Formula One news
Rosberg heads first Turkish practice
05 June 2009 / Results / PhotosNico Rosberg has finished fastest in first practice ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix. With bright conditions in Istanbul, the German's Williams headed, unexpectedly, the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton with championship leader Jenson Button finishing eleventh fastest for Brawn GP in a session broken up by a stoppage.
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| Both Ferraris wound up in the top ten |
With blue skies and temperatures of 24°C (75°F) at Istanbul Park, Rosberg pulled out a last-gasp lap time of 1.28.952 for Williams on his 60th Grand Prix weekend, three tenths of a second fastest than Hamilton and the only man to break the 1.29.000 mark. Hamilton, expected to struggle with a lack of downforce this weekend, beat Jarno Trulli's last effort by just 8 thousandths of a second with Sebastian Vettel and three-time Istanbul winner Felipe Massa rounding out the top five places.
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| Rosberg and Williams continue their fine practice form by taking first blood in Turkey |
Kazuki Nakajima ensured both Williams finished in the top six as Kimi Räikkönen confirmed Ferrari's stronger form with seventh in the team's second top ten car. Fernando Alonso was eighth in a diffuser-updated Renault with the first Brawn of Rubens Barrichello in ninth position and over half a second slower than the leading time. Kovalainen in the second McLaren was the final man to make the top ten places with championship leader Jenson Button back in eleventh for Brawn.
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| Track marshalls attend to the loose Astroturf at Turn 1 |
With Rosberg fastest for the eleventh time from nineteen practice sessions so far in 2009, the German has now posted a leading time at all seven circuits visited so far this season. Drivers struggled badly for grip during the session, as the 'green' anti-clockwise track took a number of prisoners; Lewis Hamilton ran wide at Turn 1 on no less than two occasions although Timo Glock suffered the most, with two spins on the left-hander - Toyota team-mate Jarno Trulli also ran wide to bring a premature end to a long run. Other men in minor trouble were Heikki Kovalainen - who ran off at Turn 4 -, Mark Webber - who went straight on as a result of oversteer at Turn 7 - and rookie Sébastien Buemi, experiencing a lurid moment and making best use of the rapid Turn 8's asphalt run-off area.
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| Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr. wound up fourteenth fastest after first practice in the second Renault |
The session was red flagged in the closing stages as the offs at Turn 1 resulted a sections of Astroturf coming lose and flapping at the side of the track; no additional problems were caused as a result of the incident, although the FIA is likely to be surveying the area in due course.
The second practice session is due to start at 2pm local time (GMT +2) with GPUpdate.net's live report keeping you up to date with all of the action as it happens.
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