Barcelona, 12th May 2006

Combine running at a circuit that is well known to all the teams and drivers because it is such a popular venue for testing, especially in the winter, with a rule that restricts the number of tyres that you can use and also insists that one engine must last two race weekends and the result is what we saw here this morning. Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher were first and second respectively but the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers were two of only nine drivers to set an actual lap time.

Even Felipe and Michael only did four timed laps to save their equipment for the second hour of practice, when the track surface would be cleaner. The morning hour was particularly expensive for the reigning world champion: Fernando Alonso only did two installation laps, but it was enough for him to be caught speeding in the pit lane, for which he was fined US$2000, which works out at a pricey one thousand dollars per lap! In the afternoon, the Renault man was the quickest of the "race" drivers, in third place behind two Friday-only men, Anthony Davidson quickest for Honda and Robert Doornbos second for the Ferrari-powered Red Bull Racing.



Austria was well represented with third Williams driver Alex Wurz fourth quickest and Christian Klien fifth for Red Bull, while our own Michael Schumacher was sixth, completing 21 trouble free laps in this session. Felipe Massa (19 laps) was down in seventeenth place, but was very relaxed about his position saying his programme today had not involved trying to set a particularly quick time. Both Scuderia drivers concentrated on tyre work, as this circuit has always been quite a tricky venue when it comes to tyre choice."