The final practice session for the 2009 European Grand Prix would see the AT&T Williams team continue their strong showing with Kazuki Nakajima and Nico Rosberg finishing in second and fifth. The session was halted as a result of oil being deposited on the track by Vettel's car. This would make it difficult to gauge the true performance of drivers, but the Williams pair still perfomed well.
European GP Saturday
Practice
After seeing
their drivers finish fourth and fifth in the final Friday practice session
the AT&T Williams team was encouraged as they prepared for the Saturday
practice session. Fisichella and Sutil would take to the circuit first. The
Williams drivers would come out and complete their installation lap and with
ten minutes of the session complete the track would be empty but with
thirteen minutes completed Alguersuari would join Hamilton and Badoer out on
the track for their first runs. Hamilton would set the first time of the day
with a 1m:42.103.
Kazuki
Nakajima would join the track, as Alguersuari set a time of 1m:43.285 to go
second to Hamilton. With a rush of drivers out on the track Buemi would pass
Hamilton with a 1m:42.100. Hamilton would set a time with a 1m:40.656 seeing
him again fastest. Raikkonen was now second with Sutil and Fisichella third
and fourth. Hamilton would improve with a 1m:39.950 while Alonso was now
third. Sutil would move up into second with 1m:40.954. Nico would join those
near the top moving into second with Alonso third followed by Sutil,
Grosjean, and Raikkonen.
Button would improve and was now second with a lap just one-tenth of a
second Hamilton. Sutil would improve again and was now third. With nearly
half the session run Nico would make a quick stop in his pit but would come
straight back out for a second run of laps. He was currently fourth. Kubica
would go fastest but we would see Sutil move ahead with a 1m:39.897.
Hamilton was now third followed by Button, Grosjean, Fisichella, Nico,
Alonso, Raikkonen, and Glock, Kazuki was down in fourteenth.
But the session would be stoped when Vettel would suffer a major engine
failure dropping oil along the track in the final sector. It would take a
lengthy period while the marshals tried to lay dust to dry the oil up. In
some places the oil was off the racing line but on others the oil was on the
line. The session would restart at 11:55 am local time and there would be a
rush of drivers taking to the track. All would be on the super soft tyre The
oil dust was from Turn eighteen to Turn twenty four. The drivers would lose
huge amounts of time in the final sector. Kovalainen would set a time of
1m:41.003 but he would improve to go fastest with a 1m:39.553.
Button was now second, 1m:39.883 but Nico would move ahead of the Brawn
driver with a 1m:39.732. Kubica would move to the top of the times but
Kazuki would move ahead of the BMW, 1m:39.247. But it would be Sutil who
would move to the top of the times with a 1m:39.143. So the order was Sutil
from Kazuki, Kubica, Kovalainen, Nico, Fisichella, Button, Hamilton, Trulli,
and Grosjean.
It was a session
where the results really would not give an true indication of the drivers
pace but it was encouraging fore the AT&T Williams team to see their drivers
second and fifth.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:39.143 12
2. Nakajima AT&T Williams-Toyota (B) 1:39.247 12
3. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:39.513 12
4. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:39.553 8
5. Rosberg AT&T Williams-Toyota (B) 1:39.732 11
6. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:39.764 12
7. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1:39.883 10
8. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:39.950 12
9. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:40.017 11
10. Grosjean Renault (B) 1:40.088 11
11. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:40.118 12
12. Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1:40.192 10
13. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:40.230 12
14. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:40.260 12
15. Alonso Renault (B) 1:40.402 9
16. Glock Toyota (B) 1:40.443 10
17. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:40.879 10
18. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:40.916 6
19. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:41.125 12
20. Badoer Ferrari (B) 1:42.198 14
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