Prologue - Good afternoon, loyal patty-comers as we (well, I) bring you the penultimate opening practice session of this weird and wonderful 2009 season from Brazil and the Autodromo José Carlos Pace, which you'll forgive me for referring to as Interlagos. And yes, I'm back to my usual Frappy duties after The Head was forced to terry on a number of laps smaller than the hour of the day in Japan a fortnight ago.
13.40 BST - A lot has happened since the circus left Suzuka. Robert Kubica joined Renault in another of the worst kept secrets in Formula 1 history. Felipe Massa successfully tested a Ferrari and looks set to return as planned in 2010 (and will wave the chequered flag this weekend). Also testing was Sebastien Loeb, who tested a GP2 car and ended up slowest of all on the day. Williams confirmed they are splitting with Toyota at the end of this season. The Donington saga continued as an alleged deadline was seemingly extended before being denied by Bernard, and the FIA presidential election saga also seems never-ending. Perhaps most importantly of all though, Nico Rosberg's helmet was found in Brazil.
13.50 BST - What do you mean I missed one? Oh right yeah, Timo Glock isn't racing this weekend after injuring his back in his nasty Qualifying crash at Suzuka. He's replaced by Kamui Kobayashi, who won some series we started covering but quietly forgot about over the winter.
APOLOGY - At this point I feel I should put out an apology to Edward Haines, if he's reading this. In the tired madness of the Japanese Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago, I managed to miss an email he sent during the race, and I think it's only fair that I bring that to you all now. Edward said "How much is Jenson wishing they restarted to get to 75% in Malaysia now do you reckon?". My answer to that would be, probably a bit! But he is still in a very strong position. Anyway Edward, a humble apology from me, and please feel free to email us again soon. That goes for all of you of course, on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
GREEN LIGHT - I feel like experimenting a little, so lets have some green text shall we? The TV cameras are rotating quickly around Felipe Massa in the paddock and making me feel nauseous, a feeling only made worse by seeing Ted Kravitz on screen. Or should I call him by his alleged birthname, Theodore Slotover? Ted if you ever read this, feel free to confirm or deny that one. As the green text indicates we are indeed underway! My hope for this session rests pretty much solely on Kamui Kobayashi and his need to get up to speed, both in the TF109 and here at Interlagos.
5 minutes - Epic fail all over the place here as Formula 1.com's live timing isn't working for me, and the TV coverage won't go full screen as it's undergoing maintenance. How bloody stupid. As a result I have no idea how many of the drivers have done installation laps, but a few of them have. Jenson Button decides he's going to cross the line and do an extra lap. Fastest at the moment according to the now semi-working live timing is everyone's favourite driver, #- PGR'Gp. Seriously.
EPIC FAIL - Epic fail here at Patty too...we seem to be having some difficulties with our mega-brill auto refresh function. Thus if you want your page to update, you'll have to go back to the olden days and mash away at F5. Rest assured our meerkats in the basement are working away to try and fix the problem.
10 minutes - We have a time on the board! 1:24.099, but I'm not entirely sure who's set it. I think it's Alguersuari. It was, and he's gone all of 3.7 seconds faster on his second lap. His teammate's first lap is rather better on a 1:18.3.
15 minutes - As ever in these early stages of Frappy it's a Toro Rosso fest, as their 2 kiddywinks enjoy a circuit all to themselves. Algie improves to an 18.2, but Buemi is almost exactly 2 seconds quicker. Algie improves again to a 16.8, but again Buemi is substantially quicker on a 15.3. There seem to be a tiny amount of raindrops falling on the circuit, as Algie sets a devilish 1:16.666 in second, before Buemi is again 2 seconds quicker, as a slight few more raindrops appear on the infield.
20 minutes - Why does this keep happening all of a sudden? There's a piece of carbon fibre sitting in the middle of the racetrack in the final corner or 2. Kimi comes around for his first attempt and goes third behind the Roro Tossos. Kovalainen is in 4th before being displaced by Rubinho, then Kimi goes 2nd just behind Bwemmy. Ickle then goes third.
25 minutes - Heikki nicks third as soon as I press the update button, and now Webber is on track, going 7th and slowest of those who've set times so far on his opening lap. More spots of rain appearing on camera lenses, and the humidity is apparently an incredible 86%. Boobens did go 2nd but loses a place as Kimi goes quickest, 7 hundredths ahead of Bwemmy. Webber is now 4th and Hamilton has set a time.
EPIC WIN - Auto refreshing should now work again, although you'll have to mash F5 just one more time for that to be the case.
30 minutes - Webber now quickest on a 13.9. Almost everyone out on track now as they all try to get laps in just incase the heavens do open and deposit their contents all over Interlagos. Nando Alonso is the first man to take a little trip onto the green stuff, but no damage done. Hamilton is fastest now on a 13.2, as compatriot Button takes 5th, a second slower. Yet to set times so far are (by process of elimination) Grosjean and Fisichella. Nope, Fisichella gets a time in, about 4 seconds off the pace on his first effort. Oooh bit of a moment there, Webber on a flier trying to get around a slow Nakajima, who tried to get out of his way but only succeeded in pushing him slightly onto the grass. Next time around though Webber is only 0.002 slower than Hamilton.
35 minutes - Button takes third, and Jock Clear reckons rain is coming within 5 minutes, which might explain why so many of them are still on track. Boobens does go quickest as Nico and Grosjean circumnavigate the mass of green tarmac on the outside of Descida do Lago. Vettel then goes quickest on a 12.9, and it seems to be getting slipperier all the time. For goodness sake. At least we got 35 minutes of decent action.
40 minutes - Nothing is happening. Absolutely nothing. How utterly depressing.
45 minutes - Praise be! Jaime Alguersuari has taken to the track. Give him the championship now I say. The young Spaniard is on intermediates. We're at the halfway stage so I may as well run through the order which could easily end up staying the same for the rest of the session...
Vettel, Barrichello, Hamilton, Webber, Button, Buemi, Trulli, Sutil, Rosberg, Alonso, Nakajima, Kubica, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Alguersuari, Liuzzi, Heidfeld, Kobayashi, Kovalainen, Grosjean
As for Alguersuari, he does one lap before chickening out and returning to the pits. Useless.
55 minutes - Heikki Kovalainen, I love you. McLaren should definitely keep you for 2010. The Finn takes to the track on dries. His lap is 1:15.9, 3 seconds off the quickest lap so far, so it's not that slow. Maybe we might get a little less conversation, a little more action by the end of the session.
60 minutes - Romain Grosjean however has skated off, oh and we have some yellow flags! Nothing exciting though, merely that Grosjean hit apolystyrene marker board or two and they've ended up all over the racetrack. And the idiot has brought out a RED FLAG. So, after a rain delay, he's gone and caused a stoppage. What a Morain. At least I can use the red text.65 minutes - Hurrah, we're back underway, having lost about 7 minutes of action. Ah well at least I got to use some more green text.
70 minutes - Many cars straight out onto the track for the final 25 minutes, and the sun has apparently come out. Nakas has gone out on the soft tyres apparently. Kimi slides a tad wide at Grosjean corner, Ant Davidson says it's because the marker boards have been obliterated. Hmm.
75 minutes - Mark Webber has apparently never scored a point at Interlagos, interesting fact that. People are improving! Grosjean (albeit from a dog slow time anyway), Alguersuari (up to 16th) and Kovalainen (up to 9th). Nico goes 4th! Nakajima does a stonking middle sector and goes 3rd! Good minute for Williams.
80 minutes - Webber comes through quickest of all in a 1:12.805, an eighth of a second quicker than his teammate. And Boobens has had a spin in the infield but rejoins safely. And there's another moment, this one slightly more terminal as Sebastien Buemi goes off at the hairpin before Barrichello, mashing up his right rear somewhat, almost hitting Liuzzi in the process. Methinks the drivers will be very cautious in the yellow flag zone! These Toro Rosso drivers are a tad accident prone aren't they...
85 minutes - Vettel has just set a purple first sector in a bid to snatch top spot from his teammate, although his final two sectors are a tad slow.
END - Webber improves to a 1:12.776, and Vettel was also going quickly but pits instead. Sutil runs wide at the corner where his teammate was nearly speared by Buemi, and then proceeds to hold up Button. Webber has gone faster again on a 1:12.463, with Boobens slotting into 2nd. Kovalainen goes up to 4th, and Button is 7th. Nobody else looks like improving so that should be it.
Epilogue - So a promising start to the weekend for Red Bull. A combination of Hand and Head will take you through the action for the rest of the weekend and, unless I find a job in the meantime, I should be back with you on Friday 30 October in Abu Dhabi. Until then, it's cheerio.| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
