Australian Grand Prix: Luke's Practice Round Up


By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
March 14 2008

It's back! And it promises to be better than ever! Formula 1 2008 hit to the track in sunny Melbourne, Australia for Round 1's Friday Practice session. And Toyota got off to a strong start with drivers Jarno Trulli and new recruit Timo Glock providing the Force.

The 2008 Australian Grand Prix- Friday Practice

Session One

After months of preperation and endless miles over the Winter Time, Formula 1 officially roared back into action with Free Practice kicking off the weekends business. Timo Glock finished eighth on his first trip as a race driver for Toyota to Australia and his Italian team mate Jarno Trulli not far off in tenth place. 1:28.913 was Timo's best time compared to Jarno's 1:29.014. Some good promise and there would be more to follow.

Reigning World Champion Kimi Raikkonen kicks off his title defence here this weekend, and Ferrari come into the event as pre-season favourites for the Championship. He started in the best possible way by finishing the first session P1 on a time of 1:26.461. The man who many expect to be Raikkonens closest rival in 2008, Lewis Hamilton, finished P2 In the Mclaren-Mercedes. Last years championship runner up completed the session with a best 1:26.948. Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Hamilton's new Mclaren team mate Heikki Kovalainen rounded out the top and the big Four.

Hometown hero Mark Webber was fifth fastest in the Red Bull Renault with Two times World Champion Fernando Alonso rounding out the top six on his return to Renault after a controversial 2007 season.

BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica was 7th fastest on a 1.28.579 followed by Glock with Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel, the man in the team that many expect to be one of the dark horses of 2008 in ninth. Jarno rounded out the top 10.

Honda are looking for improvement and Jenson Button's 11th place was better than what the Brackely based team have been used to in recent Seasons, he was followed by an impressive effort by former race winner Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India Ferrari. Veteran David Coulthard was next up with 4 times and reigning Champ Car World Series Champion Sebastian Bourdais who is making his F1 debut for Toro Rosso this weekend. Honda and BMW-Sauber second drivers Rubens Barrichello and Nick Heidfeld both completed the top 16.

Adrian Sutil was 17th in the second Force India followed by Nelson Piquet Jr (or make that Nelson Piquet...) in the Renault. Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson, Kazuki Nakajima and Nico Rosberg rounded out the field.

Session 1 times

1. Raikkonen Ferrari 1m26.461s

2. Hamilton McLaren 1m26.948s

3. Massa Ferrari 1m26.958s

4. Kovalainen McLaren 1m27.114s

5. Webber Red Bull 1m28.263s

6. Alonso Renault 1m28.360s

7. Kubica BMW 1m28.579s

8. Glock Toyota 1m28.913s

9. Vettel Toro Rosso 1m28.957s

10. Trulli Toyota 1m29.014s

11. Butoon Honda 1m29.124s

12. Fisichella Force India 1m29.230s

13. Coulthard Red Bull 1m29.301s

14. Bourdais Toro Rosso 1m29.363s

15. Barrichello Honda 1m29.533s

16. Heidfeld BMW 1m29.561s

17. Sutil Force India 1m30.155s

18. Piquet Renault 1m30.357s

19. Sato Super Aguri 1m31.048s

20. Davidson Super Aguri 1m31.771s

21. Nakajima Williams 1m35.053s

22. Rosberg Williams no time

Session 2

Jarno spun out towards the end of the session and could have improved on the seventh place he finished in but still it was a very good result. His time was a 1.28.292. Timo took up the tenth spot on a 1.28.582.

Hamilton turned the tables to go fastest in the Afternoon but the headlines was shaken by Red Bull Racing Renault. Mark Webber was second fastest sending the home fans into cloud 9 and team mate David Coulthard was fifth despite finishing in the same way as he did in the first session....stopped on the track.

Felipe Massa was third fastest wit Kovalainen close up in fourth then DC and Kimi Raikkonen went from P1 in the morning to P6 in the afternoon. Jarno was followed by the Toyota powered Williams of Nico Rosberg who did not even set a time in the moring with Fisichella once again over turning the rules with 9th place once again continuing the promise he showed in testing. Timo rounded out the top 10.

Button was once again 11th followed by Heidfeld and Alonso who went off the road a few times in both sessions in a lowly 13th followed by Barrichello, Kubica and Nakajima who completed the top 16.

Sutil and Vettel were next up followed by Piquet Jr (i mean Piquet!) who went one worse to be 19th. Bourdais and the Super Aguri duo of Sato and Davidson finished the field.

Session 2 times

1. Hamilton McLaren 1m26.559s

2. Webber Red Bull 1m27.473s

3. Massa Ferrari 1m27.640s

4. Kovalainen McLaren 1m27.683s

5. Coulthard Red Bull 1m28.037s

6. Raikkonen Ferrari 1m28.208s

7. Trulli Toyota 1m28.292s

8. Rosberg Williams 1m28.352s

9. Fisichella Force India 1m28.469s

10. Glock Toyota 1m28.582s

11. Button Honda 1m28.632s

12. Heidfled BMW 1m28.731s

13. Alonso Renault 1m28.779s

14. Barrichello Honda 1m28.849s

15. Kubica BMW 1m28.860s

16. Nakajima Williams 1m29.077s

17. Sutil Force India 1m29.161s

18. Vettel Toro Rosso 1m29.193s

19. Piquet Renault 1m29.518s

20. Bourdais Toro Rosso 1m29.605s

21. Sato Super Aguri 1m30.663s

22. Davidson Super Aguri 1m31.527s