Friday August 16th, 2002
By Will Gray
World Champion Michael Schumacher proved that little has changed during Formula One's three-week summer break when he led a Ferrari one-two in the first practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday.
Schumacher, who could set a record for the most wins in a season with victory at the Hungaroring on Sunday, finished the session more than three tenths faster than Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello.
And the Ferrari team showed their dominance is set to continue by finishing more than a second faster than their closest rivals at the track where they scored a one-two to win the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championship last year.
Schumacher's time of 1:16.755 around the high-downforce circuit was 1.633 seconds faster than third placed driver Felipe Massa, Sauber's young Brazilian hopeful. The cool conditions, which saw track temperature rising to just 28 degrees, suited the Bridgestone tyres with the top six runners all running on rubber from the Japanese company.
It was good for Honda too, with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, of British American Racing Honda, fourth fastest, Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in the Jordan Honda fifth and the second BAR Honda of Olivier Panis in sixth.
Finn Kimi Raikkonen was the first Michelin runner in seventh for McLaren-Mercedes, with German Nick Heidfeld eighth in the Bridgestone-shod Sauber while Michelin runners David Coulthard, ninth in the second McLaren-Mercedes, and Ralf Schumacher of Williams-BMW completed the top ten.
For the first time since 1995 there were five British drivers taking part in practice after the arrival of England's Anthony Davidson at the Minardi team ensured the Brits made up 25 percent of the grid.
But it was not a successful session for them with Coulthard the fastest in ninth place as Jenson Button put his Renault up to 11th while Eddie Irvine was down in 17th spot for Jaguar.
Scot Allan McNish was even slower, finishing 19th for Toyota, while Davidson finished his first session in Formula One at the bottom of the pile but was within a second of Australian teammate Mark Webber after pulling off the track at the end of the session with a mechanical problem.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:16.755 186.437 km/h 21
2. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:17.122 + 0.367 13
3. Massa Sauber Petronas (B) 1:18.388 + 1.633 22
4. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:18.388 + 1.633 25
5. Fisichella Jordan Honda (B) 1:18.452 + 1.697 14
6. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:18.861 + 2.106 24
7. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:19.041 + 2.286 13
8. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:19.051 + 2.296 21
9. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:19.125 + 2.370 13
10. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:19.193 + 2.438 17
11. Button Renault (M) 1:19.247 + 2.492 15
12. Sato Jordan Honda (B) 1:19.322 + 2.567 21
13. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:19.390 + 2.635 18
14. Trulli Renault (M) 1:19.663 + 2.908 15
15. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:19.813 + 3.058 18
16. Salo Toyota (M) 1:19.884 + 3.129 12
17. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:20.112 + 3.357 12
18. Webber Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:21.027 + 4.272 14
19. McNish Toyota (M) 1:21.027 + 4.272 15
20. Davidson Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:21.948 + 5.193 25
All Timing Unofficial
Published at 10:03:35 GMT