Schumi sets pace in rainy Belgium
Friday 26th August 2011
Michael Schumacher was able to claim the fastest time in practice for the first time this season, albeit assisted by the typically unpredictable Belgian weather.
Schumacher, on the 20th anniversary of his Formula One debut this weekend, and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg were the only drivers to set times when the Spa-Francorchamps circuit was relatively dry.
A sharp shower 30 minutes before the start of FP1 ensured the track was damp once Formula One resumed again following a near four-week break.
Installation laps were naturally the order of the day in the early proceedings, with Schumacher and Rosberg eventually setting times.
Seven-times champion Schumacher clocked one minute 54.355secs for the 4.3-mile track, with Rosberg just under half-a-second adrift, prior to the heavens opening for 20 minutes.
Although it eventually relented to guarantee around 35 minutes of running, the latter times set were a long way down on the 42-year -old Schumacher.
In the dying moments, McLaren's Jenson Button was the quickest of the drivers on a changeable track that was still wet in some areas and with a dry line in others, the Briton finishing 8.385secs down with a lap of 2:02.740.
Sebastian Vettel crossed the line just behind the 31-year-old, but was a second adrift, with Lewis Hamilton fifth with his only timed lap of the entire 90 minutes set shortly before the end.
Force India's Adrian Sutil and Felipe Massa in his Ferrari were in close attendance to one another in sixth and seventh, albeit just over 10 seconds down on Schumacher, and perhaps more appropriately were two seconds behind Button.
Rubens Barrichello in his Williams, Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari and the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi completed the top 10, with times relatively irrelevant.
Of greater significance were the spins endured Paul di Resta in his Force India and Renault's Bruno Senna, both at turn nine between Rivage and Pouhon.
Di Resta, in his first outing at Spa for seven years, simply kissed the barrier with the right side of his car and is unlikely to have sustained any damage.
As for Senna, his off was slightly more serious, and not one that will have enamoured team principal Eric Boullier given the furore that has surrounded the Brazilian's promotion above Nick Heidfeld.
Senna, on Thursday, confirmed he will be driving for Renault for this race and the next in Italy, albeit with the spectre of Heidfeld in the background as the German is heading to the High Court in a bid to reclaim his race seat for the remainder of the season.
The 34-year-old is likely to have sniggered in watching Senna slide off at turn nine, crunching the rear of his car into the barrier, so giving his engineers some work to do ahead of FP2.
Credit: ESPN STAR (www.espnstar.com)
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