06/07/2007
NEWS STORY
Following a reoccurrence of the back pain that was sparked by his accident at Indianapolis last month, Honda's Jenson Button will play no further part in today's action.
You may remember that the back pain caused the Englishman to miss his scheduled day at the Jerez test, though was recovered enough to complete 122 laps the following day.
The team has announced that "as a precaution", Button will sit out this afternoon's session, and will be replaced by Christian Klien.
It remains cool, overcast and thoroughly miserable here, with the air temperature at 18 degrees C, and the track temperature 23 degrees.
The lights go green and Schumacher is first out, followed by Davidson, Liuzzi and Kubica.
Schumacher posts the first time of the session but it's a disappointing 28.057, moments later five drivers have gone quicker, most notably Robert Kubica, who tops the timesheets with a 24.997.
As Klien heads down the pitlane, Schumacher goes quickest, crossing the line at 24.216.
As Mark Webber waits in the Red Bull garage, looking incredibly p****d off we hasten to add, Rosberg goes quickest (23.795) and Klien thirteenth.
As Heidfeld goes quickest, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa and Raikkonen are all on track. It might be cold and miserable but at least the fans have something to watch.
Alonso posts 22.640 to go quickest, but moments later Hamilton posts 22.600. Meanwhile, Anthony Davidson goes third, the Englishman having a good day today, clearly fired up by his home crowd.
A 23.312 sees Massa go fifth, while Alonso re-takes the top spot with a 22.369.
Massa improves to second and Raikkonen goes third, elsewhere a massive lock-up for Barrichello.
Kimi Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector and at the second split is 0.027s up on Massa who has just gone quickest. At the line the Finn posts 21.989 to go quickest, while Massa takes to the grass.
In his eagerness to get out of the way of Raikkonen, one of the Spykers almost loses it.
For a brief moment it causes the Finn to get out of shape, before opting to dive into the pits.
Fisichella pulls out all the stops and is rewarded with a 22.323, which is enough to put him third. Moments later, teammate Heikki Kovalainen goes sixth.
David Coulthard, who has just been confirmed for 2008, is pushing hard in the Red Bull. The Scotsman goes sixth (22.428), edging in between Kubica and Kovalainen.
This is one of the busiest Friday session of the year, as far as we can remember. After thirty minutes, everyone has completed at least 9 laps, with Davidson leading the way on 19.
Raikkonen is quickest, ahead of Massa, Schumacher, Trulli, Alonso and Fisichella.
Another wobbly moment for Hamilton, who just about keeps it under control. Meanwhile, Webber goes sixth with a 22.137, the Australian also retained by Red Bull for 2008.
A big, big moments for Kovalainen at Priory, who goes across the gravel trap and over part of the National Track. Elsewhere, Barrichello goes off at Abbey.
Trulli is pushing very hard, the Italian going fourth to give Toyota a 3-4. Elsewhere, Coulthard and Rosberg are on hot laps.
Hamilton and Massa are back on track, as Rosberg posts 21.619 to go fifth. Alex Wurz is also pushing hard, keen to improve on seventeenth. As the Austrian improves to sixth, Fernando Alonso begins a flying lap.
Schumacher is out of his car. He puts on a jacket and takes a place on the pitwall. It would appear that either he is supremely confident with his set-up, or else he has a problem. We go for the latter.
Raikkonen goes rally-cross, as Liuzzi finally looks like getting off the bottom of the timesheets. Sure enough, the Italian posts 23.563 to go twentieth.
Hamilton improves to fourth with a 21.463, but he remains 0.824s off Raikkonen benchmark.
Following a minor off, Trulli is clearly angry when one of the Super Aguris messes up and causes him further problems. The Italian shakes his fist in frustration.
With half-an-hour remaining, it's: Raikkonen, Massa, Schumacher, Hamilton, Trulli, Rosberg, Wurz, Alonso, Webber and Fisichella.
Wonderful on-board shot from Scott Speed's car. The American's front wheel runs over what appears to a white plastic bag which is thrown up in the air and covers the camera. Elsewhere, Rubens Barrichello heads off into the Northamptonshire countryside. We hope he doesn't intend parking without the requisite permit.
Massa is back on track and quickest in the first sector. At the second split he's 0.0236s up on his teammate, but by the line he's 0.499s down. That's a heap of time to lose in the final sector. That said, on closer inspection it appears that he was on intermediates. Very odd.
The yellow flags come out as Sutil goes off and into the tyre wall at Copse. He's OK but his car is a little bent at the front. The replay shows the back end getting away from him about a third of the way into the corner, he spins and travels backwards before spinning around and going headfirst into the tyres.
Hamilton is on track on softs. His first flying lap is relatively disappointing, not helped by the yellow flags at Copse. Back in the McLaren garage the mechanics are working on his teammate's car.
Wonderful on-board footage with Rosberg, who is on the softs. Unfortunately it's not the best of laps, at the first split he's already over a second odd the pace.
Kubica is on track on softs, but he also is unable to improve. In these conditions the harder compound is clearly the one to be on. Webber, also on softs, gets all out of shape and fails to improve on ninth.
With just over five minutes remaining, it is still 19 degrees C (air) and 25 degrees (track).
Fisichella's softs don't keep him off the Silverstone grass, as Massa, also softs, begins a flying lap. Unfortunately he gets it all wrong at Becketts and the lap is ruined.
The two Renaults are running together, both on track and on the timesheets, where Kovalainen is eleventh, just ahead of Fisichella.
The sun is trying to break through on certain parts of the circuit, but overall it is overcast and miserable.
Klien has completed the most laps (44), but remains down in nineteenth, 2.3s off the pace.
Raikkonen, on the hards, goes quickest in the second sector, crossing the line at 20.639, clearly the hards are best in these conditions.
Klien ends the session with what appears to be a good lap, however, Trulli gets in the way. Elsewhere, Wurz gets it all wrong and heads off into the country.
The session ends with Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Massa, Schumacher, Hamilton, Trulli, Alonso, Rosberg, Wurz, Webber and Davidson.
Neither Red Bull makes it into the top ten, then again, neither do the BMWs, That said, on Fridays the German team doesn't go for times as such.
Honda will be disappointed with its pace - or lack of it - also.
To check out our Silverstone practice gallery, click here