Friday, August 1, 2008

FERRARI FASTEST IN FIRST PRACTICE

FERRARI FASTEST IN FIRST PRACTICE

Massa - fastest in practice.

Ferrari suggested they have cured their ills from Hockenheim as Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen finished one-two at the end of first practice for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Raikkonen in particular was out of sorts at the German Grand Prix 12 days ago, finishing a lowly sixth after starting from that grid position.

An intense investigation followed, with Ferrari determining the car was not at fault, but rather the issue was due to their drivers being unable to extract the maximum from the Bridgestone tyres.

If the opening 90 minutes are anything to go by, then Ferrari have raised their game and will represent a significant threat to Lewis Hamilton's bid for three successive victories.

Hamilton has dominated the last two races in Britain and Germany to open up a four-point gap over Massa and seven to Raikkonen.

But the 23-year-old McLaren ace was forced to settle for the fourth-quickest time of the morning, with team-mate Heikki Kovalainen also faster.

It was Massa comfortably out in front, though, setting a time of one minute 20.981 seconds for the tight, twisty Hungaroring track, leaving Raikkonen trailing by 0.364secs.

Kovalainen and Hamilton, who won this race a year ago, followed in close attendance, although with the latter 0.554secs down on Brazilian Massa.

Fernando Alonso in his Renault was the best of the rest, while Timo Glock unquestionably proved he is over his horrific smash in Hockenheim with the sixth fastest time in his Toyota.

BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica and team-mate Nick Heidfeld were over a second down in seventh and ninth, sandwiching Renault's Nelson Piquet, with Jarno Trulli for Toyota completing the top 10.

David Coulthard was 12th in his Red Bull, albeit 1.719secs off Massa's pace, with Honda's Jenson Button a further 0.2secs adrift in 14th.

Sebastian Vettel brought up the rear, however, completing just four laps due to an engine problem with his Toro Rosso sustained 49 minutes into the session.

Times
01 F. Massa Ferrari 1:20.981 19 laps
02 K. Rдikkцnen Ferrari 1:21.345 21 laps
03 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:21.410 17 laps
04 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:21.535 18 laps
05 F. Alonso Renault 1:21.802 18 laps
06 T. Glock Toyota 1:21.931 22 laps
07 R. Kubica BMW 1:22.267 18 laps
08 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:22.326 19 laps
09 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:22.370 22 laps
10 J. Trulli Toyota 1:22.457 25 laps
11 M. Webber Red Bull 1:22.654 23 laps
12 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:22.700 16 laps
13 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:22.900 26 laps
14 J. Button Honda 1:22.917 27 laps
15 R. Barrichello Honda 1:23.093 26 laps
16 N. Rosberg Williams 1:23.147 21 laps
17 K. Nakajima Williams 1:23.274 22 laps
18 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:23.353 25 laps
19 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:23.459 28 laps
20 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:23.923 4 laps



  • HAMILTON SETS PACE IN PRACTICE
  • MASSA FASTEST IN PRACTICE
  • RAIKKONEN PUTS FERRARI IN CHARGE
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