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With AT&T
Williams drivers Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg finishing Friday
practice in ninth and fourteenth there was still a lot of work to do as the
Williams team prepared for Saturday's practice for the 2010 Australian Grand
Prix. After a wet Friday afternoon Saturday saw vastly improved conditions,
even if it was cooler. The drivers were strapped in their cars ready to take
to the track. The session would get underway with a rush of drivers coming
out. Nico would leave the pits first as everyone returned to their pits
after their installation laps. Rubens would come out along with the
McLaren's. Rubens would pit With five minutes of the session completed four
drivers had yet to take to the track, including both Mercedes Benz cars.
Senna was out on the track running by himself returning to the pits. Petrov
was the first driver back out starting his first timed lap. Other drivers
would start to come back out, including De la Rosa, Massa and Glock. Petrov
would set a time of 1m:32.342. Nico Hulkenberg was out on the track while
Petrov was having a hard time with his Renault but he would improve with a
1m:28.597. More cars had taken to the circuit as Massa went fastest with a
1m:28.516 from Petrov, De la Rosa, and Glock. Both Mercedes cars would
finally come out as Petrov set a 1m:27.532. Liuzzi was sixth and Alguersuari
fourth. Massa was again fastest with a 1m:27.190. Nico's first lap was a
1m:28.910 seeing him fifth. Kobayashi was up to fourth with Rubens now
joining Nico on the circuit.
Nico
was now second with a 1m:27.449 but was quickly beaten by Petrov. Massa was
still fastest from Petrov, Nico, Vettel, Kubica, Buemi, De la Rosa,
Kobayashi, Alguersuari, and in tenth Rosberg. Rosberg would jump from tenth
to be fastest with a 1m:26.463. Vettel would respond with a 1m:26.242 to be
fastest. Nico was now fifth while Rubens had yet to set a time. Petrov and
Massa would pit while we had the rest of the field on the circuit. Massa
would quickly come back out Vettel was now fastest with a 1m:26.242 from
Rosberg, Massa, Schumacher, Petrov, Nico, Buemi, Kubica, and Alguersuari.
Hamilton was now fastest with a 1m:25.706 while Rubens was in thirteenth,
1m:29.380. Nico had dropped to eighth, 1m:27.449. Schumacher would improve
to be second, 1m:26.083. Nico would improve with a 1m:27.050. Button was up
to fourth while Vettel was in second, 1m:25.963. The two HRT cars were
slowest. With just over thirty minutes remaining Webber would move up to
second, 1m:25.774. Rubens would have a moment with Senna as the HRT driver
cut across the front of the Williams.
Button was now third, 1m:25.917, as the track emptied. Senna would pull off
with a problem at Turn two. Petrov would return joining just Button on the
track. Nico was now in ninth and Rubens had improved to be eleventh. Button
would pit. With twenty six minutes remaining there would be drivers coming
back out including both Ferrari's, both Mercedes Benz cars, and those from Sauber. Both Williams drivers were still
in their pits. Alonso would improve to be third, 1m:25.916. Hamilton was out
on the circuit and was still fastest from Webber, Alonso, Button, Vettel,
Schumacher, Rosberg, Petrov, Massa, and Buemi in tenth. Rubens was running
again while Alguersuari would move up from fourteenth to twelfth with a lap
of 1m:27.131. Alonso was now fastest with a time of 1m:25.559. With most of
the field running Alonso continued to push going fastest in sector one.
Schumacher was now second, 1m:25.690, while Alonso had aborted his lap to
return to the pits. Nico and Rubens were down in thirteenth and fourteenth.
Vettel was now third, 1m:25.692, while Schumacher went fastest by 0.065 with
a time of 1m:25.494. Rosberg was fifth from Webber, Button, Massa, Petrov,
and Kubica. Both Williams drivers were running while Schumacher would pit. Sutil would improve to be tenth,
1m:26.654. Webber was now fastest with a 1m:25.309 with sixteen minutes left
in the session. Rubens and Nico had reversed positions with Rubens and Nico
now fourteenth and fifteenth. Rubens time was a 1m:27.035 and Nico a
1m:27.050. Rubens would pit having run wide at Turn thirteen. With fourteen
minutes left the track would empty as the drivers came in to prepare for
their qualifying simulations.
Both Williams drivers were in their pits while Kobayashi was out running on
the softer tyres. He was joined by both Toro Rosso cars. Kobayashi would
improve to be eleventh, 1m:26.366. Alonso was out joined shortly after by
Hamilton and Button. Alguersuari was up to twelfth after his run while more
drivers started to come out for their final runs. Rubens and Nico weer now in sixteenth and seventeenth. Alonso was now
second, 1m:25.456, while the majority of the field was back out. Neither of
the McLaren's would improve after their laps. Webber was fastest in sector
one while Hamilton was in fourth with a 1m:25.505. Both Williams cars were
out for their runs as Webber would improve his time with a 1m:24.794 to go
easily fastest. Alonso would improve his time with a 1m:24.929 to remain in
second. Rubens was on an improved lap while Vettel would move ahead of
Rosberg who was third. Rubens was up to eighth after his lap while
Schumacher was up to fourth, 1m:25.216.
Nico was on a better lap but would remain in seventeenth. With three minutes
remaining it was Webber from Alonso, Vettel, Schumacher, Vettel, Rosberg,
Hamilton, Sutil, Massa, Button, and Liuzzi in tenth. Webber would improve
his time with a 1m:24.719 while Schumacher would also improve to be third
from Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton, Sutil, Massa, Button, Liuzzi, and Rubens in eleventh. Nico was down in a disappointing
seventeenth. The session would end with Button setting an improved time to
be sixth, 1m:25.399. A far from encouraging session for both Williams driver
making their prospects for qualifying and their ability to make it into the
final period doubtful. |