 The 2006 Formula One season prospects began to unfold as all cars took to the track for the second practice session in Bahrain today.
Topping the times was the much-fancied Honda RA106, fastest in the hands of test driver Anthony Davidson on 1:31.353s, comfortably faster than the next quickest runner.
Michael Schumacher confirmed that Ferrari are back on the right track, his 1:31.751s just four tenths behind Davidson for second place, and was ably backed up by new team-mate Felipe Massa who took fourth slot with 1:32.175s.
plitting the Ferraris in third place was Williams test driver Alexander Wurz, the ex-McLaren 'Friday' man continuing his fine form by posting 1:31.764s in the dying seconds of the hour long session. His team mates, race drivers Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg, kept their running to a minimum by completing only five laps each, hence 17th and 21st places respectively can not be considered representative of the Williams FW28's potential.
World Champion Fernando Alonso took fifth place in the Renault with 1:32.538s, with team mate Giancarlo Fisichella eighth, but the surprise of the session was Vitantonio Liuzzi in sixth position, a result that is sure to cause controversy.
Liuzzi set the time in his Toro Rosso with the 'restricted' Cosworth V10, and a time of 1:32.703s will be significant enough for rivals to call for further limitations to the engine. Team mate and F1 debutant Scott Speed posted 16th fastest on 1:34.284s.
Robert Doornbos was quickest of the Red Bull trio in seventh place, team mates Christian Klien (11th) and David Coulthard (19th) leaving the bulk of the running to their test driver, something the BMW race pilots also chose to do.
Robert Kubica, fastest in the first session, took tenth position having completed more laps than all bar Davidson, while race drivers Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve were content to pick up 14th and 25th respectively.
Like most teams, Honda gave the workload to the test driver, race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello running less than half the laps of Davidson to set ninth and 18th times.
In twelfth and thirteenth places were the Mclaren pair, Kimi Raikkonen heading Juan Pablo Montoya by less than two tenths. The Mercedes powered duo, notably, ran few laps in this session, perhaps with memories of pre-season engine failures fresh in their minds. Indeed, Raikkonen stopped on the circuit with a mechanical failure half-way through the session.
The enigma of practice so far has been the performance of the Toyota, of whom much was expected this season. With Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli finishing in 22nd and 24th places, the team must hope that this is not a true indication of race pace.
The traditional back-of-the-grid struggle would appear to be between Midland and first timers Super Aguri this weekend, as Toro Rosso exploit the apparent power advantage of the Cosworth V10.
Midland had three drivers running today, with Tiago Monteiro, Marcus Winkelhock and Cristijan Albers all setting times lower down the order.
Super Aguri, without a third car, made do with the experienced Takuma Sato, who managed to set 22nd best time, some six seconds from the fastest time, and new boy Yuji Ide a second behind his team leader.
Practice shorts:
*Davidson fastest by four tenths;
*Ferrari back in the hunt?
*Mechanical failures halt Raikkonen, Trulli and Sato.
*Toyota off the pace.
Session 2
|
Driver
|
Constructor
|
Time
|
|
Anthony Davidson
|
Honda Racing
|
1m31.353
|
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Scuderia Ferrari
|
1m31.751
|
|
Alex Wurz
|
Williams F1
|
1m31.764
|
|
Felipe Massa
|
Scuderia Ferrari
|
1m32.175
|
|
Fernando Alonso
|
Renault
|
1m32.538
|
|
Tonio Luizzi
|
Toro Rosso
|
1m32.703
|
|
Robert Doornbos
|
Red Bull Racing
|
1m32.926
|
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
Renault
|
1m33.215
|
|
Jenson Button
|
Honda Racing
|
1m33.226
|
|
Robert Kubica
|
BMW Sauber
|
1m33.244
|
|
Christian Klien
|
Red Bull Racing
|
1m33.557
|
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Team McLaren Mercedes
|
1m33.577
|
|
Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Team McLaren Mercedes
|
1m33.726
|
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
BMW Sauber
|
1m33.848
|
|
Neel Jani
|
Toro Rosso
|
1m33.900
|
|
Scott Speed
|
Toro Rosso
|
1m34.284
|
|
Mark Webber
|
Williams F1
|
1m34.333
|
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
Honda Racing
|
1m34.384
|
|
David Coulthard
|
Red Bull Racing
|
1m34.432
|
|
Tiago Monteiro
|
MF1 Racing
|
1m34.459
|
|
Nico Rosberg
|
Williams F1
|
1m34.953
|
|
Ralf Schumacher
|
Toyota
|
1m35.170
|
|
Markus Winkelhock
|
MF1 Racing
|
1m35.686
|
|
Jarno Trulli
|
Toyota
|
1m35.898
|
|
Jacques Villeneuve
|
BMW Sauber
|
1m36.264
|
|
Christijan Albers
|
MF1 Racing
|
1m36.314
|
|
Takuma Sato
|
Super Aguri
|
1m37.588
|
|
Yuji Ide
|
Super Aguri
|
1m39.021
|
Session 1
|
Driver
|
Constructor
|
Time
|
|
Robert Kubica
|
BMW Sauber
|
1m32.183
|
|
Alex Wurz
|
Williams F1
|
1m32.219
|
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
Team McLaren Mercedes
|
1m33.401
|
|
Michael Schumacher
|
Scuderia Ferrari
|
1m33.422
|
|
Christian Klien
|
Red Bull Racing
|
1m34.858
|
|
Neel Jani
|
Toro Rosso
|
1m34.875
|
|
Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Team McLaren Mercedes
|
1m34.902
|
|
Felipe Massa
|
Scuderia Ferrari
|
1m34.922
|
|
David Coulthard
|
Red Bull Racing
|
1m35.016
|
|
Tonio Luizzi
|
Toro Rosso
|
1m35.078
|
|
Robert Doornbos
|
Red Bull Racing
|
1m35.290
|
|
Scott Speed
|
Toro Rosso
|
1m35.369
|
|
Tiago Monteiro
|
MF1 Racing
|
1m36.560
|
|
Christijan Albers
|
MF1 Racing
|
1m36.922
|
|
Markus Winkelhock
|
MF1 Racing
|
1m37.909
|
|
Takuma Sato
|
Super Aguri
|
1m38.141
|
|
Yuji Ide
|
Super Aguri
|
1m40.766
|
sources: http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/article/1141993655/formula_one/
F1headlines/Honda-on-top-Ferrari-chasing/view.html
times from: www.mclaren.com
Comments: McLaren back to their old bad self again. Kimi 's car stopped with electrical problem, Juan-Pablo 's car is believed to have an engine-related problem. We 'll have to wait and see if an engine change is necessary for any of them.
Renault, Honda and Ferrari are looking very strong, as expected.
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