliamsF1 team would get ready for the opening practice session for the 2006 Australian Grand Prix. The pit lane would open and it would be Alex first out onto the circuit. Doornbos, Jani, Davidson and Kubica would also come out in what was a fairly cool day.

Alex would pit after his installation lap. Davidson would be the first driver to complete a lap, a 1m:43.205. Wurz, Doornbos, Jani and Kubica would return to the track, joined by Albers, Villeneuve, Raikkonen, and Monteiro. Alex's first lap would see him set a time of 1m:34.560. Davidson would lower his time with a 1m:39.342. Kubica was now fastest with a 1m:.169, followed by Red Bull's Robert Doornbos.  Alex would lower his time with a 1m:33.161.

He would go even faster with a 1m:31.987. Jani would stop his car out on the track, but it would be quickly removed allowing the session to continue. Kubica would move back to the top of the times with a 1m:30.490.  With twenty minutes of the session run there would only be Davidson, Jani, Winklehock, and Ide out on the circuit.  Both Alex and Davidson would improve their times, moving into second and third places with a 1m:31.987 and a 1m:32.695 respectively.

Villeneuve would return to the track faced with the knowledge that he will suffer a penalty for an engine change. Jacques would move into fifth with a 1m:34.828. At the front Doornbos would move ahead of Kubica with a 1m:29.997. But the BMW driver would return to first with a 1m:29.576. Davidson was in third with a 1m:30.187. Both the Renault's of Alonso and Fisichella were out joined by Jarno Trulli. With over thirty five minutes of the session run only Villeneuve, Wurz, Winklehock and Ide were on the circuit.

Villeneuve would move into second with a 1m:29.768 but for team-mate Kubica he would strike problems with his car stopping out on the circuit. His car would be removed. With twenty minutes remaining Davidson was now fastest with a 1m:29.129. His next lap would see a time of 1m:28.815. Doornbos was now second with a 1m:29.035. Red Bull team-mate David Coulthard was out and the Scott's first lap would be a 1m:31.727 to put hi in fifth. David would improve with a 1m:29.676 to now be fourth. Alex was now third with a 1m:29.461.

The final ten minutes would see Ralf Schumacher come out and he would move into third with a 1m:29.411. Davidson would come back out for one last run. He would be joined by Michael Schumacher, Massa, and Raikkonen. Klien was tenth while Michael's first lap would see him eleventh. With a minute remaining Doornbos went fastest while Villeneuve was now third and Massa fourth. Davidson would attack and his time of 1m:28.259 would see him fastest while Raikkonen was in third with a 1m:28.713. But Jacques would take this spot from Kimi with a 1m:28.595.

As for mark Webber and Nico Rosberg neither driver would take to the track to complete even an installation lap. They were joined by joined by Jenson Button who would also fail to come out. Ten drivers would fail to set a time in the session. Alex would finish the session in eigth.