01/07/2006
NEWS STORY
Ahead of the third, and final free practice session, the air temperature is 28 degrees C, and the track temperature is 34 degrees. The sky is blue and the sun is shining.
First out on track is Tiago Monteiro, followed by teammate Christijan Albers. Having completed an installation lap, both drivers return to the pits.
A couple of minutes later, Takuma Sato heads down the pitlane, he too completes an installation lap.
Eight minutes into the session and there is nobody on track, no times set, and sod all happening… so much for putting on a show. We might know that this is par for the course, but it makes for crap TV, especially in a country where the sport is trying to woo new fans.
This is pretty bloody awful, thirteen minutes into the session and st9ill no activity… that is until a few people in the crowd start jeering. This is the signal for Mark Webber to fire up his engine… the Australian heads down the pitlane, followed by David Coulthard. If our sources are correct, Mark will be sitting in DC's seat next season, with a Renault engine in the back of the car.
Joy of joys, Webbers continues around, having completed his installation lap, posting the first time of the day (1:14.475).
Villeneuve, Ralf, Rosberg and Speed are on track as Coulthard goes second with a 1:15.207.
Webber improves to 14.054, as Villeneuve goes second (14.156), the Canadian having gone quickest in then second sector.
Webber posts 13.675, as Klien, Raikkonen and Fisichella head down the pitlane.
Alonso is relaxing in the back of the Renault garage, alongside Heikki Kovalainen, the two of them watch the monitors.
Klien goes second (13.986), ahead of Villeneuve, but soon it is Raikkonen that takes the second spot behind Scott Speed, as suddenly we have some action.
Button, Montoya, Barrichello and Michael come out to play, as Fisichella goes fourth with a 13.559.
Kimi gets it all wrong and virtually comes to a halt as the front of the car refuses to go where he points it.
Michael goes quickest in the first two sectors, at which time the timing screen start to play up. The German has gone quickest with a 1:12.484, ahead of Fisichella, Button, Speed and Raikkonen. Elsewhere, Alonso is on track, as are Ralf and Heidfeld.
Michael is on another hot lap, going quickest in the first sector. Clearly fired by his country's success in yesterday's quarter-final, the German posts 1:12.145, as he closes in on the best time witnessed on Friday.
Alonso goes second with a 1:13.303, as Michael shaves further fractions off his best, lowering the benchmark to 1:12.100.
Massa and Montagny have yet to make an appearance, while Ralf has yet to post a time, despite having completed 5 laps. As Ralf posts 13.530 to go tenth, Webber spins off on to the grass, however, the WilliamsF1 driver is able to continue.
At half-time, well almost, it's Michael, Alonso, Heidfeld, Fisichella, Button, Webber, Speed, Raikkonen, Klien and Ralf. Meanwhile, Button complains of a lot of "shuddering", particularly at Turn 4, which is where several drivers, including Michael, went off yesterday.
On his first flying lap, Massa goes quickest in the first sector. The Brazilian is quickest again the second sector, finally crossing the line at 1:11.039, the fastest lap of the weekend by almost a second.
The Ferrari driver clearly isn't done, he immediately goes quickest in the first sector of his next lap. Losing time in the next two sectors however, he fails to improve.
The Toro Rossos are fifth and sixth, with Villeneuve quickest through the spreedtrap (204.431 mph). Wonder what Nick Fry will make of that.
The Canadian goes sixth, splitting the Toro Rossos, with teammate Nick Heidfeld fourth, behind Massa, Michael and Alonso. That said, Kimi posts 12.569 to go third.
Rubens Barrichello goes sixth (13.126), ahead of Speed, Villeneuve and Button.
With eighteen minutes remaining, the WilliamsF1s, Red Bulls and Toyotas are at the wrong ed of the timesheets.
Juan Pablo Montoya goes eighth (13.185), as Fisichella has a moment quite similar the one Kimi had earlier. Michael also has big spin, in this case the rear end of the car getting out of shape.
A 1:12.091 sees Nick Heidfeld go second (12.091), over a second down on Massa, but just nine-thousandths up on Michael.
Just under nine minutes remain, and there are four drivers on track, Rosberg, Montagny, Monteiro and Albers. Along with Sato they make up the bottom five on the timesheets.
Heidfeld leaves the pits, as does Barrichello, the final assault begins.
Rosberg improves to eleventh (13.230), leapfrogging his teammate. Moments later, Heidfeld improves with a 12.049.
With under five minutes remaining, Jacques Villeneuve begins a flying lap, can the Canadian join his BMW teammate at the top of the timesheets? He most assuredly can, he crosses the line at 12.327, to go fifth. That was despite a mistake which cost him time.
Scott Speed is complaining of problems with his traction on exiting corners, another driver clearly struggling for grip.
Fisichella goes second (11.940), as Kimi almost runs into the back of Michael, who is on a hot lap. Sure enough, the German goes quickest, and how, crossing the line at 1:10.760. That's just a shade off last year's pole time.
The session ends with Michael quickest, ahead of Massa, Fisichella, Heidfeld, Barrichello, Alonso, Button, Villeneuve, Raikkonen and Montoya.