Practice Two - Raikkonen edges out BMW Sauber duo 12 Sep 2008
Nothing illustrated better how capricious the weather in Monza can be, as this morning’s torrential rain abated almost as quickly as it had arrived and a weak sun dried out the autodromo in time for this afternoon’s second session of practice.
As conditions improved dramatically, Kimi Raikkonen celebrated Ferrari’s announcement that he will stay with the Scuderia until the end of 2010 by setting the fastest time of 1m 23.861s. It was tight at the top, however, with the BMW Saubers of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld next on 1m 23.931s and 1m 23.947s respectively and Lewis Hamilton right behind them for McLaren on 1m 23.983s.
Nico Rosberg gave Williams a boost with fifth fastest time of 1m 24.110s, to head Ferrari’s Felipe Massa (1m 24.247s), McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen (1m 24.365s), Red Bull’s Mark Webber (1m 24.521s), morning pacesetter Adrian Sutil (1m 24.669s) in the Force India and Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel (1m 24.773s).
David Coulthard was 11th in the second Red Bull on 1m 25.100s, then came Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Bourdais (1m 25.192s), Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella (1m 25.204s), the Hondas of Rubens Barrichello (1m 25.296s) and Jenson Button (1m 25.309s), Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima (1m 25.330s), Toyota’s Timo Glock (1m 25.397s), Renault’s Fernando Alonso (1m 25.481s), Toyota’s Jarno Trulli (1m 25.753s) and Nelson Piquet (1m 26.195s) in the second Renault.
Once again, several drivers went straight on at the first and second chicanes: Glock, Button, Vettel, Massa, Rosberg, Sutil, Webber and Barrichello all explored the limits of adhesion there, and Piquet stopped at Turn Two after spinning and beaching his car.
