By Nick Sparkes
July 1 2006

The first practice session of the weekend got underway with blue skies and high temperatures, with Anthony Davidson ending both sessions on top for Honda. For Toyota the two sessions proved problematic, as neither car looked fast enough to challenge the top 10. Friday – First Session

With Davidson covering 27 laps in the first session to go fastest, his closest rival was that of Michael Schumacher who in contrast completed a mere 3 laps. This wasn’t helped with the German spinning his Ferrari into the gravel trap near the end, which probably brought a smile to his rival Fernando Alonso who only completed one installation lap. Robert Kubica was again impressive for BMW-Sauber and finished third, with the two Honda’s of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button in fourth and fifth.

Many of the race drivers sat out this session in order to preserve their engines and tyres for Sunday’s Grand Prix, this included the Toyota duo of Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli.

1	A. Davidson		Honda		1:12.083	27
2	M. Schumacher		Ferrari		1:12.458	3
3	R. Kubica		BMW		1:13.008	31
4	R. Barrichello		Honda		1:13.090	5
5	J. Button		Honda		1:13.189	6
6	N. Jani		Scuderia Toro Rosso		1:13.710	24
7	G. Mondini		Midland F1		1:14.654	33
8	A. Wurz		Williams		1:14.745	38
9	S. Speed		Scuderia Toro Rosso		1:14.791	8
10	R. Doornbos		Red Bull		1:15.018	22
11	T. Monteiro		Midland F1		1:15.091	8
12	V. Liuzzi		Scuderia Toro Rosso		1:15.532	8
13	C. Albers		Midland F1		1:15.647	10
14	T. Sato		Super Aguri		1:15.971	17
15	S. Yamamoto		Super Aguri		1:16.116	31
16	F. Montagny		Super Aguri		1:16.489	17
17	J. Trulli		Toyota		no time	2
18	R. Schumacher		Toyota		no time	2
19	G. Fisichella		Renault		no time	3
20	F. Alonso		Renault		no time	1
21	C. Klien		Red Bull		no time	1
22	K. Räikkönen		McLaren		no time	1
23	D. Coulthard		Red Bull		no time	1
24	JP. Montoya		McLaren		no time	1
25	N. Heidfeld		BMW		no time	1
26	J. Villeneuve		BMW		no time	2
27	F. Massa		Ferrari		no time
28	M. Webber		Williams		no time
29	N. Rosberg		Williams		no time

Friday – Second Session

Once again Davidson ended the session fastest, almost a second clear of anyone else. Robert Kubica finished off his Friday duties with a creditable second whilst Giancarlo Fisichella was the fastest race driver in third. Midland F1 sprang a surprise with Giorgio Mondini and Tiago Monteiro finishing fifth and seventh respectively, with the seven times world champion, Michael Schumacher, in between them. Home hero Scott Speed was eleventh for Toro Rosso, the V10 engine looking strong around the fast and open Indianapolis Speedway.

For Toyota things didn’t look good. Neither car looked set to challenge the top ten, let alone the top twenty! Jarno Trulli was twenty-third and Ralf Schumacher was twenty-seventh, with neither driver completing a huge amount of mileage with the majority of the time spent in the pits. Hopefully any sort of problem for the Toyota team will be sorted by tomorrow.

1	A. Davidson		Honda		1:12.013	38
2	R. Kubica		BMW		1:12.809	39
3	G. Fisichella		Renault		1:12.933	14
4	F. Massa		Ferrari		1:13.264	26
5	G. Mondini		Midland F1		1:13.327	33
6	M. Schumacher		Ferrari		1:13.346	18
7	T. Monteiro		Midland F1		1:13.387	21
8	J. Button		Honda		1:13.397	16
9	F. Alonso		Renault		1:13.474	14
10	K. Räikkönen		McLaren		1:13.554	9
11	S. Speed		Scuderia Toro Rosso		1:13.688	26
12	M. Webber		Williams		1:13.691	15
13	N. Heidfeld		BMW		1:13.725	14
14	V. Liuzzi		Scuderia Toro Rosso		1:13.735	24
15	JP. Montoya		McLaren		1:13.825	10
16	J. Villeneuve		BMW		1:13.857	17
17	N. Jani		Scuderia Toro Rosso		1:13.946	31
18	R. Barrichello		Honda		1:14.011	20
19	A. Wurz		Williams		1:14.050	39
20	C. Klien		Red Bull		1:14.084	15
21	C. Albers		Midland F1		1:14.169	19
22	T. Sato		Super Aguri		1:14.391	24
23	J. Trulli		Toyota		1:14.449	16
24	N. Rosberg		Williams		1:14.562	17
25	D. Coulthard		Red Bull		1:14.676	18
26	R. Doornbos		Red Bull		1:14.839	13
27	R. Schumacher		Toyota		1:15.063	10
28	S. Yamamoto		Super Aguri		1:15.120	33
29	F. Montagny		Super Aguri		no time	2