Ralf fifth after opening Saturday practice in US


Ralf fifth

By Andrew Hooper
June 19 2004

BMW WilliamsF1 driver Ralf Schumacher would be fifth after the opening Saturday practice for the US Grand Prix. For team-mate Juan pablo Montoya his session would not go as well with an off at Turn six and only the twelfth fastest time.

   
United States GP Saturday 3rd Practice
 
The first of the Saturday practice sessions for the United States Grand Prix would see BMW WilliamsF1 driver Ralf Schumacher finish in fifth. For team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya his session would not go as well with him having an off at Turn six and it would only be late in the session that he would set a time only good enough for twelfth.

Ralf SchumacherAt the end of Friday practice it would be Rubens Barrichello who would set the fastest time, a 1m:10.365, as the teams prepared for the final Saturday practice sessions. The teams would be completing various shakedown laps but after ten minutes no one would have set a time.

Jordan's Giorgio Pantano would be the first driver to set a time with a lap of 1m:14.226. He would lower his time with a 1m:14.003. Ralf Schumacher would be the first of the big team drivers to set a time with a 1:11.671 to move in to first position. But his time at the top would be short. Jordan's Nick Heidfeld would move into third with a 1m:14.206. After twenty minutes only five drivers had set times. The two Minardi's were fourth and fifth with Bruni leading Baumgartner.

Sauber's Giancarlo Fisichella would take second with a 1m:12.405. Team-mate Massa would be right behind Fisichella with a 1m:12.979. But Ralf's time at the top was short with Renault's Fernando Alonso taking first with a time of 1m:11.509. We would now have both Ferrari's out on the track and Michael Schumacher would straight away set the quickest time with a 1m:11.207.
But he would be beaten by Rubens Barrichello with a time of 1m:10.911.

Montoya FansThe two Toyota's of Da Matta and Panis were fifth and seventh. Renault's Jarno Trulli would move into fifth with a time of 1m:11.723. At the top BAR's Jenson Button would split the two Ferrari's by going second with a time of 1m:11.071. While this was taking place Juan Pablo Montoya would have a moment at Turn six. He would only set the fifteenth fastest time. With thirty minutes of the session run neither McLaren's or Jaguar's had set a time. The first to do so would be Kimi Raikkonen who would move into ninth position with a 1m:12.015.

Team-mate Coulthard was down in twelfth. BAR's Takuma Sato was seventh. So as the session wound down it would be Rubens first followed by Button, Michael Schumacher, Alonso, Ralf, Trulli, Sato and Da Matta. Jaguar's Christian Klein would move into tenth.

There would a rush of drivers out to set a time prior to the finish. For Juan Pablo there was time when he was twentieth but he would move into twelfth with a 1m:12.240. The second Jaguar of Mark Webber was in tenth just ahead of Klein. There was no change in the top eight with Ralf still fifth as the session came to a close.
 
P. No Driver Team - Engine Tyres Times Ave/Gaps Laps

1. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B 1'10"911 212.819 Km/h 9
2. 9 BUTTON BAR Honda M 1'11"071 + 0'00"160 9
3. 1 M. SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1'11"207 + 0'00"296 8
4. 8 ALONSO Renault M 1'11"509 + 0'00"598 12
5. 4 R. SCHUMACHER WilliamsF1 BMW M 1'11"671 + 0'00"760 14
6. 7 TRULLI Renault M 1'11"723 + 0'00"812 11
7. 10 SATO BAR Honda M 1'11"989 + 0'01"078 14
8. 16 DA MATTA Toyota M 1'12"001 + 0'01"090 12
9. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1'12"015 + 0'01"104 7
10. 14 WEBBER Jaguar Cosworth M 1'12"128 + 0'01"217 6
11. 15 KLIEN Jaguar Cosworth M 1'12"147 + 0'01"236 6
12. 3 MONTOYA WilliamsF1 BMW M 1'12"240 + 0'01"329 8
13. 11 FISICHELLA Sauber Petronas B 1'12"405 + 0'01"494 10
14. 17 PANIS Toyota M 1'12"451 + 0'01"540 14
15. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1'12"584 + 0'01"673 11
16. 12 MASSA Sauber Petronas B 1'12"911 + 0'02"000 13
17. 20 BRUNI Minardi Cosworth B 1'12"957 + 0'02"046 12
18. 21 BAUMGARTNER Minardi Cosworth B 1'13"396 + 0'02"485 12
19. 18 HEIDFELD Jordan Ford B 1'13"454 + 0'02"543 11
20. 19 PANTANO Jordan Ford B 1'13"761 + 0'02"850 12 
 
 
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