Formula One news
Barrichello fastest in first Monaco practice
21 May 2009 / Results / PhotosRubens Barrichello has set the fastest lap time in the first practice session for this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. With sessions one and two of the weekend traditionally run on Thursday, the Brazilian topped the timesheets ahead of Felipe Massa's Ferrari with 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton third for McLaren.
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| Ferrari's pace continues to improve, despite the off-track politics |
Contrasting the weather of last year, the field was greeted by bright conditions and temperatures reaching 24°C (75°F) as Formula One made its annual pilgrimage to glitzy Monte-Carlo. With Brazilian Barrichello determined to have a good weekend after losing out to team-mate Button for the victory in Spain, he remained atop the timesheets for some time towards the end of the morning session and eventually finished with a lap time of 1.17.189.
Ferrari have clearly found more speed with Massa and Räikkönen second and fifth, three and six tenths of a second off the leading pace respectively. McLaren also appear to have made a significant step forward with third and fourth places for Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, who managed to gain a clear run in the last minutes having lost two flying laps to traffic.
The Williams cars of Kazuki Nakajima and Nico Rosberg finished sixth and seventh with championship leader Jenson Button very much confirming the top eight to be a Brawn, Ferrari, McLaren and Williams affair. Alonso and Webber were 'best of the rest' as yet another impressive performance from Sébastien Buemi's Toro Rosso left the Swiss driver 11th after being 20th until the dying moments; the only rookie on the grid completed more laps than anybody in the principality, with 37 to his name.
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| Sebastian Vettel returns to the pits after his engine failure |
All was not well at Red Bull, however, as a suspected engine failure for Sebastian Vettel left, not only a smoke screen at Tabac, but many runners taking a break in the pits twenty minutes from the end of the session as the field hesitated to drive on the possibly oily surface. The German eventually wound up in an ironic thirteenth position, as Toyota missed out on setting meaningful times and remained 19th and 20th. Both BMW drivers are struggling thus far, as both Heidfeld and Kubica complained of major braking issues.
The second timed session will be taking place at 2pm local time this afternoon (GMT +1) and its progress can be followed live on GPUpdate.net.
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