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 Australian GP: Friday Practice Report

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER DOMINATES FRIDAY PRACTICE

With rain threatening and then beginning to fall just over half-way into the second Friday practice session for Sunday’s season opening Australian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher and Ferrari once again lead the way helping to put an end to speculation that the decision to run the 2001 chassis, instead of the new F2002, was a mistake.

While it is no surprise to see the Prancing Horse at the top, Toyota stunned all by taking the sixth fastest time.

Thanks to the changeable weather conditions, last year’s pole position time of 1:26.892 was never under threat, but as in the first session today, Michael Schumacher soon upped the ante with a time of 1:27.971 and then a 1:27.216 – a time that would remain unbeaten and which Sir Frank Williams would describe as "fairly unbeatable".

Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello was an early spinner but ended his day backing up his team leader in the best possible manner with the second fastest time. The Brazilian will leave Albert Park today comfortable in the knowledge that he set the pace in the first two sectors of the 3.295-mile circuit.

Ralf Schumacher set the third fastest time in his BMW Williams, but at some 1.4 seconds off his brother’s pace, he will not be delighted with his performance. Team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya had two off track moments, the first on his first lap out of the pits and then later in the session when he told his engineers that his "brakes didn’t work very well." The team will however be pleased to be close to the pace on this opening day of the season after mixed results in pre-season testing and will undoubtedly up its pace considerably on light fuel loads tomorrow.

At Sauber Petronas, Nick Heidfeld was back on track after a fuel pressure problem halted the German earlier today and armed with the effective Ferrari powered C21, did a solid job to record the fifth fastest time. Rookie team-mate Felipe Massa was positively underwhelmed with his first ever official practice session and was a promising eighth fastest.

Mika Salo was in potent form taking sixth fastest in the brand new Toyota entry. The Finn, who sat out last season to test with the Japanese car giant, was also mighty impressive along the back straight of the circuit, setting the fastest speed trap time of 299kph. Given that this is Toyota’s first outing in competition, it is clear that the operation is not simply out there to make up the numbers even though it is early days. Team-mate Allan McNish, making his Grand Prix debut, wound up 16th fastest in the second Toyota and was relatively happy saying "of course it was fun!"

Twelve months ago Kimi Raikkonen was making his Grand Prix debut with Sauber Petronas with a temporary Super Licence from the FIA. One year on and now with McLaren Mercedes, the Finn clearly has no inhibitions and was seventh fastest overall. Raikkonen also took the honours of being the fastest McLaren Mercedes driver today with David Coulthard recording the 11th fastest time overall.

Giancarlo Fisichella, now back with Jordan for the second time in his career, was ninth fastest despite a problem with his Honda V10 right at the end of the session. Takuma Sato, one of four Rookies here this weekend, was also impressive in his DHL backed EJ12 - on the very ragged edge on each of his 40-laps and impressing with the 13th fastest time.

Renault returns to Formula One for the first time as a constructor since 1985 and will be relatively pleased to see Jarno Trulli up in tenth position in the R202, but Flavio Briatore will be keeping a close eye on the under-pressure Jenson Button back in 15th place.

BAR’s Jacques Villeneuve took the 12th fastest time in what looked to be a chassis suffering from excessive understeer, while Olivier Panis disappointed with the 18th fastest time. Pedro de la Rosa was the faster of the two Jaguar drivers with the Spaniard setting the 14th fastest time with Eddie Irvine three positions back in the second R3 chassis.

Arrows suffered a difficult first day running on full tanks with new-signing Heinz-Harald Frentzen leading the way in 19th and Enrique Bernoldi in 21st place. Bernoldi was an early casualty in the session pulling his Arrows A23 Cosworth to a halt on-track with a gear selection problem. Interestingly, Arrows team boss Tom Walkinshaw also revealed today that his TWR Company will supply engineering expertise to a group – yet unnamed – that has purchased the assets of the former Prost Grand Prix team.

Mark Webber ended his day in 20th position in his Asiatech powered Minardi and described his first lap on track today in front of his home crowd as “very special.” Team-mate Alex Yoong did not enjoy such a successful start to the 2002 season with a mechanical problem in session one, and then a spin at turn one in the second session as rain began to fall saw the Malaysian hopeful at the tail of the timesheets.

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