Australian Practice Two: Rosberg remains fastest


Nico remains fasttest

By Andrew Hooper
March 27 2009

After being one-two in the opening practice for the 2009 Australian GP the AT&T Williams team would see Nico Rosberg remain fastest in the second Friday practice. He was backed up by a seventh from Kazuki Nakajima. It was such a great thing to see a Williams fastest in both sessions. This is really encouraging for the team and must be a huge boost for the team as they prepare for Saturday.

 
 Australian GP Friday 2nd Practice
 

After an encouraging one-two in the opening Friday practice the second Friday
practice would get underway with a rush of drivers taking to the track. After fifteen minutes the order was Button fastest with a 1m:28.002 followed by Sutil, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Glock, Webber, Nico Rosberg, Raikkonen, and Kazuki Nakajima. Nico's time was a 1m:28.300 and Kazuki's a 1m:28.323. Trulli was now fastest with a 1m:27.168. Button was still second with a 1m:27.799.

RosbergHamilton would improve to now be third, 1m:27.958. Trulli would improve with a 1m:27.050. His next lap was a 1m:26.925. Trulli was running on the softer option tyre. Both Nico and Kazuki were back in their pits. Trulli would return to the pits as we saw the Force India cars of Sutil and Fisichella moving into second and third, 1m:27.265 and 1m:27.539 respectively.

Both Nico and Kazuki were back out with an hour and five minutes remaining. Glock was now fastest with a 1m:26.689. Nico would go fastest in the middle sector. At the end of his lap he would move into second with a 1m:26.624. Kovalainen would have a moment going into Turn one taking to the grass. Glock would improve with a 1m:26.443 but on his next lap Nico was fastest with a 1m:26.293. Vettel was fourth, 1m:27.037.

Nico would improve with a 1m:26.142. Kazuki was down in fourteenth, 1m:28.323. He would improve with a 1m:28.016 to be eleventh. So with just under an hour remaining the order was Nico, who had pitted, Trulli, Glock, Vettel, Sutil, Webber, Fisichella, Massa, Button, and tenth was Hamilton. Trulli was now second, 1m:26.350. Barrichello was now fourth, 1m:26.608. Rubens would have a moment running over the gravel trap at Turn one after missing his braking. Kazuki had pitted.

NakajimaButton was up to fifth with a 1m:26.763. Nico was back out with just under fifty five minutes left in the session. Barrichello was now third, 1m:26.356. Glock was fourth while Kazuki was down in thirteenth. Nico was now on the softer tyre and would use them to good effect setting a new fastest time with a 1m:26.053. Slowest was Heidfeld with a 1m:29.965. Kazuki was back out and would improve with a 1m:26.781 to move up to sixth. Nico would pit. It was interesting to see how the top six were the three teams that were running with the different diffusers. Kazuki would improve with a 1m:26.560 to now be in fifth. Kazuki would pit with forty minutes left.

Prior to pitting Nico would have a moment with Buemi going into Turn one. Nico would come close to hitting the Torro Rosso as he tried to pass him under braking. Webber was now fourth, 1m:26.370. Nico was back out as Trulli would run across the grass at Turn one. The Renault's were down in nineteenth a twentieth with Piquet leading Alonso. Vettel was eighth with a 1m:26.740, but he would spin under braking at Turn Three. His practice was over as his car was craned away. Not a good start for the German. Nico was putting in a longer run with thirty minutes left in the session. Nico would pit while Kazuki was down in seventh, 1m:26.560.

NakajimaAfter a short stop Nico was back out with just over twenty minutes remaining. Despite running on the softer tyre Hamilton was down in sixteenth, 1m:27.813. Nico was also on the softer tyre for his next run. Raikkonen was now slowest with a 1m:28.321. Massa was on the softer tyre and would have a big moment t going through Turn fourteen. He would get the car under control in a great piece of driving but he would take to the grass at Turn one. Nico would pit with twelve minutes remaining. Raikkonen would also take to the grass at Turn one. He was also on the softer tyre. Ten minutes left and Nico was still fastest. Raikkonen was now fourteenth.

The order was Nico from Trulli, Barrichello, Webber, Button, Glock, Kazuki, Vettel, Sutil, and Massa in tenth. Nico was doing a really great job as he stayed at the top of the times. Kazuki was back out with seven minutes left in the session. Kazuki would get stuck behind Button which would see the Williams driver have to weave across the track to get past. With just minutes remaining everyone was back out. Nico was on the softer tyre while both Renault's would pit. Barrichello was second with a 1m:26.157.

With the end of the session Nico remained fastest and was backed up with Kazuki in seventh. Barrichello remained second followed by Trulli, Webber, Button, Glock, Kazuki, Vettel, Sutil, and Massa in tenth. It was such a great thing to see a Williams fastest in both sessions. This is really encouraging for the Williams team and must be a huge boost for the team.

 
Pos  Driver        	Team			Time      	Laps
 1.    Rosberg      	Williams-Toyota       	(B)  	1:26.053 	36
 2.    Barrichello  	Brawn-Mercedes       	(B)  	1:26.157 	38
 3.    Trulli       	Toyota                	(B)  	1:26.350 	42
 4.    Webber       	Red Bull-Renault      	(B)  	1:26.370 	30
 5.    Button       	Brawn-Mercedes       	(B)  	1:26.374 	38
 6.    Glock        	Toyota                	(B)  	1:26.443 	42
 7.    Nakajima     	Williams-Toyota       	(B)  	1:26.560 	33
 8.    Vettel       	Red Bull-Renault      	(B)  	1:26.740 	19
 9.    Sutil        	Force India-Mercedes	(B)  	1:27.040 	29
10.   Massa        	Ferrari               	(B)  	1:27.064 	35
11.   Raikkonen    	Ferrari               	(B)  	1:27.204 	32
12.   Alonso       	Renault               	(B)  	1:27.232 	28
13.   Fisichella   	Force India-Mercedes	(B)  	1:27.282 	32
14.   Heidfeld     	BMW-Sauber            	(B)  	1:27.317 	34
15.   Kubica       	BMW-Sauber            	(B)  	1:27.398 	36
16.   Bourdais     	Toro Rosso-Ferrari    	(B)  	1:27.479 	36
17.   Kovalainen   	McLaren-Mercedes   	(B)  	1:27.802 	35
18.   Hamilton     	McLaren-Mercedes    (B)  	1:27.813 	31
19.   Piquet       	Renault               	(B)  	1:27.828 	35
20.   Buemi        	Toro Rosso-Ferrari    	(B)  	1:28.076 	33
 

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Australian Practice Two: Rosberg remains fastest
Discussion started by Williams F1 , 27/03/2009 07:19
Williams F1
27/03/2009 07:19
What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
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peterl
27/03/2009 07:54
A very nice warm glow has come over me for the first time in eleven long years, I cannot even remember when we were last 1 and 2 in a practice session....fantasic
(Sm48)

Peterl

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