02/07/2005
NEWS STORY
Ahead of the second of today's free practice sessions, the air temperature is 19 degrees C, while the track temperature is 21 degrees. The humidity has dropped to 82%.
The lights go green, but nobody appears keen on going out.
The track is getting drier by the minute, indeed there is hardly any section on the track that is still damp.
Finally, almost four minutes into the session, Kimi Raikkonen drives out of the McLaren garage. The fact that he's using normal dry tyres will be of great interest to his rivals.
The Finn posts 1:16.743, which is enough for Takuma Sato, who fires up and leaves the BAR garage.
Next time around, Raikkonen improves to 1:16.308, as Friesacher, Villeneuve, Montoya and Button come out to play.
Sato goes second (22.110) but is almost instantly demoted by Montoya, who posts a 1:18.605.
As conditions improve, there are eleven drivers on track, and consequently the times tumble, however, Raikkonen remains the benchmark. Montoya is second quickest, ahead of Sato, Coulthard, Button, Villeneuve, Massa and Webber.
Villeneuve improves to third with a 1:17.867, then goes second with a 1:17.716, the Canadian probably mindful that BMW's talent scouts could be watching.
With almost fifteen minutes of the session gone, the crowd gets its first glimpse of a Ferrari today, as Michael Schumacher leaves his garage.
The German goes fourth, ahead of Villeneuve, who has just been leapfrogged by Montoya and Coulthard.
It isn't long before Michael is also displaced, as Barrichello goes fourth and Massa fifth.
A 1:16.393 sees Fernando Alonso go quickest, as Barrichello improves to third and Trulli fifth.
With twenty-six minutes remaining, the only drivers yet to post a timer are Monteiro and Heidfeld.
Giancarlo Fisichella posts 1:16.858 to go fourth, ahead of Barrichello, Montoya and Michael.
Kimi Raikkonen goes quickest in all three sectors, crossing the line at 1:15.483, and thus putting 0.91s between him and his nearest rival (Alonso). Elsewhere, Heidfeld has posted a time (18.394) but it's only good enough for seventeenth, which puts him one place behind teammate Webber.
Again, the Finn goes quickest in the first two sectors, but this time loses ground in the third, thereby failing to improve. Elsewhere, Karthikeyan posts 1:18.195, which puts him ahead of both WilliamsF1s.
Nick Heidfeld improves (18.081), but it's only good enough for fifteenth, thus displacing Karthikeyan. Meanwhile, both Toyota drivers improve, Ralf to seventh and Jarno to third. Barrichello also improves, but remains fifth.
Alonso almost come a cropper, he going far too fast into Lycee and almost losing it. Meanwhile, Webber improves to thirteenth.
It's looking good for McLaren, as Montoya goes quickest in the first sector, then again in the second. As Michael improves to sixth (16.853), his Colombian nemesis goes straight to the top of the timesheets with a 1:15.223.
The German posts 1:16.556, which gets him fifth spot, but he remains 1.333s off the pace.
With eight minutes remaining, there's the 'traditional' lull, with just four cars on track.
Mclaren enjoys a superb 1-2, with its nearest rival, Renault's Fernando Alonso, 0.879s behind.
Suddenly it's all-change, as, from out of nowhere, Barrichello produces a 1:15.218, which gives the Ferrari driver the top spot, albeit by just 0.005s.
However, Raikkonen is already preparing to reclaim the Woking team's honour, as he goers quickest in the second sector. Yet Ralf Schumacher is also on a charge, the German is quickest in the first sector.
In one amazing burst, Ralf goes quickest (14.603), ahead of Raikkonen and Alonso, as poor Rubens is demoted to fourth. Elsewhere, Villeneuve goes eighth (16.125).
Hold the front page! Sato goes fourth, but is almost instantly demoted to fifth as Giancarlo Fisichella goes quickest with a 1:14.466.
An amazing final flurry of activity, sees the order totally scrambled as Michael Schumacher goes fifth, splitting Alonso and Sato.
The session ends with the top 11 drivers covered by 0.839, with the top 5 covered by just 0.513.
Fisichella is quickest, ahead of Ralf, Raikkonen, Alonso, Michael, Sato, Barrichello, Montoya, Button, Trulli and Coulthard. That's the top 11, which is covered by 0.839.
In twelfth, 1.6s off the pace, is Webber, who is ahead of Klien, Villeneuve, Heidfeld, Massa, Albers, Friesacher, Karthikeyan and Monteiro.
Although the rain has held off, there are ominous black clouds in the sky. Let's hope that we see a qualifying session that is either wet or dry, but not a mixture of both, which would, of course, lead to some of the 'manipulation', read gamesmanship, that has ruined other qualifying sessions in recent years.