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Spanish flag Austrian GP: Friday Practice Report


FIRST PRACTICE - FERRARI POWER REIGNS AT A-1

Ferrari engine power was at the top of the timesheets as practice commenced in Austria this morning, with Michael Schumacher leading the times ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello and the Ferrari-engined Saubers of Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld.


Massa started the day strong but fell back in the second session
The weather in Spielberg was overcast and dry but temperatures dropped during the session and there could be rain this afternoon.

Schumacher led the times with a very quick 1:11.072 as he and Ferrari worked on tyre compound testing and general set-up evaluations. Barrichello, who was given a major boost by the news that his Ferrari contract has been extended, finished two tenths behind as he too worked on a baseline set-up.

Felipe Massa in the Sauber Petronas improved late to set a 1:12.013, nine tenths slower than Schumacher, while team-mate Nick Heidfeld was not far behind in his C21 machine. The Saubers looked very good.

Jordan Honda’s Giancarlo Fisichella got some good work done to take fifth position, followed by team-mate Takuma Sato, and McLaren’s David Coulthard, who was 1.5 seconds off the pacesetter.


After a good Spanish GP Arrows look strong again at the A-1 Ring
The Arrows driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen was eighth quickest, followed by BAR’s Jacques Villeneuve who improved throughout the session, and team-mate Olivier Panis.

BMW-Williams as per usual had a slow start due to some balance issues, Ralf Schumacher in 11th and Juan-Pablo Montoya one place behind in 12th.

The Renault drivers Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button were 13th and 14th, ahead of Arrows’ Enrique Bernoldi, Toyota’s Alan McNish, and Kimi Raikkonen in the second McLaren, the young Finn really struggling with the set-up of his machine.

Mika Salo was 19th, followed by Jaguar’s Pedro de la Rosa, Mark Webber and Alex Yoong.

SECOND PRACTICE - BARRICHELLO TOPS EVENTFUL PRACTICE


It was Barrichello who eventually topped the time sheets at the end of Friday practice
The low-grip nature of Austria’s A-1 ring became obvious in today’s second practice session as most drivers spun or ran off the track. But it was again Ferrari on top of the timesheets, this time Rubens Barrichello ruling the leaderboard with a 1:10.549.

In sunny and fine conditions the Brazilian driver added 24 laps of development work to his morning effort and got through his programmes successfully.

Team-mate Michael Schumacher was second, just three hundredths slower but also ran off the track numerous times, while Juan-Pablo Montoya improved to take third position with a solid 1:10.613.

McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen made progress after a difficult morning in his MP4/17, ahead of Toyota’s Allan McNish, the Scotsman showing some good form, followed by Arrows’ Enrique Bernoldi, and Pedro de la Rosa.

BAR’s Olivier Panis was in eighth, the Frenchman the most productive driver on the circuit having completed 66 laps. The former race winner has not finished a race this year and is highly determined to see the chequered flag on Sunday.


On the up: Olivier Panis put his BAR into the top ten although Villeneuve struggled
David Coulthard improved on his morning time to finish in ninth, ahead of Jordan’s Takuma Sato, Eddie Irvine, and the other BMW-Williams of Ralf Schumacher. Heinz-Harald Frentzen took 13th place in the Arrows Cosworth, with Renault’s Jenson Button 14th.

The Saubers of Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld were 15th and 16th having not improved on their morning times, followed by the Italians Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella, the latter who also did not improve on his earlier mark.

Mika Salo in the second Toyota was 19th, followed by Alex Yoong who showed some pace with a 1:12.564. Jacques Villeneuve and Mark Webber rounded out the times.

Practice Times



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