05/07/2002

British Grand Prix - Free Practice Round-Up

Panasonic Toyota racing had a character-building opening day at Silverstone as typically poor British weather washed out most of the opening day of practice for the British Grand Prix with a dry line emerging only at the very end of the second session.

Worse than that Mika Salo managed just one lap in the opening session before stomach pains prevented him from further driving .

Salo is staying at the circuit in his own motorhome and was unable to say what is causing his discomfort. Team doctor Riccardo Ceccarelli examined Salo this morning and diagnosed a stomach infection although the exact cause is not yet known. He is confident that the Finn will be able to drive tomorrow.

Allan McNish meanwhile finished bottom of the time sheets 19th with a lap in 1m38.477s. Neither Salo nor the two Orange Arrows cars of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi recorded a time.

Track conditions changed constantly throughout the day and McNish said: "The grip and balance levels were very unpredictable. In the first session I had a lot of understeer which we managed to cure but that switched to oversteer in the second session. Getting a time today was all about being out on the right tyre at the right time when the track was at its driest. But it's only Friday and nothing too much should be read into the lap times."

At the front of the field it was Nürburgring victor Rubens Barrichello who set the pace with a lap in 1m31.457s ahead of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team mate Michael Schumacher who lost most of the first session of practice when he spun on his first lap. Giancarlo Fisichella was third quickest for DHL Jordan Honda with Japanese driver Takuma Sato fifth in the sister car as Juan Pablo Montoya's BMW Williams F1 Team entry split the yellow cars. Jacques Villeneuve completed the top six for Lucky Strike British American Racing Honda.

The forecast is for unsettled weather throughout the British Grand Prix weekend with the first wet race of the season looking like a strong possibility.