WilliamsF1 3rd & 4th in opening Saturday practice

By Andrew Hooper
June 22 2002

European GP Saturday 1st Practice
The opening Saturday practice would see the the BMW WilliamsF1 drivers finish in third and fourth, with Ralf ahead of Juan Pablo. Despite their improvement in times both drivers are behind the Ferrari pair of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. What was of concern was the fact that Michael was one second ahead of the fastest WilliamsF1 driver.

Ralf SchumacherThe session was run under fine conditions with a temperature of sixteen degrees. So long as the weather holds the Michelin supplied teams should enjoy a good run for the rest of the day.

Michael Schumacher would set the fastest time of the session. Early in the session Michael was to spin his car when he slid backwards onto the grass after his Ferrari clipped a kerb. But he would go on and, with new tyres, set the fastest time.

Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld was fifth quickest behind the WilliamsF1 pair. Next was McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa in the other Sauber. Renault’s Jenson Button took eighth place. Button is not only having to deal with the demands of setting his car up but also the rumours that he will be dropped by Renault.

Down in ninth was Friday's fastest time setter David Coulthard. Jarno Trulli in the other Renault machine was tenth, ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Olivier Panis, Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato.

Enrique Bernoldi  was fifteenth, followed by Jacques Villeneuve in a disappointing sixteenth and Eddie Irvine.

The Toyotas of Allan McNish and Mika Salo were eighteenth and nineteenth, followed by Mark Webber, Alex Yoong, and Jaguar’s Pedro de la Rosa, who could complete only three laps.
Driver Team (Tyres) Time Gap Laps

01. M Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:30.658 09
02. R Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:31.598 0.940 10
03. R Schumacher BMW.WilliamsF1 (M) 1:31.685 1.027 14
04. JP Montoya BMW.WilliamsF1 (M) 1:32.257 1.599 14
05. N Heidfeld Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:32.758 2.100 10
06. K Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:32.849 2.191 09
07. F Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:32.913 2.255 12
08. J Button Renault (M) 1:32.926 2.268 09
09. D Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:32.979 2.321 10
10. J Trulli Renault (M) 1:33.217 2.559 10
11. Heinz H. Frentzen Arrows-Cosworth (B) 1:33.751 3.093 10
12. O Panis BAR-Honda (B) 1:33.806 3.148 14
13. G Fisichella Jordan-Honda (B) 1:33.946 3.288 09
14. T Sato Jordan-Honda (B) 1:34.272 3.614 17
15. E Bernoldi Arrows-Cosworth (B) 1:34.315 3.657 10
16. J Villeneuve BAR-Honda (B) 1:34.579 3.921 14
17. E Irvine Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:34.969 4.311 12
18. A McNish Toyota (M) 1:35.212 4.554 16
19. M Salo Toyota (M) 1:35.320 4.662 18
20. M Webber Minardi-Asiatech (M) 1:35.567 4.909 12
21. A Yoong Minardi-Asiatech (M) 1:37.142 6.484 15
22. P de la Rosa Jaguar-Cosworth (M) :. 90.658 03
 
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