25/04/2008
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's first free practice session, the air temperature is 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 22 degrees.
The good news is that despite its financial problems, Super Aguri will be contesting the race. However, the Leafield outfit now needs to find the funding for Istanbul and beyond.
Several teams are running the aerodynamic add-ons we saw last week in testing, including Honda, which is running its 'rabbit ear' wings.
The lights go green, and first out is Hamilton, followed by Sutil, Fisichella, Kubica, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Vettel, Trulli, Bourdais and Nakajima. Sato is another 'early riser'.
As ever, the drivers complete an installation lap before heading back to the pits. The fact that ten of the teams were testing here last week means that today's first session might be even quieter than normal.
As Anthony Davidson heads down the pitlane, Coulthard goes wide, even though he's on an exploratory lap.
Seven minutes into the session, all but the Ferraris have been out. Takuma Sato walks down the pitlane. For a driver who may be out of a job in the not too distant future he seems remarkably happy.
It all goes very quiet, in the BMW garage Kubica chats with Mario Theissen, while at Toro Rosso Sebastien Bourdais talks with an engineer. Elsewhere, Peter Sauber - an outsider for the FIA Presidency? - returns to the pitlane. Former Jordan designer Gary Anderson - now working as a commentator for Setanta - talks to a Ferrari engineer.
The engine might be silent, but the fans are making loads of noise, chanting and blowing air-horns. There's even a Renault-clad fan walking through the crowd playing the bagpipes.
After eighteen minutes of (F1) silence, an engine is fired up and moments later Kazuki Nakajima heads down the pitlane.
Now is as good a time as any to remind you that the tyre options this weekend are Hard and Medium.
Nakajima, having completed a second installation lap, continues, and looks set to post the first time of the weekend. As the Williams driver posts 1:24.389, Kovalainen heads down the pitlane, followed by Rosberg.
Kovalainen raises the benchmark with a 22.471, as Nakajima improves with a 23.797. On the pit-wall, Daniel Audetto looks pensive, as well he might.
Lewis Hamilton is on track, the Englishman immediately going quickest with a 21.484. Teammate Kovalainen improves with a 21.778.
Trulli spins off and for a few moments it looks as though he's stranded on one of the massive red run-offs. However, he gets the Toyota going and heads back to the pits. The Italian had just gone third with a 23.151.
A 22.563 sees Heidfeld go third, as Hamilton raises the benchmark with a 21.192.
Coming up to 'half-time', and with just seven names on the timesheets, Kimi Raikkonen climbs into his Ferrari. Elsewhere, Kubica goes fourth.
Raikkonen goes out, completes an installation lap and then continues. At the second split he's 0.84s down on Hamilton, finally crossing the line at 22.014 to go third.
At half-time, it's: Hamilton, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Kubica, Heidfeld, Coulthard, Glock, Trulli, Nakajima and Rosberg.
Next time around, Raikkonen improves with a 0.195s. Meanwhile, Piquet goes fourth, giving (teammate) Fernando Alonso's many fans a glimmer of hope for the weekend ahead. That said, in the Renault garage Alonso looks less than impressed.
Felipe Massa is finally on track, with thirty-seven minutes remaining. The Brazilian spins on his first flying lap, consequently he can only manage a 35.348. Elsewhere, one of the Force Indias has stopped.
Next time around, Massa posts 24.400, having gone wide. The Brazilian appears to be pushing just a little too hard. This is not the same guy we saw in Bahrain.
That said, he goes quickest in the second sector of his next lap, crossing the line at 20.937 to go second. Meanwhile, Glock kicks up a cloud of dust and stones as he goes wide.
Another lap, another improvement, for Massa, who closes to within 0.050s of his Ferrari teammate.
Thirty minutes remaining, and as Button begins his first flying lap, it's; Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton, Kovalainen, Piquet, Coulthard, Kubica, Heidfeld, Glock and Trulli.
Massa spins off again, as Davidson and Sato finally post times, meaning that all twenty-two names are on the scoreboard.
All eyes on Fernando Alonso, who posts 22.316 to go ninth. Button improves with a 22.974 to slot in behind the two-time World Champion.
Alonso continues to put in the laps, gradually working his way up to fifth with a 21.933.
With sixteen minutes remaining, Rosberg has completed the most lap (21), ahead of Nakajima (20), Heidfeld (18) and Piquet (16). Fastest through the main speed-trap is Raikkonen, ahead of Massa, Kubica and Kovalainen.
With eleven minutes remaining, Hamilton is back on track as the final wave begins. The Englishman gets crossed up and loses time.
Webber is on track, the Red Bull looking very good. That said, the Australian is currently down in fifteenth, 2.562s off the pace. He posts 23.015 to move up to twelfth, albeit still almost a second off his teammate's best time.
We have seen little of the softer (medium) option this morning, though Bridgestone admit that the hard option is the one to use this weekend.
Rosberg, watched keenly by Frank Williams, improves to twelfth, as teammate Nakajima attempts to improve on seventeenth.
Vettel goes very wide, the two Toro Rossos both still over 3s off the pace.
As Kubica posts a personal best in sector two, Sato also looks set to improve. The Japanese driver crosses the line at 24.278, still 3.6s off the pace.
The session ends, with Raikkonen topping the timesheets, ahead of Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Kovalainen, Alonso, Piquet, Coulthard, Heidfeld and Button.