Webber fastest in first practice
Friday 8th July 2011
Mark Webber topped the timesheet in opening practice for Sunday's British Grand Prix, but also had his Red Bull grinding to a halt.
Last year's race winner comfortably led the way at Silverstone, yet as a yardstick for what could unfold this weekend, not too much should be read into the opening 90 minutes.
A wet track, leaden skies and a slow, but steady sprinkling of rain dominated proceedings, to such an extent Webber's time of one minute 46.603secs was 17 seconds slower than the pole lap of team-mate Sebastian Vettel 12 months ago.
Come the conclusion there was also an Australian at the bottom of the standings as Webber's compatriot Daniel Ricciardo found himself propping up the pile.
Competing in his first official grand prix weekend, after serving as test and reserve driver for Toro Rosso this season, it was no surprise the 22-year-old was over seven seconds adrift.
Driving for Hispania Racing in a 'loan' deal for the remainder of the year, Ricciardo is seen as a star of the future, and this is his chance to prove himself, albeit in F1's slowest car.
The 22-year-old was 7.731secs adrift of Webber, and more crucially 1.2secs behind team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi, ensuring there is room for improvement.
At least Ricciardo finished his programme in the correct pit lane as Webber's car broke down on the entrance to the old one.
For this year, after the building of the new pit and paddock complex, the start-finish straight now has a new home as it leads into Abbey.
After the chequered flag had come down, Webber slowed midway into his in-lap before taking to the entrance leading into the former pits sited on the run down to Copse.
Red Bull described it as "a precautionary stop", insisting he will be fine for the second session.
It at least afforded Webber the opportunity to wave to the fans at that part of the circuit as he stepped from his car.
Behind him on the leaderboard, seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher finished 0.660secs down, followed by Rubens Barrichello in his Williams and Sauber's Sergio Perez, highlighting how the conditions altered the field.
The Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso sandwiched the second Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, the trio all around a second off the pace.
Of the home drivers, Lewis Hamilton was eighth for McLaren, Force India's Paul di Resta 11th and Jenson Button 15th in his McLaren, two places behind reigning champion Vettel.
Despite the slippery nature of the track, there was just one major incident of note coming 16 minutes from the end as Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi narrowly avoided a serious accident.
The damage sustained anyway means his mechanics face a tough task to get the Japanese driver back on track for the second session.
Kobayashi ran wide out of the final turn onto the pit straight, and after flashing across the Astroturf, his car lost all grip.
For a brief moment it appeared as if the Sauber would flip over, only to right itself before crashing into the barriers, wrecking the front right and rear left of the car, with Kobayashi unharmed.
Credit: ESPN STAR (www.espnstar.com)
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