Free Practice 1 – The weekend begins… in the rain

Kimi Räikkönen set the fastest time in the first free practice session 1 of the Brazilian GP at Interlagos, and the last of the 2007 season. Results

The Finnish driver took the lead in the standings in the final seconds as conditions were just starting to improve. It had indeed rained in the morning, so the track was soaked.

Kimi Räikkönen therefore wins this first session. He is ahead of his teammate Felipe Massa by 4 tenths. The two Ferraris were the fastest, and the start of this weekend does not bode well for the competition since McLaren is quite far behind. Lewis Hamilton only posted the 5th fastest time while his teammate Alonso simply did not set any time.

The track being wet, many drivers completed their warm-up laps after the safety car validated the track conditions, then returned to the pits due to insufficient grip. This was the case for Alonso, as well as the two BMWs and Fisichella.

Many drivers nevertheless completed their laps at the end of the session when the rain had stopped and the track was drying.

In these unpleasant conditions, Heikki Kovalainen, on his 26th birthday, takes the 3rd time, but already more than a second behind the Ferraris.

The absence of outsiders and main title contenders leaves good positions for the other drivers. Nico Rosberg thus sets the 4th best time ahead of Hamilton, Schumacher, and Vettel, in the Toro Rosso which once again shows its capabilities. Webber follows in 8th position.

Trulli is ninth. The Toyota driver was one of the most active on the track despite the weather, along with the two Spyker drivers, who entered the scene from the first minutes the green light was on.

The second Toro Rosso, with Liuzzi, completes the Top 10. The Hondas are 11th and 12th. Barrichello ahead of Button, while their sister team, Super Aguri, secures the best position in 14th place thanks to Sato.

The replacement for Wurz at Williams, Kazuki Nakajima, only posted the 16th fastest time.

There were only two yellow flags this morning. One for a spin from Yamamoto, and the second for a slight off-track excursion by Sutil.

The rain has prevented many programs from starting fully, and despite the rain expected tonight and tomorrow, the programs will need to be completed.

See the Free Practice 1 standings