Albert Park, Melbourne, Friday 16th March 2007
Fernando Alonso MP4-22 03
Lewis Hamilton MP4-22 04
T-car (Fernando) MP4-22 01
2007 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX FREE PRACTICE Fernando Alonso
and Lewis Hamilton made their Grand Prix weekend debut as
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers earlier this morning at
10.05 during the first practice session for the 2007 Australian
Grand Prix. The weather kept changing throughout the first
session with the track slowly drying allowing the drivers
to do their last run with dry tyres. Fernando was fastest
with 1m29.214 whilst Lewis ended fourth with 1m30.878. The
second session was dry and Lewis finished third overall with
1m27.829 and Fernando ended up as seventh with 1m28.040.
Practice Session One:
Fernando: Lewis:
10.05: out / in 10.05: out / in
10.25: 6 laps, best 1:42.878 10.51: 7 laps, best
1:39.655
10.46: 7 laps, best 1:39.860 11.17: 4 laps, best
1:37.962
11.10: 6 laps, best 1:37.610 11.27: 3 laps, best
1:30.878 (4th)
11.26: 4 laps, best 1:29.214 (1st)
Practice Session Two:
Fernando: Lewis:
14.05: 5 laps, best 1:28.591 14.00: 6 laps, best
1:28.760
14.25: 4 laps, best 1:28.040 14.22: 4 laps, best
1:28.251
15.01: 10 laps, best 1:29.216 14.44: Red Flag
15.22: 6 laps, best 1:29.505 15.02: 10 laps, best
1:28.781
l 15.22: 7 laps, best 1:27.829
FAST FACTS
What was the focus of today's programme?
The team wanted to evaluate the two different tyre compounds
provided by Bridgestone and complete some general set-up work.
Obviously it was also Lewis' first time at the track. How
did the wet track in the first session affect today's planned
programme? The weather did compromise tyre evaluation slightly
as the team was unable to use the dry weather tyres until
the very end of the first session. As a result of the weather
conditions in the first session both the extreme wet tyres
and the wet tyres provided by Bridgestone were used. As the
track remained dry in the second session the team conducted
tyre evaluation as planned What preparation had Fernando and
Lewis done before taking to the track today? Both drivers
walked around the track with their engineers on Wednesday
afternoon. The drivers do this sporadically to look at the
surface texture, kerb details and also any marker boards.
FERNANDO ALONSO
"I'm really pleased to have started my first Grand Prix
weekend with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes today. The weather
conditions with the rain and the wind made things a bit tricky
but we now have a good basis for the work ahead of us tomorrow.
We almost completed the planned programme but the track conditions
in the first session obviously had an impact. We are heading
in the right direction which is positive and I'm looking forward
to the next two days." LEWIS HAMILTON "I was so
excited when I drove out of the garage for the first time
this morning – it was an incredible feeling as I have
wanted to be a Formula 1 driver since I started karting and
now I am and enjoying every single moment. The track is good
particularly as I love street circuits and the whole atmosphere
is amazing. Back at the McLaren Technology Centre we have
done a lot of simulation work to prepare me for this weekend
but it was good to actually drive it for real. The car feels
good and the two sessions today were really useful."
RON DENNIS "A good start for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
team and our two new drivers. We completed the planned programme
in the second session with our main focus on tyre evaluation,
but the red flag interruption did affect our progress. Both
practice sessions were troublefree so we can look forward
to the rest of the weekend." NORBERT HAUG "Our speed
doesn't look bad for the beginning. Now the challenge is to
achieve the consistency over a race distance with both types
of tyres."
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