Kazuki Nakajima and Nico Rosberg would finish the opening Friday practice with the second and tenth fastest times, but it was a session that was run under wet conditions but as the clock counted down the track conditions would improve seeing quicker times. Kazuki would set his fastest time late in the session. Shortly after the end of the first session heavier rain would fall on the Suzuka circuit making the track very wet again. The conditions may see the teams decided to limit their running hoping for the forecast drier conditions on
Saturday.

Rivers of water were running down the pit lane. Nico was seen playing football with his mechanics just prior to the beginning of the session seeming to indicate that he did not think there would be too much running in this ninety minute session. The other problem was how the teams would manage the tyre situation given that each driver is limited to four sets of intermediate tyres and three sets of full wet weather tyres. Alguersuari would be the first driver to leave the pit lane followed by team-mate Buemi. Huge plumes of spray would come up from the back of the cars showing the amount of water that was on the track. Both Torro Rosso drivers were on the full wet weather tyre.

Alguersuari would pit while his car was seen aquaplaning on certain parts of the track. Buemi would also pit. Both Nico and Kazuki were in their cars as the rain started to fall even heavier. The track was empty while Kazuki was told by his engineer that they would wait a while to see which way the track conditions will go. Members from other teams looked like they were not in any hurry to go out. Fifteen minutes of the session run and no times had been set. The weather forecasts had even heavier rain coming to the circuit and it would start to fall even heavier. There was a river of water crossing the track on the run up to the Spoon curve.

Kazuki was now out of his car chatting to his mechanics. One hour of the session was remaining with everyone was standing around waiting. This would be the way it remained until an hour of the session had passed and then Alonso and Alguersuari would come out for a look to see what the conditions were like. Alonso would pit while Alguersuari would complete a lap setting a time of 1m:56.848 before pitting. Grosjean was next out but he would not set a time. It was now until the final ten minutes that the drivers would finally come out, except for Kovalainen, Button, and Barrichello.

Alonso would head back out and would set a time of 1m:48.693 while his next alp would not see an improvement. Grosjean was now second followed by Heidfeld. With eight minutes remaining Alonso would pit while several drivers including Nico, Trulli, Kobayashi, Kazuki, and Hamilton would take to the track. Kazuki would go second fastest with a 1m:49.158 while Nico was down in fourth, 1m:50.925. Trulli would go second seeing Kazuki third followed by Webber. Buemi would move up to third, 1m:48.894, while Hamilton was down in eleventh. Sutil would set the quickest time so far with a 1m:47.261s in the Force India while Vettel would move into second with a time of 1m:47.923. Liuzzi was now third with a 1m:47.931 as the drivers returned to their pits.

With the end of the session Kazuki and Nico would finish in fifth and sixteenth positions but their times, in light of the track conditions, were far from a true indication of their pace. The teams are hopeful of improved conditions on Saturday so it will only be at this time that we can gauge how well the Williams drivers are performing.

Pos  Driver	  Team			     Time     Laps
 1.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:47.261 5
 2.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:47.923 6
 3.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:47.931 4
 4.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:47.983 5
 5.  Nakajima     AT&T Williams-Toyota  (B)  1:48.058 8
 6.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:48.691 9
 7.  Alonso       Renault               (B)  1:48.693 5
 8.  Trulli       Toyota                (B)  1:48.737 6
 9.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:48.802 11
10.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:48.861 6
11.  Raikkonen    Ferrari               (B)  1:48.886 4
12.  Kobayashi    Toyota                (B)  1:49.054 7
13.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:49.382 7
14.  Grosjean     Renault               (B)  1:49.405 6
15.  Fisichella   Ferrari               (B)  1:49.553 5
16.  Rosberg      AT&T Williams-Toyota  (B)  1:49.872 7
17.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:50.179 9
18.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  No time
19.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  No time
20.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  No time