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While
seeing a
fit
looking
Felipe
Massa in
Scuderia
Ferrari
team kit
watching
practice
from the
pit wall
put a
smile on
everyone’s
face,
the same
cannot
be said
for the
performance
of the F60s
yesterday.
Kimi
Raikkonen
ended
the day
in
eighteenth
place,
while
Giancarlo
Fisichella
was
twentieth.
Why? According
to Ferrari it was a
combination
of
circumstances:
a
problem
on the
Italian’s
car, a
lack of
aerodynamic
grip and
the fact
that
with the Scuderia’s
focus
is centering
on the
2010
season,
while the
three
hours of
free
practice
was also
used to
try out
some
components
for next
year’s
car.
However,
as
expected
here,
more
than at
any
other
track
this
season,
the lap
times
are very
close
indeed,
mainly
down to
the fact
the lap
is a
very
short
one –
the best
time
today
was a 1m
12.314,
set by
Fernando
Alonso
in the
Renault.
So,
although
Giancarlo
was
last, he
was only
0.961
seconds
slower
than the
Spaniard.
Therefore,
it is to
be hoped
that any
slight
improvement
for
today,
could
see the
Ferrari
duo
return
to a
more
respectable
position
by the
end of
qualifying.
After
Alonso
came
Sebastien
Buemi in
the
Ferrari-powered
Toro
Rosso,
with
local
hero
Rubens
Barrichello
third
for
Brawn.
Next was
Mark
Webber
in the
Red
Bull,
followed
by
series
leader
Jenson
Button,
who can
win the
Drivers’
title on
Sunday
if he
finishes
third,
whatever
any of
his
rivals
may do.
Rounding
off the
top six
is the
Toyota
of Jarno
Trulli.
This
tight
pack
should
make for
a
fascinating
qualifying
session
later
today,
where
the
slightest
slip up
could
see
front
runners
suddenly
finding
themselves
stranded
in Q1
and, as
always
in
Brazil
at this
time of
year,
the
weather
could
play a
significant
role. It
was
supposed
to rain
yesterday,
but in
the end
there
were
just a
few
light
showers.
“Clearly,
we cannot be satisfied with
the way things went today,”
said Stefano Domenicali. “We
definitely have a lot of
work to do to try and
improve the set-up of the
car within the limitations
of what we have to work
with. However, we should
also take into account how
close the times are, with
all twenty drivers out on
track this afternoon setting
times within the same
second. It takes almost
nothing to make the
difference between being at
the front or at the back of
the pack. This means that
everyone, drivers and team,
will have to carry out their
work perfectly if we aspire
to getting a good result
this weekend, starting with
tomorrow afternoon’s
qualifying.”
Giancarlo
Fisichella: “Eighteenth
and twentieth places in FP2
is not a result we can be
happy about but, to use a
footballing expression, it’s
all looking very tight, as
it has been in fact for much
of the year. On top of that,
we are also working a lot
for 2010 which makes it even
harder to understand
precisely where we stand
compared to the others. We
are really struggling in the
second sector, where what
counts the most is
aerodynamic downforce, an
area in which the F60 does
not really excel. Tomorrow,
it will be vital not to make
the slightest mistake to try
and get a good qualifying
result: here it will only
take a tenth or even less to
fail to make it past Q1.”
Kimi
Raikkonen: “I’d say this
Friday was not too different
to others we have
experienced this season,
especially in recent races.
It’s all very close so it
will only take a small step
forward to climb back up the
order, but we are definitely
facing a difficult weekend.
The tyres suffered with a
bit of graining, which made
itself felt especially in
the second sector, but I
believe that, as often
happens here, once the track
rubbers in, the situation
will improve.”
Chris
Dyer: “It was a pretty
difficult Friday, with very
changeable weather, which
prevented us from getting
through all our planned
programme. Furthermore, we
had a problem with
Fisichella that prevented
him from doing his final
planned run in FP2. There’s
a lot of work to do to try
and improve the car, which
lacks grip, which is
particularly noticeable in
the second sector, where we
are not really competitive.
We were also experimenting
with some mechanical
elements aimed at next
season: without any winter
testing available before the
new car makes its debut, we
have to exploit every
opportunity, especially
given the situation in the
championship.”
First Session
K. Raikkonen: 10th, 1.13.321, 24
Laps, Chassis 279
G. Fisichella: 15th, 1.13.619, 23
Laps, Chassis 280
Second Session
K. Raikkonen: 18th 1.13.026, 42 Laps,
Chassis 279
G. Fisichella: 20th 1.13.275, 38 Laps
Chassis 280
Weather: First session: air 19/21 °C, track 21/25 °C;
covered skies, intermittent rain; Second session: air 22 °C, track 23 °C;
covered skies.
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