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Conditions ideal for Michelin runners

NEWS STORY
05/03/2005

Jarno Trulli is first on track for today's second free practice session. The air temperature is 14 degrees C, while the track temperature is 15 degrees.

It's raining again, but not too hard, and as temperatures increase we'll hopefully see the track dry quickly.

The Toyota driver crosses the line at 1:44.204, as Coulthard, Montoya and Webber take to the track, as do Massa and Raikkonen.

Coulthard sneaks in a 1:41.294, as Webber goes second with a 1:43.188. Moments later however, they are both upstaged by Massa who crosses the line at 1:41.194.

As Massa improves to 1:38.809, there are eight other drivers on track, including Coulthard, who re-takes the top spot with a 1:38.610.

Webber is third ahead of Villeneuve, Trulli, Button and Albers, as Massa goes quickest again with a 1:38.058.

Fernando Alonso goes third, albeit 1.202s off Massa's time.

The Brazilian improves yet again (1:37.686) as Klien goes fourth, slotting in behind DC and Alonso.

There's no stopping the Sauber star as he goes even quicker (1:37.408) ahead of Alonso and Villeneuve, who goes third with a 1:38.123.

As Fisichella goes fourth, Raikkonen comes out to play, though the Ferraris, in addition to Heidfeld and Friesacher, remain in their garages. The Minardi crew is working on the young Austrian's car following his off at the end of the first session.

Seventeen minutes into the session and Fisichella goes quickest (1:35.881), while Montoya goes fourth, ahead of Villeneuve and Coulthard.

Albers has his third big spin of the day, this time it looks as though it's terminal. That said, somehow he once again manages to keep going… this guy's like a cat with nine lives.

Twenty minutes into the session and Rubens Barrichello is on track, as Alonso improves to second and Montoya goes third. A Renault 1-2.

Karthikeyan goes off, he's not as lucky as Albers, he's stuck in the gravel. Session over.

As we reach the halfway point, there's a bit of a lull. Fisichella is still quickest, ahead of Alonso, Montoya, Massa, Villeneuve, Coulthard, Heidfeld, Klien, Trulli and Ralf. Still no times from the Ferrari drivers or Friesacher.

Raikkonen goes fifth (1:37.482) which means that the top six comprises two McLarens, two Renaults and two Saubers.

The Finn goes quickest, crossing the line at 1:35.546. The track is visibly drying.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Michael Schumacher takes to the track, and immediately goes quickest in the first sector. On his first flying lap the German goes second, just 0.121s off Raikkonen's time. Meanwhile, Friesacher is on track, leaving Barrichello as the only driver yet to post a time.

Mark Webber improves to sixth, slotting in between Alonso and Montoya. Teammate Nick Heidfeld is eleventh.

Ralf Schumacher, currently thirteenth, goes quickest in the second and third sectors, crossing the line at 1:34.924, which puts him at the top of the timesheets. Meanwhile, Takuma Sato goes second with a 1:35.052.

It's a Toyota 1-2 as Jarno Trulli posts 1:34.588, a significant improvement for the Japanese team, or are conditions at an optimum?

The Renault are on track and both drivers are looking very quick. Fisichella goes quickest with a 1:33.304, only to be beaten by teammate Alonso who posts 1:29.345, that's 3.9s quicker. Clearly conditions are considerably better.

With just under four minutes remaining there are sixteen drivers on track, it's like rush hour out there.

Alonso goes quicker still, the Spaniard crossing the timing beam at 1:28.900. Elsewhere, Coulthard goes third and Sato fourth. Moments later Jenson Button goes fifth, albeit 2.9s off Alonso's pace.

A 1:28.256 sees Montoya go quickest as Fisichella improves to second, meanwhile Michael Schumacher improves to eleventh.

In his eagerness to get in a last lap, Jacques Villeneuve leaves his garage with a tyre warmer still attached. He's stopped at the end of the pitlane to have it removed.

It's another McLaren 1-2 as Raikkonen posts a 1:27.297 to go quickest, though moments later Fernando Alonso goes second.

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