25/05/2006
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 22 degrees C, and the track temperature is 47 degrees.
With 26 drivers posting times in this morning's session, and Fernando Alonso throwing down a blue and yellow gauntlet for Michael Schumacher, let's hope for an equally intense session this afternoon.
Judging by the amount of smoke coming out of the rear of Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren earlier, it looked as though the Finn might require a new engine, however, according to Mercedes the problem was down to a heat shield on the left side of his car's exhaust system which caught fire, damaging wiring looms which subsequently shut down the engine.
The lights go green, and a few moments later Robert Kubica, who suffered a technical problem in the first session, leads Mondini, Doornbos, Albers, Wurz and Montagny out on track.
After just four minutes we already have eight times on the sheets, with Anthony Davidson quickest, having posted 1:18.123.
Having failed to post a time in the first session, Nick Heidfeld is on track early in the BMW. Teammate, Jacques Villeneuve, takes fifth spot with a 1:20.566.
Liuzzi goes fourth (19.363), as Heidfeld goes fourth (19.942), as the Schumacher brothers and Trulli leave the pits.
Heidfeld improves to second, as Michael goes third, however, Liuzzi improves again and splits the two Germans.
Davidson consolidates his position at the top of the timesheets by posting a 1:17.791, as Michael goes second, ahead of Heidfeld, Liuzzi, Kubica, Doornbos, Villeneuve, Speed, Ralf and Trulli.
A 1:18.382 sees Juan Pablo go fourth, before improving to second with a 1:18.025.
However, the session is then red-flagged when Davidson displaces a bollard, which is left in the middle of the track. Monaco is not the sort of track where marshals can run out and remove 'debris'.
After a couple of minutes the session resumes, and one of the first out is Fernando Alonso. Despite only being quickest in the final sector, the Spaniard goes quickest, crossing the line at 1:17.736. Meanwhile, Coulthard has gone fourth, ahead of Schumacher.
Davidson is on an absolute flyer however, and takes the top spot back from the Renault driver by 1.661s. Unfortunately he goes wide at Ste Devote, and takes off the left front-side of the Honda, his session is done. For the second time in five minutes, the Englishman brings out the red flag. Nonetheless, that was a superb lap.
With thirty-seven minutes remaining, it's Davidson, Alonso, Fisichella, Montoya, Coulthard, Michael, Liuzzi, Heidfeld, Barrichello and Ralf.
After a few minutes the session resumes, Davidson's car having been pushed to safety.
No sooner has the session got back underway it is red-flagged yet again, this time following an incident involving Kubica, who clouts the outside wall at Rascasse, damaging the left rear-side of the BMW.
As the marshals remove his car, back in the BMW garage, Kubica is laughing with his crew, none the worse for his ideal.
The session resumes (again), and Liuzzi is one of the first on track. Meanwhile, Mondini goes second quickest with a 1:17.643. Moments later he's leapfrogged by Liuzzi.
Just as things look like getting silly, Felipe Massa goes second, crossing the line at 1:17.251, though he's still 1.1s off Davidson's best.
Kimi Raikkonen is on track, and having gone twelfth on his first flying lap, improves to fourth (17.486) next time around. As the Finn gets it all wrong at Ste Devote, Alonso goes second with a 1:16.886.
Raikkonen and Fisichella both improve, demoting Massa to fifth, while Alonso has his sights set on top spot.
With twenty-two minutes remaining, the only driver that hasn't posted a time is Webber.
A 1:16.469 sees Red Bull's Robert Doornbos go second, as Wurz goes third, ahead of Alonso, Raikkonen and Fisichella.
Michael Schumacher improves to tenth (17.603), but remains 1.528s off the pace.
As Doornbos has a big lock-up, Mondini improves, thereby demoting Michael Schumacher. Elsewhere, Jarno Trulli goes eighth (17.325). Webber finally posts a time, the Australian going twenty-second with a 1:18.726.
Montagny is another driver to get it wrong at Ste Devote, as Barrichello goes eleventh, ahead of Mondini, Michael, Liuzzi, Button and Ralf.
As Fisichella consolidates fifth spot (16.721), Fernando Alonso heads down the pitlane. Elsewhere, Button goes seventh with a 1:16.903.
Busiest driver is Doornbos, who has completed 32 laps.
Alonso goes quickest in the first sector, as Wurz goes quickest in the second. Meanwhile, Montoya goes third overall. However, the Colombian's joy is short-lived as Wurz goes quickest (15.907) and Alonso third.
Next time around, Montoya retakes third spot, posting an impressive 1:16.138.
The session ends with Wurz quickest, ahead of Davidson, Montoya, Alonso, Doornbos, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Coulthard, Button and Massa.
Other than Villeneuve, Heidfeld, Webber and Rosberg, who were all at the wrong end of the timesheets, one has to wonder why Michael ended the session fifteenth quickest and 1.6s off the pace. Then again, we doubt if Michael, Jean or Ross will lose any sleep tonight, after all this is a normal Thursday.
To check out our Monaco free practice gallery, click here