Bahrain GP – Friday Practice

March 10, 2006 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

[I use a lot of abbreviations in my notes, mostly for driver names - check the full driver & team list here.]

Highlights of 1st practice session:
Wurz goes off (Turn 11?); Liuzzi runs wide in same spot.
No sign of Super Aguri?
Fastest lap 1:32.170 Robert Kubica (Polish test driver for BMW Sauber)
Only about half the drivers took to part in the session. Button didn’t even get his race gear on!

2nd session: air temp 30°C (86°F), track temp 37C (99F), humidity 33%, wind 4mph, dry.
Scuderia Torro Rosso’s chassis looks the same as last year’s Red Bull chassis; FIA say it’s different & therefore legal.
STR are using a de-tuned V10 whereas everyone else is using V8 engines.
On-board, V8 sounds deeper than they did in pre-season practice.
KR f/lap 1:33.577
Anthony Davidson (Honda) f/lap 1:32.997
Close-up of Massa’s tyres – couple of flat spots [remember: tyre changes are back this season]
Apparently (Speed commentators say) teams are still discussing the details of the new qualifying format!
Kubica has a puncture after running off-track – hang on – it looks like something (bodywork?) hit the tyre just as he went into the corner
Michelin tech covers up the tyre as soon as Kubica is in the BMW Sauber pit
FA f/lap 1:32.538
Ferrari’s mirrors have been moved right out to the sides, in line with the tyres
Big spin for Liuzzi – 7207deg; – and carries on
KR starts 2006 with problems – his McLaren MP421 has let him down – he’s stopped on circuit
KR has to direct the marshalls to push his car off to the side [you know what I think about foreign marshalling]
Trulli’s Toyota has also stopped just to the side of the circuit
Masssa f/lap 1:32.175
Davidson f/lap 1:31.153
Winklehock spins the MF1 but recovers
Ide pulls his (Honda-powered) Super Aguri off – didn’t see any problem.