06/07/2007
NEWS STORY
Parts of the country have been flooded for almost two weeks, with levels showing no sign of dropping. At Wimbledon, one match was stretched out over five days, while in south London on Tuesday, hail fell with such force that flowers and plants were crushed and leaves stripped from trees.
Welcome to Britain…. Where it's summer.
Ahead of today's first free practice sessions that are plenty of dark clouds, those threatening rain over the course of the weekend, and those hanging over the Ferrari and McLaren teams.
The air temperature is 16 degrees C, while the track temperature is 19 degrees. It's not merely cool, there's a definite nip in the air. It's dry now, but there has been plenty of rain this week, and more expected throughout the weekend. The air is damp, moist, as is the track surface.
The lights go green and first out is Christijan albers, who, according to some reports could find himself out of a job in the near future if he doesn't buck up his ideas. That's 'buck up', by the way.
Sutil, Schumacher, Heidfeld, Davidson, Hamilton, Liuzzi, Massa, Trulli, Kovalainen and many more are keen to get out there and get that installation lap in the bag. None of the teams are using test drivers.
The uncertainty regarding the weather is causing drivers to err on the side of caution, after thirty minutes there are only five names on the timesheets - Trulli, Wurz, Button, Schumacher and Albers.
At 10.30 exactly, much to the delight of the crowds, Lewis Hamilton heads down the pitlane.
Trulli raises the benchmark with a 23.030, as Ron Dennis watches from the pitwall. On track, Hamilton is throwing his McLaren around as though it's a GP2 car. The Englishman goes second but next time around takes the top spot with a 22.550, taking almost half-a-second of Trulli.
Rosberg improves to third ahead of Schumacher, but Hamilton is already on a very quick lap, going fastest in the first two sectors. At the line it's 22.029, as the English rookie puts a second between him and second placed Trulli.
Hamilton is clearly revelling it, raising the benchmark, sliding the car about and generally having fun in front of his home crowd. Then comes a silly mistake at Abbey which sees the rookie lose it and spin 360 degrees. Having recovered he heads back to the pits.
Fernando Alonso is on track, and at the second split he's already 0.02s up on his teammate. At the line it's 21.738 as the Spaniard eclipses his teammate by 0.90s.
However, attention turns to Massa and Raikkonen, who are both on track.
As Alonso improves to 21.681, Raikkonen (22.574) goes third and Massa fourteenth (24.970).
Next time around, Massa goes sixth, splitting Trulli and Kovalainen, as Alonso appears to have a piece of carbon fibre hanging from his car.
Robert Kubica goes fourth ahead of Massa, as teammate Nick Heidfeld begins his first flying lap of the day.
At halftime, it's: Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Massa, Kubica, Trulli, Kovalainen, Schumacher, Fisichella and Heidfeld.
Massa goes quickest in the first sector, but seconds later Raikkonen goes quicker. Both are quick in the second sector but at the line it is the Finn who has the edge, going quickest with a 21.646, while his teammate fails to improve.
As Sato goes tenth, it's worth looking at the 'midfield'. Fisichella is eleventh, ahead of Wurz, Rosberg, Webber, Barrichello, Coulthard, Speed, Davidson, Liuzzi, Button and the two Spykers.
Raikkonen raises the benchmark with a 21.388 as teammate Massa goes second, ahead of the McLarens and BMWs.
Moments later, the Ferraris are split by Hamilton who posts 21.529, however, Massa is already on a hot lap, going quickest in the first sector. At the line the Brazilian posts 21.285, which re-establishes the Maranello 1-2, albeit in a different order.
Last yea's British hero Jenson Button is on track, however, the Honda looks very nervous. The Englishman fails to improve, indeed, as Sutil goes eighteenth, the Honda driver slips down to twenty-first.
A well controlled slide from Anthony Davidson, who goes tenth, one place ahead of his teammate, with a 23.259.
Ferrari is using something akin to a small satellite dish to remove the 'dustbin lids' that cover their wheels. Meanwhile, Button improves to fifteenth (23.827).
The Red Bulls, which are covered in thousands of small photographs of race fans look quite odd. Currently, both cars are in the bottom sixteen, so it is likely that the only smiles in the Red Bull garage are those on the faces that adorn the car.
Button hauls the Honda up to eleventh, splitting the Super Aguris. Elsewhere, Liuzzi appears to driver over a piece of carbon fibre, either that or an endplate has fallen from his car.
As the 'grey' Red Bull of David Coulthard attempts to improve on eighteenth, it's all symmetrical at the top of the timesheets with Ferrari leading McLaren, BMW and Toyota.
Alonso goes wide at Priory, heading off into the gravel. Elsewhere, Rosberg improves to eleventh.
With Coulthard having improved to fifteenth, teammate Mark Webber is pushing hard in his attempts to improve on eighteenth. The Australian fails, however, elsewhere, his teammate has gone off at Priory and is stuck in the gravel, his session brought to an early end.
Hamilton and Alonso are on track, the Spaniard going quickest in the first sector. He maintains the pace in the second, but loses a heap of time in the third behind a Super Aguri, consequently he fails to improve.
As Alonso heads back to the pits, Hamilton goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 21.100 to go quickest. This is the cue for Massa to return to work.
A spin for Jarno Trulli as the majority of drivers come out for the final assault.
Raikkonen sets a personal best in the second sector but fails to improve. Elsewhere, Rosberg and Speed are on hot laps. The German improves to fifth (22.006), while the American fails to improve.
Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, but loses ground in the second. At the line its 21.254, which sees the Finn go second. He's running on the harder compound while Rosberg is on the softer option.
Hamilton is on the soft option as prepares for one final attack, elsewhere, Massa sets a personal best in the first sector, and Raikkonen goes quickest of all in the third. The Finn is on hards as is his teammate.
The session ends with Hamilton quickest, ahead of Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Rosberg, Kubica, Heidfeld, Wurz, Schumacher and Barrichello.