Malaysia: Massa Fastest in Friday Practice
By Jamie Makin
March 18 2005
SAUBER PETRONAS drivers Felipe Massa and Jacques Villeneuve finished first and 18th respectively after today's first practice sessions for the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix.
Massa's strong performance in practice today has lifted spirits after the team's disappointing outing in Melbourne a fortnight ago. It also pleases the team's sponsor, Petronas, who are based in Malaysia.
Teams run varying programmes Friday so it is a bit difficult to assess where the team is really at. "At the moment we are not 100% sure where we are, and this was just a Friday, but it's encouraging," said the young Brazilian. "We still have a lot more work to do to improve the car and consistency on long runs, but right from the first time I drove the C24 I knew we had a car that can fight for points. I lost probably four-tenths of a second on my quick lap because I had David Coulthard ahead for two corners, then when I overtook him I locked my brakes and lost some time in the next corner. So, overall, I'm happy with the way things are going and the start we've made to the weekend."
At the other end of the spectrum, though, was veteran Jacques Villeneuve. A lot of concern over his Formala One future has been cast by the media in the past week after his slide from fourth to thirteenth in the season opener. Villeneuve maintains that he just needs more time to learn the car and he feels things are moving in the right direction. "I spent a lot of time checking out the set-up, and we made some progress. On the long runs we need to do more work for the race and we need to find some more speed," said the Canadian.
Team principal Peter Sauber shares the optimism that the team is rebounding from their difficulties. "This was a good test day for us, and of course it is always gratifying when you finish a session fastest," the boss explained. "What was important is that we completed our programme, with both cars. Felipe and Jacques ran different tyre specifications and fuel loads at different times, so the gap between them is not representative. We are satisfied with what we have learned today, and will use that to go faster still tomorrow."
Friday, Free Practice 1:
| Driver | Chassis | Position | Best Time | Laps |
| J. Villeneuve | C24-03 | 16 | 1:38.416 (+4.324) | 8 |
| F. Massa | C24-02 | 9 | 1:36.963 (+2.817) | 4 |
| Spare Car | C24-01 | - | - | - |
Friday, Free Practice 2:
| Driver | Chassis | Position | Best Time | Laps |
| J. Villeneuve | C24-03 | 18 | 1:38.121 (+2.513) | 19 |
| F. Massa | C24-02 | 1 | 1:35.608 | 19 |
| Spare Car | C24-01 | - | - | - |