FORMULA 1 Live

Belgian GP - *Free Practice 1

Friday September 5, 2008 | Finished

Free pratice: Live standing

P. Driver Team Time
1 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:47.284
2 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 0:00.339
3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 0:00.594
4 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren 0:00.648
5 Fernando Alonso Renault 0:00.820
6 Mark Webber Red Bull 0:01.144
7 Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso 0:01.273
8 Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso 0:01.674
9 Timo Glock Toyota 0:01.713
10 Nelson Piquet Renault 0:01.784
11 Robert Kubica BMW 0:01.855
12 Nick Heidfeld BMW 0:01.901
13 Nico Rosberg Williams 0:02.327
14 Jarno Trulli Toyota 0:02.341
15 David Coulthard Red Bull 0:02.565
16 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India 0:02.702
17 Adrian Sutil Force India 0:02.833
18 Kazuki Nakajima Williams 0:02.841
19 Jenson Button Honda 0:03.180
20 Rubens Barrichello Honda 0:03.621

Live Commentary

  1. - Join us at 13:00 UK time for afternoon practice.

  2. 10:34 As the drivers sporadically practice their starts on the grid, BMW-Sauber will reflect on a rubbish session: 11th for Kubica and 12th for Nick Heidfeld.

  3. 10:32 The session comes to an end, Alonso and Mark Webber having jumped ahead of Bourdais. Vettel was behind him, followed by Timo Glock, Piquet and Robert Kubica.

  4. 10:29 Lewis improves but is still behind the Ferraris and over half-a-second off Massa's pace.

  5. 10:28 The rain which threatened before is beginning again with two minutes left to go.

  6. 10:27 Bourdais continues his impressive first showing to go fifth.

  7. 10:25 Massa improves again to 1:47.284. His title rival Hamilton, still third ahead of Kova, over six-hundredths off the pace.

  8. 10:25 Eurosport columnist Nelson Piquet Jr lies 10th in the Renault. You can see the times on the left.

  9. 10:23 Raikkonen also improves with 1:47.623 and remains second. Ferrari could end this session with a one-two.

  10. 10:22 And the in-form Brazilian improves to 1:47.369, 0.444 quicker than his previous best.

  11. 10:21 Massa still top dog, and takes three-hundredths off at the second split... eight minutes to go.

  12. 10:14 Alonso, on the softs, goes 1:48.104. He said yesterday he will resolve his future soon, but not next week between this GP and Monza - there are plenty who wonder whether that decision will hinge on whether Raikkonen quits Ferrari.

  13. 10:06 There are spots of rain, as is customary here in the forest. Hamilton skids off track, across the grass, back on to the tarmac and ends up in the gravel. No damage to the car though.

  14. 10:04 Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil touch green stuff with their tyres.

  15. 10:01 Jenson Button the latest to come of at the Bus Stop. If you misjudge the speed then you just carry straight on and have to rejoin the track after the corner, leading into the start/finish straight. Consult the map down on the left - turn 11.

  16. 09:56 Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima comes into the pits for work. Williams have underperformed greatly this season.

  17. 09:52 Massa back on top with 1:47.813. He leads Raikkonen, Hamilton and the other McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen. One of the Renaults leaves the track.

  18. 09:45 Kimi has won the previous three grands prix here. A fourth would be crucial to his World Championship hopes - he lies third after Massa leapfrogged him in the standings at Valencia.

  19. 09:39 Kimi Raikkonen goes top of the lists in 1:48.075. He will stand a chance of turning around his woeful form at Spa-Francorchamps, a 'Ferrari' circuit.

  20. 09:33 Sebastien Bourdais has tested here before in a Formula One car and currently stands behind Vettel, his time a 1:49.

  21. 09:29 Piquet leaves the track at the Bus Stop, but does not collide with anything. He gets away with it.

  22. 09:27 He betters it with 1:48.209. Hamilton is behind him, a gap of 0.057 between them. Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel follow in third and fourth.

  23. 09:22 Massa goes around in 1:48.945, the quickest time so far.

  24. 09:20 A few cars are now out on track, the Ferraris and Lewis Hamilton among them.

  25. 09:15 Nothing doing so far. Do not expect a great deal to happen in this session - the conditions are not ideal.

  26. 09:05 The air temperature is 15 degrees centigrade, with something of a wind - around 5 m/s - and a hefty 86 percent humidity.

  27. 09:02 Unsurpringly, given the location in the Ardennes forest, there is a fine mist in the air.

  28. - Welcome to LIVE text coverage of first free practice at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Circuit Map

Francorchamps Circuit
 

About the Belgian GP

Length 7.004 km
Laps 44 (308.176 Km)
Last Year 1, 2, 3 1. K. Raikkonen 2. F. Massa 3. F. Alonso
Record Lap K. Raikkonen - 1'45''108 (2004, McLaren)
Record Pole M. Schumacher - 1'43''726 (2002, Ferrari)
Last Year Pole K. Raikkonen - 1'45''994 (Ferrari)

Previous winners

Year Driver
2007 K. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2006 Pas de course
2005 K. Raikkonen (McLaren)
2004 K. Raikkonen (McLaren)
2003 Pas de course
2002 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
2001 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
2000 M. Hakkinen (McLaren)
1999 D. Coulthard (McLaren)
1998 D. Hill (Jordan-Honda)
1997 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
1996 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
1995 M. Schumacher (Benetton-Renault)
1994 D. Hill (Williams-Renault)
1993 D. Hill (Williams-Renault)
1992 M. Schumacher (Benetton-Renault)
1991 A. Senna (McLaren-Honda)
1990 A. Senna (McLaren-Honda)
1989 A. Senna (McLaren-Honda)
1988 A. Senna (McLaren-Honda)