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The opening
Friday practice at the Circuit de Catalunya would be run under cloudy
conditions and with a track that was declared wet for the session. There
would be new engines for Fisichella, Montoya, Massa, Ralf Schumacher.
Barrichello, Button, Coulthard, Klien, and Tonio Liuzzi.
With the start of the session we would see all the Friday drivers come out
as well as both the Super Aguri's of Sato and Montagny. They would be joined
by Speed, Trulli, Albers, Monteiro, as well as both the WilliamsF1 FW28's of
Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber. They would be on intermediate tyres. These
drivers would all return to their pits leaving just Ralf Schumacher and
Button out on
the circuit. They would be joined by Liuzzi and Nick Heidfeld. Both Ralf and
Jenson would complete just one installation lap and then return to their
pits. Liuzzi and Heidfeld would do the same.
 Montoya was now out on the circuit for a single installation lap. Alex would
return to the circuit and would be the first driver to set a time,
1m:29.581. MF1 Friday driver Mondini was second with a 1m:31.330. Both
Villeneuve and Coulthard were out on the circuit for their installation lap.
Robert Doornbos and Frank Montagny were both back out on the circuit.
Doornbos would move into second with
a 1m:29.713. Jani and Barrichello were both out on the circuit. Alex was
back in his pit.
With the track drying out Jani would go fastest with a 1m:28.648. Doornbos
would improve his time, 1m:28.856, while Alex would head back out and would
set a time of 1m23.297, running on dry tyres. He would improve this with a
1m:20.222, to be 8.4 seconds faster than second placed Jani. Davidson
would head back out. BMW's Robert Kubica was also back out. We had yet to
see either of the Renault's or Ferrari's complete and installation lap with
just over half and hour remaining in the session.
Davidson would move into second with a 1m:20.806 while Alex had set a time
of 1m:19.924. On his next lap Davidson would go faster than the WilliamsF1
driver, 1m:19.789. But it would be Kubica who would move to the top of the
times with a 1m:18.904. We also had Alonso out on his installation lap. For
Frank Montagny his session would come to an end when he would pull his car
off the circuit with smoke coming from it. Fisichella was also out on the
circuit. The order was Kubica followed by Davidson, Alex, Mondini, Jani and
Doornbos. Kubica would lower his time considerably with a 1m:17.877 to be
1.2 seconds ahead of Davidson.
Davidson had improved his time with a 1m:19.108. As the track conditions
improved the times would come down. Doornbos, running on slicks, would move
into second with a 1m:18.869. There were only four drivers on the track with
twenty four minutes remaining. Alex and Davidson had both returned to their
pits. Only six drivers had set a time. Doornbos would improve his time,
1m:18.246, but remained in second. Davidson was back out on the circuit.
Michael Schumacher, Massa and Raikkonen had yet to leave their pits so far
in this session with twenty minutes remaining. Only Davidson and Sato were
left running on the circuit. Davidson's first lap would see him set a time
of 1m:17.525 to go fastest. Kubica would leave his pit for another run.
Davidson would improve his time with a 1m:17.401. Kubica's next lap was a
1m:16.628 which would see
him move ahead of Davidson.
Alex was back out on the circuit and his first lap would see him set a time
of 1m:16.785 to be second. Alex would just as quickly pit again. Alonso and
Fisichella would both complete a second installation lap. With ten minutes
remaining the order as Kubica, Alex, Davidson, Doornbos, Jani, Mondini, and
Sato. It was looking like it would end up a very quite session. With eight
minutes
remaining only Mondini was out on the circuit.
Davidson and Jani would both return to the circuit. Of the regular drivers
only Sato had set a time, with five minutes left in the session. The Friday
drivers were certainly doing the laps with al of them over fifteen laps
each. Davidson would lower his time with a 1m:16.961 but remained in third.
Both of the Ferrari's were out on their installation laps. Alex was back out
for his final run in the closing minutes.
With just minutes remaining Michael would put in a quick lap to go fastest,
1m:16.362. Team-mate Massa would move ahead with a 1m:15.796. Fist and
second for Ferrari with each driver taking only one lap. Alex was now in
third with a 1m:16.125, making it a Bridgestone one-two-three as the session
came to an end. Neither Mark or Nico would set a time and only nine drivers
in total had set a time during the session. |
