Formula 1 News

Brazilian GP, 1st Free Practice Session: Raikkonen leads wet practice 

The predictions of rain during the 1st free practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend proved correct as light rain fell throughout the 90 minute session. This limited track time for many of the front-runners with Kimi Raikkonen leaving it until the final ten minutes of the session before heading out and vaulting to the top of the timesheets ahead of Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.

Raikkonen set the pace on a 1’19”580 around the challenging 4.309km Interlagos circuit with Massa almost half a second down in the second F2007. McLaren Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso also had limited running with the latter completing just an installation lap and not completing a timed lap.

Heikki Kovalainen was 3rd fastest in his Renault while teammate Giancarlo Fisichella completed a couple of installation laps but did not set a time. Nico Rosberg was fourth fastest in his Williams Toyota as he aims to put the disappointing Chinese Grand Prix weekend behind him as new teammate Kazuki Nakajima gained plenty of track experience on his way to the 16th fastest time. Lewis Hamilton struggled around on his first run before pitting and then heading back out and improving to the fifth fastest time as the chequered flag flew. Ralf Schumacher, starting his final race weekend as a Toyota driver, led the way for much of the session before being bumped down the order in the final minutes to a still solid sixth fastest.

Sebastian Vettel has shown well in wet race at both Fuji Speedway and last time out in Shanghai. The Toro Rosso rookie was on the pace again today as he put in the seventh fastest time despite a spin late in the session. Teammate Tonio Liuzzi was tenth fastest.

Mark Webber was 8th in his Red Bull Renault just ahead of Jarno Trulli in the second Toyota and Liuzzi. Rubens Barrichello was 11th best in his Honda just ahead of team-mate Jenson Button. David Coulthard was 13th in his Red Bull ahead of Takuma Sato in his Super Aguri and Adrian Sutil in the leading Spyker. Anthony Davidson and Sakon Yamamoto were the final runners. BMW Sauber sent out Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica to complete an installation lap early in the session, but they, like Alonso and Fisichella, took no further part in proceedings.