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The 2nd Friday Practice Session for Round 10 of the 2004 F1 season at Magny Cours.
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00:24After the fun and games at the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix at Indianapolis two weeks ago,
00:28normal service is now resumed. Hello and welcome to Friday practice for round nine of the 2004
00:34Formula One World Championship, the French Grand Prix from Manicourt, live here on Speed Channel.
00:40Hello everyone, I'm Bob Varsha. Cars, as you see, are on track for the start of the second session
00:44of practice for the French Grand Prix. There's already been one free practice session earlier
00:49today. Hopefully this session will stay dry, but as you just got an indication right there,
00:54the first session most certainly got wet. Let's take a look at the highlights.
01:00Ferrari normally waits to go out, as do most of the heavy hitters, but they did not this morning,
01:05and that's because they knew the rain was coming. Michael Schumacher out there trying very hard,
01:10got within half a second of his brother Ralph's pole time in this race last year,
01:14and as you can see, Michael using every bit of the road.
01:18Then, as you can see, also Rubens Barrichello, his teammate went out, and look at that,
01:22picked his teammate by 0.22 of a second. Locking up here as he tried to go even faster,
01:28going really wide at that last hairpin. Then the rain came, first victim, Anthony Davidson,
01:34off the road in the BAR Honda. No damage done, but as you can see, very, very wet and windy.
01:38Look at those umbrellas flapping away. Brolleys. Then, Juan Pablo Montoya.
01:43The man that really lost out in this rain, yeah. JPM in the revamped FW26 down at the Nürburgring corner,
01:50turn six. Big hit. A lot of damage onto that FW26 chassis to the left front and the right rear.
01:57There it is being lifted away. You see Montoya perfectly okay after the accident,
02:02but that is not what the mechanics were looking for.
02:05It came down to his teammate, Marc Genet, sitting in for the injured,
02:09Ralph Schumacher, to finish third quickest in the session.
02:13And Anthony Davidson was quickest of all in the wet,
02:17but as you can imagine, quite a bit slower than what the Ferrari drivers were able to put up in
02:22the dry.
02:23Now, here's our first look at another of the big stories of the weekend.
02:26As you take a look at the times from this morning's practice,
02:29and all those with the little yellow clips are those times set in the dry.
02:33Obviously, they're at the top of the charts,
02:35but we're obviously much more intent on having a close look at this revamped McLaren Mercedes
02:43as the team tries desperately to salvage something from the 2004 season.
02:49McLaren wouldn't run the car this morning, would they?
02:51They wouldn't go out in the wet at all?
02:52No, they did not.
02:53Well, of course, you learn so little in the rain,
02:56unless, of course, you think it's going to rain all weekend.
02:58Right.
02:59But, I mean, that cut short their practice badly.
03:03They needed that badly this morning, and it was very, very wet.
03:05And it's still pretty damp now, as you can see from those tyres,
03:08and we saw from some of those shots a lot of spray still coming off.
03:11You see Kimi Räikkönen's MP4 19B version of the car there on Inter's wet tyres.
03:19That's because the team have just done an installation lap on that car.
03:22Remember, this is the first time the car has been run,
03:24so they'll pull it back into the garage.
03:26They don't want to put it on dry weather tyres unless there's any problem with the car.
03:30So just a break or to remove there, put the thing out on wet, still lap,
03:34pull it back in, and give that car a very good checkover to make sure it's good to go.
03:39Now, in a situation like this, Steve, when you've lost a session,
03:42as they did this morning in the McLaren garage,
03:45do you proceed as planned, or do you have a plan B to try to compress the time?
03:50You absolutely have to proceed with the plan.
03:53It would have been great to have got some wet weather running in.
03:56We're riding with Mark Webber and the Jaguar.
04:00But you're right, Bob, they've lost that important session.
04:02They would have loved to have got some wet weather work done.
04:06But now, of course, as with all the rest of the teams,
04:08they have to make that decision today
04:11on whether to use the hard or the soft compound tyres,
04:13so they're really in catch-up mode.
04:15Well, of course, with the conditions like this,
04:17it's very hard to tell what compound tyres.
04:19You can see the spray coming up off the two cars there.
04:22That's Nick Hydefelt holding up Mark Webber at the moment.
04:30The only elevation change here is that artificially sculpted-out corner.
04:34This is Chateau Doe, and this morning it was very wet right here.
04:39Coming on that last run down to the final complex of corners.
04:45Interesting to see those two men together,
04:47both winners of the Formula 3000 race here at Manicourt.
04:52Hydefelt in 1999 and Webber in 2001.
04:57Webber back into the pit lane in the Jag.
05:00You see very changeable conditions, guys, around the track.
05:04You can even see a wet and a dry line forming really along pit row there
05:09as the sun dries the water off the track.
05:12And I get really nervous every time I see a driver coming into the pit lane.
05:15You see that enormous painted red and white line
05:18separating the pit lane from the slow lane from the fast lane, if you will.
05:22And that's just got to be a slippery...
05:23Slippery old Nick, yeah, on the right, I tell you.
05:26Mark Webber, one of the big stories of the weekend,
05:28as is this man, Marc Genet, the Spaniard,
05:31older than both of the front-line drivers for the BMW Williams team,
05:35in for the injured Ralph Schumacher.
05:37Schumacher has two cracks in vertebrae in his back
05:41as a result of his big backward crash in Indianapolis two weeks ago
05:44and may not race the next three rounds of the championship.
05:48We'll be back.
05:50Speed Channel's coverage of the FIA Formula One World Championship
05:53is brought to you by BMW.
05:55BMW, the ultimate driving machine.
06:02Welcome back to Friday Practice at Manicourt
06:05in the Loire Valley in France out of this weekend's French Grand Prix.
06:09You're watching Timo Glock, fast man in this practice session thus far,
06:13although a good 15 seconds off the dry weather times
06:16put in by the Ferrari drivers in the first session.
06:20Still mixed wet-dry conditions.
06:23As Glock makes his way around at about a minute 28,
06:27as opposed to the minute 15 the Ferraris did in the dry.
06:36We'll stand by with our Porsche track map
06:40till we see what Mr. Glock does.
06:46Very wet just over this brow.
06:53Yeah, and ominously the sun has disappeared again.
06:56It was shining brilliantly just a few moments ago.
06:57Now you can see all those clouds.
07:00As can Timo Glock.
07:03Big puddle there under the bridge.
07:04For a track as well-paved as this one,
07:07it puddles up in a number of places,
07:11and there's a couple of corners
07:12where you get an absolute stream across the track.
07:16The drainage is not very good.
07:18So while Glock pits and Anthony Davidson
07:20makes his way on track,
07:22let's take a look at our Porsche track map, David.
07:24Well, as you saw, it holds water.
07:26It's very tight, this track.
07:272.74 miles long, 16 quarters.
07:30They really jam them in here.
07:31And as you can see, most of them are pretty tight.
07:34That esteril is a grand curb, very fast corners,
07:37down to Adelaide Hairpin,
07:38which is the overtaking spot on here.
07:40Then, unfortunately, the road sort of meanders
07:42down to that 180, which is turn eight,
07:44and it makes overtaking extremely difficult.
07:47Well, Imola there,
07:48that's the only place where you've got elevation change.
07:50They've dug it out.
07:51Chateau d'eau is a tight one.
07:52You probably could get some overtaking there,
07:54but you're still all over the road coming out of Imola.
07:56And then down to the complex du Lycée.
07:59They had a chance last year to straighten that out,
08:01and they messed it up as you've got that left-hand approach to 15,
08:04which also obviates any overtaking there.
08:08On board with Marc Genet.
08:10Notice the new front airfoils
08:11just above the front suspension pickups.
08:15Of course, it's one of those
08:17between a rock and a hard place tracks,
08:19it's because it's great fun to drive,
08:21a lot of good corners,
08:22and getting some of these corners right is terrific,
08:25but unfortunately, it's not good for overtaking.
08:28And last year,
08:29the top five on the grid finished in that order.
08:32There's a lot of stunning water on the track there, David.
08:36There's the car trying to find its way around.
08:39It must be very difficult in these conditions.
08:42The car has a lot of natural grip, of course,
08:44mechanical grip and then aero grip,
08:46and then all of a sudden,
08:47when you find that standing water,
08:48the steering must just go away light as a feather.
08:52There's no doubt that that's the reason
08:53why Williams have been working
08:54on those two little flat airfoil sections on the nose.
08:56We know that the car's been suffering
08:58from a lot of understeer, the FW26,
09:01and they're just working as much as possible
09:03to try and increase the front end stability on the car.
09:07It must be very frustrating, really, Steve.
09:09Boy, there we go, getting away from this.
09:11Going through Estoril, that long, long right-hander,
09:13normally almost flat out, very fast,
09:16up through the gears,
09:17onto this main straight down to Adelaide.
09:24Very wet in Adelaide.
09:25Bob, I have to say, you know,
09:27keep looking at the FW26,
09:29this, what they call a revolutionary,
09:31radical, wide front on the car,
09:34the twin keel concept.
09:35But when we're seeing all these little winglets
09:37being bonded on the car as the season progresses,
09:39it only indicates to me
09:40that they are just struggling,
09:41like there's no tomorrow,
09:43to get the thing to work.
09:44Well, there's your indication right there,
09:45although we have to blame that
09:47more on the weather than the car itself.
09:48But it was washing out big time
09:50at the front end first.
09:51It was the front end that let go on in there
09:53as it turned into the Estoril curve.
09:55We've got a big weight transfer there.
09:57You're going through Grand Curve,
09:58which is a left-hander,
09:59and then you turn into Estoril right.
10:01There's more water lying on the track just here.
10:04This is frustrating for the teams
10:06because they've got a lot of data to process today.
10:08Tire wear, which tires to use,
10:10brake wear,
10:11and, of course, fuel,
10:12wouldn't all the all-vite fuel assumption.
10:14You can see those hill clouds in the background.
10:16Obviously, more really sodden weathers on the way.
10:20Well, here,
10:21perhaps more than any other circuit
10:23on the Formula 1 calendar,
10:24it's the temperature of the track
10:26makes such a big difference
10:28to the durability of the tires.
10:30And the team is very keen
10:32to watch the progress
10:34and monitor the temperature increase
10:35as the day progresses.
10:36But in conditions like this,
10:38everyone's lost.
10:41Good look there at Janae locking up.
10:43You noticed he improved,
10:44but did not improve his position.
10:47He had just been knocked from top spot
10:49in the session by Anthony Davidson.
10:51Back on board with Janae.
10:52Let's take a look at the weather.
10:54Temperature, a cool 68 degrees right now.
10:57The track temp's also quite low.
10:59Humidity, as you might expect,
11:02well up there.
11:03And the wind keeps shifting around.
11:06Right now, it's blowing roughly
11:08at the drivers' backs
11:09as they make their way down
11:10the high-speed golf straightaway
11:12toward the Adelaide hairpin.
11:14But there's very much
11:16a strong chance of more showers,
11:19not only today,
11:20but through the weekend.
11:21There's Patrick Head,
11:22who stepped down as technical director
11:24at BMW Williams
11:25after 30 years in the post.
11:27But if you've been following Formula 1,
11:29you know that Sam Michaels' tenure
11:31as technical director at the racetrack
11:33over the last three races
11:34has been something less
11:36than he would have dreamed of.
11:37And now Patrick Head
11:38is back at the racetrack.
11:40You can see some very dry spots forming now,
11:43but unfortunately,
11:44they're foiled by every now and then
11:46they come onto these wet patches,
11:47which are going to take some shifting,
11:49but the dry line is definitely forming
11:50and the times will start to drop
11:52pretty quickly here.
11:53Janae was like 1.6 seconds up
11:55on that first sector.
11:56Slowed up in the last two days.
11:58But again, he's following Anthony Davidson
12:00on the racetrack,
12:01and those two are in a bit of a duel right now.
12:03Davidson goes quicker.
12:05Back on board with Davidson now.
12:15The dam is going to take some shifting down here.
12:17It was ever so wet here this morning.
12:20But still quicker.
12:22They'll go quicker every lap now,
12:23but as long as it doesn't rain again.
12:25Notice how they change their line across there.
12:27There's a big puddle under that bridge.
12:29And another big one right here.
12:32About 15 minutes of sunshine
12:34to do the world of good here.
12:41There we go.
12:42A 24-9,
12:44so he's now just 10 seconds off the pace
12:46of Rubens Barrichello this morning.
12:49You can see there's a very distinctive line,
12:52change of asphalt around the light E-complex.
12:55That has resulted in the track.
12:57Around that new part of the track
12:58having very low grip.
12:59This part of the track
13:00is about a sort of medium grip level.
13:02But as soon as you get onto that revamped part
13:04at the start of the main straight,
13:07the grip drops right off.
13:08And that is catching the guys out as well.
13:11So they really are
13:11having their work cut out today
13:14to try and understand
13:15what to do with tyre compound.
13:16This is where Montoya went off this morning.
13:18Just turning to that right-hander there.
13:19The thing got away from him.
13:20A big crash, as you saw earlier.
13:23What a test of driver confidence
13:25to just go flat out
13:27on the dry weather tyres,
13:28knowing there are puddles out there
13:31just waiting to catch you out.
13:34Right here is a bit of a damp spot.
13:36And as you go through the dip here,
13:37it's going to take some getting rid of you there.
13:40Davidson continues to knock down the best time.
13:43Very wet here, as you see,
13:44on the driver's right.
13:49Big puddle coming up here under the bridge.
13:52Well, looks like he's gotten out of it.
13:54And this is the sector on the track,
13:56the final sector,
13:57where drivers have been losing time all day.
13:59The water, clearly the reason.
14:02Interesting Friday practice going on
14:04here at Manicourt
14:05in preparation for the French Grand Prix.
14:07We'll be back in a moment.
14:22Welcome back live to a mixed wet and dry
14:25second Friday free practice
14:27for the Formula One Grand Prix of France
14:29this weekend here on Speed Channel.
14:31I'm Bob Varsha with David Hobbs
14:33and Steve Matchett as always.
14:34There's a look at the top times in the session.
14:37And you'll notice the big gaps
14:38due to the mixed conditions out there.
14:42This is Bas Lieners.
14:44They're Belgian.
14:46In the Minardi Ford.
14:51In the damp conditions,
14:53which of course are always an equalizer.
14:56Ian Catt is running fifth at the moment.
14:58Just a couple of seconds,
14:59or four seconds so slower now
15:01than Anthony Davidson.
15:02But I'm surprised that
15:03the McLarens haven't gone out
15:05in spite of these
15:05in slightly inclement conditions.
15:07They really need to get out there
15:09and get some laps.
15:10Martinet studying the timing screens
15:12on board with Lienders.
15:16Clouds continue to build on the horizon.
15:19Yeah, very heavy weather, isn't it?
15:30You'll see on these shots
15:32very, very little ground clearance
15:35between the bottom of the chassis
15:37and the track.
15:38This is a very flat track.
15:41Something that excites
15:42the aerodynamics of some awful lot.
15:43They want to keep dropping
15:45the right height of the car
15:46down, lower and lower and low.
15:47Because of the standing water
15:48on the track,
15:49they have to be very careful
15:50not to take it too low here
15:53because all of a sudden
15:53you'll start to turn the car
15:54into a surfboard
15:55as soon as you hit any standing water.
15:57But look at it.
15:57You can hardly see any light at all.
15:59Once you get the aero load
16:00onto the car,
16:02you get about that, what?
16:03Getting on for like
16:041,600 kilos of downforce
16:06pushing the car into the track.
16:08And as the springs
16:09start to
16:09compress
16:11ground clearance
16:12to the absolute minimum.
16:13About a millimeter at the front.
16:15This is Mark Webber
16:16in the Jaguar.
16:17Now what happens
16:17when you lose that downforce?
16:19Well, we already saw an example
16:21with the big wreck
16:22suffered by Juan Pablo Montoya.
16:24Moments ago,
16:24this was Ricardo Zonta,
16:26third driver in the
16:28Toyota,
16:29taking it off track.
16:30And you notice how high
16:31he bounced in the air.
16:32Seems to be a characteristic
16:33of this racetrack.
16:35You get to the gravel traps
16:36and you're going to bounce.
16:38Yeah.
16:39The way you get that negative
16:40pressure underneath the car,
16:42it basically,
16:43you know,
16:44scientists would hate
16:45that word suck,
16:46but the car is basically
16:47being sucked,
16:47pulled to the ground,
16:48actually pushed to the ground
16:49by air pressure on top.
16:50And as soon as the car
16:51hits the kerbin,
16:52you lose like 30%
16:53of that aerodynamic
16:54efficiency on the car.
16:55And that's why the cars
16:57appear to accelerate so quick
16:58because they just lose
16:59so much grip
17:01in a fraction of a second.
17:04Mark Webber,
17:05a man in the news this weekend,
17:07it's pretty much assumed
17:09that he will be with
17:10another team next year.
17:11He has an out clause
17:12in his contract,
17:13though it has a year to run
17:14as of the Hungarian Grand Prix
17:17coming up in just a few weeks.
17:19The Jaguar is not in the top six
17:21in the Constructors' Championship.
17:22Here's his teammate Christian Clean.
17:24More on him in a moment.
17:26Webber can unilaterally
17:28end his contract
17:29with the Jaguar team.
17:31And it is assumed
17:32he will move
17:33to one of the empty seats
17:34at BMW Williams.
17:36In fact, there's a question
17:37as to whether Jaguar itself
17:39will be in Formula One next year.
17:42A lot of media speculation
17:43that Ford Motor Company
17:45has decided to stop
17:46pouring money into this operation
17:48and close the doors
17:50at the end of 2004,
17:51which has led to speculation
17:53that the team will be sold.
17:57And the object of that speculation
17:59is the Red Bull Drinks Company
18:02and its motor racing mad
18:05primary owner,
18:06Dieter Mateschitz.
18:09They get an idea
18:10of just how much
18:11this track is drying out.
18:12Mark Webber three seconds quicker
18:14on the first two sectors.
18:15But everybody should be getting out
18:17there at the moment.
18:18But look at those clouds coming up.
18:19My goodness me, look at it.
18:21Let's get back to Christian Clean,
18:23Webber's teammate.
18:24There was a question
18:25as to whether he would be here
18:26in France this weekend
18:27at a test a couple of weeks ago.
18:30Well, Steve,
18:31why don't you tell this story?
18:32You have an interesting
18:33perspective on it.
18:34A driver went looking
18:35to cool himself down.
18:36So what did he do?
18:37Well, he picked up
18:38one of the cooling ventilation fans
18:40for cooling the brakes
18:41or putting cold air
18:42down through the air inlet
18:44above the roll hoop.
18:45And I don't quite understand
18:47what the driver was thinking of.
18:48It had a screen over the top
18:49to prevent people
18:50putting their fingers
18:51into the fan.
18:52But somehow the driver
18:53did exactly that.
18:55Christian put his finger inside
18:56and suffered
18:57a fairly serious cut
18:59to his hand
19:00that put him out of the test.
19:04David, you'll have
19:04to walk me through that one.
19:06Boys will be boys.
19:08Probably blamed a mechanic
19:09for not putting a better guard
19:10on the front of the fan.
19:13It was obviously a mechanic's fault,
19:14but I mean...
19:17It's quite extraordinary,
19:19isn't it?
19:19You think they're going to grow up
19:20and there he is.
19:21What is he now?
19:2221?
19:23Still thinking.
19:24I wonder what will happen.
19:26I wonder what I'm thinking here, yeah.
19:30Yeah.
19:32Going back to the Jaguar story.
19:34It puts hot plates down, doesn't it?
19:35Yeah, it is.
19:36I think it would be a tragedy
19:38for Jaguar to stop racing.
19:40I really do.
19:41But Ford Motor Company,
19:43they're going to have to compete
19:44if they want to be informed.
19:45They've got to compete with these guys.
19:47They've got to compete with Renault.
19:48They've got to compete with Ferrari,
19:49with Toyota,
19:50with big budgets,
19:51BMW, Mercedes.
19:53My impression is that
19:55the Ford Motor Company
19:56is simply not prepared
19:57to put that sort of money
19:58in to support the project.
19:59Well,
20:00I'm sorry,
20:01F1's expensive.
20:02You want to compete with the best,
20:03you're going to have to front up the cash.
20:06As you know too well.
20:08Or find sponsors to do it.
20:09Fronting up the cash.
20:11This morning.
20:13I'm surprised we haven't seen
20:14more of these guys today either.
20:16Renault,
20:16I mean Renault,
20:17I haven't put any laps in yet.
20:19Neither of the McLarens have.
20:20And Button and Sato
20:21in the other two Hondas.
20:23Davies has done quite a bit.
20:26It's very easy,
20:27as we always say,
20:28to get misled
20:29with data coming off the cars.
20:31And they want to be careful.
20:33They want,
20:33if they're trying to get a good idea
20:34of tyre compound
20:35and construction,
20:36dry weather tyres,
20:37they want to run on a dry line.
20:39However,
20:39for McLaren,
20:40who have never run,
20:41won,
20:42run,
20:43the new spec,
20:44revised chassis here,
20:45they have to get out.
20:47And there it is,
20:47Gen A.
20:48So you can clearly see
20:49the track is drying.
20:52And the teams will start
20:53to go out now,
20:54and we're seeing it,
20:54but McLaren,
20:55get out and put some laps on.
20:56Get the drivers feeling
20:57comfortable and confident
20:58in the car.
20:59Our friends from the world
21:00television feed
21:01finally decided
21:02to put a driver
21:03who was going quickly
21:04on screen
21:04just as he set
21:05fast time in the session.
21:07We are down below
21:081 minute 20 seconds.
21:09Mark Webber
21:09was the first to do it
21:10in the Jaguar.
21:11You just saw Mark Gen A
21:12knock it down
21:13to a 118.085.
21:15Here's Jenson Button.
21:16We haven't seen him
21:17all day yet.
21:21Ooh.
21:22Oops.
21:23He's going to let
21:24the Jag go by.
21:25Has he got a problem?
21:26I'm not sure
21:27he's going to let
21:27the Jag go by
21:28if he's got a problem.
21:29Uh-huh.
21:29This is clearly
21:30inside the Williams garage,
21:32and we're seeing them
21:32desperately working
21:33to get that car ready
21:34so they can just
21:35get an installation lap
21:37on it.
21:37This is the rebuilt car
21:39that Montoya shunted
21:41at Turn 6
21:42in Session 1.
21:43I don't believe
21:44they've swapped
21:45to the spare chassis.
21:46I don't believe
21:46they've done that
21:47because we're seeing
21:48the race stall.
21:48That's Montoya's
21:49place in the pits
21:51where his race car
21:52would be,
21:52so unless they've
21:53switched his chassis
21:53and we've not seen
21:54that shot,
21:55I believe it's
21:55the repaired race chassis.
21:56And that's a remarkable
21:57job by the BMW
21:59Williams crew.
22:01Juan Pablo really
22:02balled that car up
22:03down in Turn 6.
22:04Boy, I'll say,
22:05it was just a pile
22:06of wreckage there,
22:06wasn't it?
22:07Because he doesn't
22:07want to go to the backup,
22:08the change of engine
22:09would require him
22:10to lose 10 spots
22:11on the grid,
22:12no matter how fast
22:13he goes in qualifying.
22:14New P1,
22:16as you see,
22:17Patrick Head.
22:18Olivier Pannis
22:18has done a 118.022.
22:21Patrick Head
22:22had some very harsh
22:23words for his team's
22:24performance
22:25in the last three races.
22:26He called it stupid,
22:28idiotic.
22:29First, the drivers
22:30choose to run into
22:31each other
22:32at the Nürburgring.
22:33Then, four layers
22:34of double checks
22:35fail to detect
22:36out-of-spec
22:37brake ducting
22:38in Canada.
22:39And then, finally,
22:40we have the mechanics
22:41all running around
22:41with their hands
22:42in the air
22:42when they tried
22:43to start Juan Pablo's
22:44car too late
22:45on the grid
22:45at the U.S. Grand Prix.
22:46Then they tried
22:47to put him in the spare
22:48too late
22:48to send him
22:49on the track.
22:50And so,
22:50Mr. Head
22:51is back at the racetrack
22:52this weekend
22:53to whip everybody
22:54back into shape,
22:54we assume.
22:56On board
22:57with Olivier Panis,
22:58the only French driver
22:59in Formula One
23:00right now
23:00and a man
23:01in his 151st
23:02Grand Prix weekend.
23:06And obviously
23:06desperate
23:07to do well
23:08here in front
23:08of his home crowd.
23:09The track
23:10must be almost dry
23:11now.
23:12Marc Genet's
23:13last lap
23:13was a 1.17.7.
23:16And the times
23:17are tumbling,
23:18Jensen.
23:18Button goes to P1.
23:20We're down
23:20into the 17s.
23:26And the rain
23:27is coming.
23:28And everyone
23:29in the pit lane
23:30knows it.
23:30There's a look
23:31at the top eight.
23:32We'll take a break
23:32and return live
23:33to France
23:34in a moment.
23:40Welcome back.
23:41Friday practice
23:42for the French Grand Prix
23:43live here on
23:44Speed Channel.
23:45What's more appropriate
23:46a French race
23:47than a French team?
23:48This is Renault
23:50celebrating the anniversary
23:51of Jean-Pierre
23:52Jabouy's
23:53first victory
23:54for Renault
23:55in Formula 1.
23:56Dijon in 1979
23:57first victory
23:58for a turbocharged
23:59powered car.
24:02Turbocharged engine
24:03car I should say.
24:04Someone asked
24:05Jean-Pierre Jabouy
24:06this weekend
24:06how he felt
24:07after winning
24:08that momentous race
24:09for Renault.
24:09He said tired.
24:11I bet.
24:12Well P1
24:13has changed
24:13like six times
24:14in the last two minutes.
24:16Unfortunately
24:16we haven't seen
24:17any of them
24:17but Button
24:18is now heading
24:18the list again.
24:19Alonso
24:20put in a real good lap.
24:21Kimi Räikkönen
24:22in only what
24:23his fifth lap
24:24so that would be
24:25his third time lap
24:26turned in
24:26a good lap
24:27but a 1.16.7.
24:30Frank Montagnier
24:32their test driver
24:33looking on
24:34on board
24:35with
24:35Jarno Trulli
24:37who along
24:38with several other
24:39drivers this weekend
24:40had some harsh words
24:41for the conduct
24:42of
24:44Indianapolis
24:45Motor Speedway
24:45and Formula 1
24:46officials
24:47in the wake
24:47of Ralph Schumacher's
24:48accident
24:49two weeks ago.
24:51And here it is.
24:52There is Kimi Räikkönen.
24:54We are down
24:54in the 1 minute
24:5516 second zone.
24:57Recall that the
24:57fast time
24:58in this morning's
24:59dry session
24:59before it rained
25:00that is
25:01Rubens Botichello
25:02on a 115.487
25:04Trulli has done
25:05a 117.206
25:06and there's a
25:07mirror slide.
25:09Oh
25:10wet green paint.
25:12How did he get away
25:12with that one?
25:13Oh
25:14brand new car
25:15all watered up
25:17around the wall
25:17wouldn't have been
25:18too good would it?
25:19Bit of a handling
25:20anomaly there.
25:21Just felt a load
25:22of ice cubes
25:23go down in my stomach
25:24and here comes
25:25one Pablo Montoya
25:27back on track.
25:28Let's have another
25:29look at it.
25:30This is going wide
25:31at the 180
25:31it's obviously
25:32pretty damp
25:32at the 80.
25:34You see that
25:34snatches it back
25:35nearly over
25:35correct but then
25:36again look at
25:37the movement
25:38on the tyre
25:38just when it
25:39started to slide
25:40you saw the tyre
25:41grips and you got
25:42so much lateral
25:43movement on that
25:44side wall
25:44then the grip
25:45broke free again
25:46but Boyle
25:47Kimi Räikkönen
25:48did a stellar job
25:50of keeping that
25:50car away
25:51from the barriers
25:52elbows up
25:53Michael Schumacher
25:54on his opening
25:55lap just went
25:56P3
25:56so he's on his
25:57second flyer now
25:58but I think he's
25:59got some traffic
25:59in front of him
26:00David Coulthard
26:01ahead of him
26:01on the road
26:02just went to
26:02fourth in the
26:04new McLaren
26:04so he shouldn't
26:05be holding him
26:05up then
26:11look into the
26:12Ferrari garage
26:31watching down
26:32onto the dash
26:32look at that
26:33190 miles an hour
26:34down to by 40
26:37half a second
26:39but not very long
26:40on the road
26:45this is where
26:46Räikkönen
26:47just put his
26:47wheel on
26:48that green
26:48Michael
26:49not going
26:50quite so far
26:51on
26:54look at those
26:55clouds
27:06he goes to
27:08maybe second
27:08place
27:09right now
27:09it's truly
27:10at a 16-2
27:11Button
27:11at a 16-3
27:13in fact
27:13Button
27:14and Michael
27:14Schumacher's
27:15previous lap
27:16dead on
27:17equal
27:17at 116.397
27:20that was a bit
27:22hairy
27:22was that
27:22David Coulthard
27:30now don't
27:31forget to
27:31join us
27:31tomorrow morning
27:32at 8 a.m.
27:33Eastern time
27:33for coverage
27:34of qualifying
27:34for the
27:35French Grand
27:35Prix
27:36we'll be with
27:36you from the
27:37time the
27:37first car
27:37rolls out
27:38straight up
27:39until our
27:39own Peter
27:39Windsor
27:40meets with
27:40the top
27:40three drivers
27:41in the
27:41interview room
27:42again that's
27:43tomorrow morning
27:43at 8 a.m.
27:44Eastern
27:44only here on
27:45speed but
27:46subject to
27:47blackouts
27:47we'll be back
27:57welcome back
27:58live
27:59to
27:59Manicor
27:59in France
28:00in the
28:01Loire Valley
28:01a beautiful
28:02area
28:02somewhat
28:03remote
28:04drivers will
28:06tell you
28:06a track
28:07built
28:08in the
28:09home
28:09region
28:10of
28:10former
28:11French
28:11President
28:11Francois
28:12Mitterrand
28:13political
28:13deal
28:15not the
28:15favorite
28:16track
28:16of most
28:16of the
28:17Formula
28:17One
28:17teams
28:17and
28:18drivers
28:19but it
28:19is the
28:20home
28:20of the
28:20French
28:20Grand
28:21Prix
28:21and as
28:21you see
28:21drops of
28:22water
28:23on that
28:23camera lens
28:24tells you
28:24it is
28:24coming
28:25Flavia
28:26Briatore
28:26the Renault
28:27team
28:27principal
28:29watching
28:29his boys
28:30at work
28:30and pounding
28:32the curbs
28:33making sure
28:33the new
28:34McLaren
28:34will do
28:35that at
28:35least
28:37I can
28:38currently
28:38sixth in
28:39the session
28:41just shows
28:42how accurate
28:42you've got
28:43to be
28:43too
28:43because
28:43only
28:43just
28:44a
28:44couple
28:44of
28:44inches
28:44off
28:45line
28:45there
28:45is
28:45obviously
28:45still
28:46a lot
28:46of
28:46water
28:46lying
28:47around
28:47and
28:47you
28:47can
28:47see
28:47more
28:48on
28:48the
28:48way
28:48by
28:48the
28:48look
28:48of
28:49that
28:49lens
28:49well
28:49we're
28:49on board
28:50with one
28:50of the
28:50McLarens
28:51though
28:51I don't know
28:52which one
28:52it is
28:53from that
28:53shot
28:54I think
28:55it's
28:55Räikkönen's
28:55car
29:01steering well
29:02clear of that
29:02green painted
29:03surface
29:03that lap
29:04yeah
29:05the rain is
29:06coming guys
29:06there it is
29:07again
29:07splashing
29:07on that
29:08camera screen
29:13these boys have
29:14been flat out
29:15with a new
29:15car down in
29:16Jaref
29:17because Jaref
29:18is a circuit
29:19which induces
29:20understeer
29:20there's a lot
29:21of corners
29:21there where
29:22understeer is
29:22an issue
29:23and because
29:23of trying to
29:24cure the
29:24understeer
29:25around here
29:25in some
29:26of the
29:26high speed
29:27corners
29:27that's where
29:28they've been
29:28working on
29:28the chassis
29:31amazingly
29:32hot down
29:32in Jaref
29:33it has been
29:33during that
29:34test
29:34a complete
29:35change of
29:35contrast
29:36conditions
29:36here
29:37of course
29:38Rano
29:39truly
29:39remains
29:40the fast
29:40man
29:40of the
29:40session
29:42David
29:43Coulthard
29:43about
29:43nine-tenths
29:44off
29:45of the
29:46116.206
29:47but truly
29:49set in
29:49the Renault
29:52Ismani
29:52Court
29:53Industrial
29:54Park
29:54is home
29:56to a
29:56company
29:56called
29:57Automobiles
29:57Martini
29:58longtime
29:59maker
29:59of
29:59single
30:00seat
30:00racing
30:00cars
30:01for
30:01the
30:01minor
30:01formula
30:02and a
30:03name
30:03you
30:03Formula
30:04One
30:04fans
30:04will
30:05remember
30:05Guy Ligé
30:06has announced
30:07a new
30:08commercial
30:08arrangement
30:08with
30:09Automobiles
30:09Martini
30:10to market
30:11a new
30:12Ligé
30:12racing
30:13car
30:13primarily
30:14for use
30:15by
30:17single
30:17seater
30:18open
30:18wheel
30:18racing
30:19schools
30:19around
30:19the
30:20world
30:20wouldn't
30:21be a
30:21bit
30:21surprised
30:22if
30:22old
30:22Guy
30:23would
30:23like
30:23to
30:23get
30:23back
30:24into
30:25the
30:25racing
30:25business
30:26rain
30:27falling
30:27heavier
30:28now
30:29yeah
30:30I used
30:30to race
30:31against
30:31Guy
30:31Ligé
30:31he had
30:32a GT
30:3240
30:33he was
30:33pretty
30:34quick
30:34he made
30:35his money
30:35in construction
30:36I believe
30:37construction
30:37and property
30:38development
30:39and got
30:40very soon
30:41racing
30:41in the
30:41mid 60s
30:42late 60s
30:42won a
30:43handful
30:44of
30:44grand
30:44grand
30:44free
30:44races
30:45over
30:45the
30:45years
30:45having
30:46moved
30:46over
30:46from
30:46sports
30:47cars
30:47last win
30:48was
30:481996
30:49in
30:50Monaco
30:50with
30:51Olivier
30:51Panis
30:52we'll be
30:52back
30:53in just
30:53a moment
30:58welcome
30:58back to
30:59an increasingly
31:00rainy
31:00Monte
31:01Cora
31:01circuit
31:02there
31:02you see
31:02the
31:02raindrops
31:03falling
31:03on
31:04Takuma
31:04Sato's
31:04BAR
31:05Honda
31:05and that's
31:06what happens
31:07when it
31:07rains
31:09just as
31:10we went
31:10to break
31:10we saw
31:10David
31:11Coulthard
31:11have a little
31:12trouble
31:12getting that
31:12McLaren
31:13woed down
31:13he almost
31:14impaled
31:14the end
31:15of that
31:15pit wall
31:17which would
31:18be the
31:18second time
31:18that we're
31:19aware of
31:19that David
31:19has done
31:20that
31:20first being
31:21Adelaide
31:21Australia
31:21back in
31:221995
31:23and that
31:24was probably
31:25not entirely
31:25David's fault
31:26it was
31:27embarrassing
31:27however
31:29speaking of
31:29Davids
31:30there's one
31:30Dave Richards
31:31principal
31:32at BAR
31:33Honda
31:35a year ago
31:36here at the
31:37French Grand
31:38Grand Prix
31:39the French
31:39equivalent
31:40of the
31:40Sheriff's
31:41Marshal
31:41showed up
31:42to lock
31:43up all
31:43of the
31:44BAR
31:44equipment
31:45due to
31:45some
31:45unpaid
31:46bills
31:46what a
31:47difference
31:47a year
31:48has made
31:48in the
31:48fortunes
31:49of
31:49BAR
31:49Honda
31:51well
31:51ever since
31:52David
31:53Richard
31:53took over
31:53they've
31:54been
31:54actually
31:55getting
31:55to the
31:55point
31:55now
31:56where
31:56they
31:56might
31:56make
31:56some
31:57money
31:57this
31:57year
31:58as
31:58opposed
31:58to
31:58losing
31:59billions
32:00or
32:00millions
32:01before
32:03under
32:03the
32:03old
32:04management
32:06so
32:06the
32:06Jordan
32:07there
32:07the front
32:07of the
32:07Jordan
32:08braking
32:08free
32:09moving
32:10an awful
32:10lot
32:10and that's
32:10exactly
32:11what
32:11Sato
32:12was
32:12trying
32:12to
32:13indicate
32:13to
32:13Jock
32:14clear
32:14as
32:14engineer
32:14when
32:15they pulled
32:15the car
32:15back
32:15in
32:16you saw
32:16the driver's
32:17hands
32:17come out
32:17and sort
32:18of move
32:18from left
32:18to right
32:19and send
32:19the front
32:19end
32:20the front
32:20ends
32:20all over
32:21the place
32:21so
32:21that's
32:21exactly
32:22what the
32:23problem
32:23is
32:23you get
32:23you get
32:23a bit
32:24of damp
32:24on this
32:24track
32:26I guess
32:27any
32:27track
32:27but certainly
32:27it seems
32:28to emphasize
32:29itself
32:29here more
32:30than anywhere
32:30it's so
32:31susceptible
32:32to front
32:32end grip
32:33just drifting
32:34away
32:34washing away
32:35Bob
32:35as you were
32:35saying
32:36earlier on
32:37you want
32:37to keep
32:38cranking
32:38the wing
32:38on the
32:39car
32:40and you
32:40really want
32:41to be
32:41running
32:41those softer
32:42compound
32:42tyres
32:42but not
32:43in this
32:43condition
32:43you can't
32:44do it
32:44Jensen
32:45Button
32:45you saw
32:46Jarno
32:46truly being
32:47backed
32:47into the
32:47Renault
32:48garage
32:48truly
32:48still having
32:49trouble
32:49with his
32:50voice
32:50this
32:50weekend
32:51McCauley
32:52first
32:52lost
32:52his
32:53voice
32:53after
32:54his
32:54victory
32:55at
32:56the
32:56Grand Prix
32:56of
32:56Monaco
32:58weeks
32:58and weeks
32:59and weeks
32:59ago
32:59I wonder
33:00if he
33:00heard
33:00his
33:00vocal
33:00chords
33:01or
33:01something
33:05fans
33:06taking
33:06to the
33:06Brawley's
33:07once
33:07again
33:08yeah
33:10and right
33:11now
33:11there are
33:11no
33:11cars
33:12on
33:12track
33:12well
33:13I
33:13think
33:13everybody's
33:14learned
33:14what
33:14they
33:14wanted
33:15to
33:15learn
33:15or
33:15as
33:15much
33:15as
33:16they
33:16feel
33:16they're
33:16going
33:16to
33:16learn
33:16in
33:17those
33:17conditions
33:18and
33:19not
33:19much
33:19point
33:20at
33:20this
33:20day
33:20is
33:20going
33:20out
33:20in
33:20the
33:21wet
33:21they've
33:21obviously
33:22got
33:22their
33:22eye
33:22on
33:22the
33:22weather
33:22forecast
33:24what
33:24will
33:24entice
33:25the
33:25teams
33:26back
33:26out
33:26onto
33:26the
33:26track
33:27is
33:27if
33:27the
33:27skies
33:28really
33:28open
33:28up
33:29and
33:29we
33:29get
33:29some
33:29real
33:30severe
33:30weather
33:31not say
33:32montoon
33:32conditions
33:32but
33:33something
33:33so we
33:33can get
33:33some
33:34usable
33:35data
33:35off
33:35wet
33:36weather
33:36settings
33:36on
33:37the
33:37cars
33:38you'll
33:38see
33:38the
33:38teams
33:39start
33:39to
33:39crank
33:40bigger
33:40wings
33:41onto
33:41the
33:41front
33:41and
33:41rear
33:42they'll
33:42change
33:42the
33:43sway
33:43bars
33:44and
33:44put
33:44softer
33:44springs
33:45on
33:45to
33:45give
33:45more
33:46mechanical
33:46grip
33:47to
33:47give
33:47a
33:47little
33:47bit
33:47more
33:47sway
33:48and
33:48roll
33:48into
33:48the
33:49chassis
33:49to
33:49make
33:49the
33:50car
33:50more
33:50stable
33:50you see
33:51Flavio
33:52there
33:52looking
33:52towards
33:53the
33:53skies
33:54thinking
33:54what
33:54we're
33:54going to
33:54do
33:55you
33:55don't
33:55want
33:55to
33:56run
33:56the
33:56car
33:56really
33:56in
33:56full
33:57wet
33:57conditions
33:57when
33:57it's
33:58like
33:58this
33:58because
33:58again
33:59just
33:59like
33:59in
33:59dry
33:59conditions
34:00you
34:00can't
34:00learn
34:01anything
34:01all the
34:01data
34:01is
34:02confused
34:04look down
34:05at the
34:05circuit
34:05and there's
34:06a look
34:06at that
34:06tire
34:07squirm
34:07that
34:08Steve
34:08Matchett
34:08was speaking
34:09of
34:09earlier
34:09we'll
34:10take a
34:10break
34:10while
34:11the
34:11raindrops
34:11fall
34:12here
34:12at
34:12Manicourt
34:17welcome
34:18back
34:18there's
34:18Rubens
34:19Baracello
34:19while
34:20raindrops
34:20are falling
34:21on the
34:21racetrack
34:21the Ferrari
34:22number
34:22two
34:23has an
34:23opportunity
34:23to sit
34:24back
34:24and wave
34:25at the
34:25fans
34:25he remains
34:26the fast
34:27man of the
34:27day thus
34:27far
34:28with a
34:291 minute
34:2915.48
34:30second lap
34:31in this
34:32morning's
34:32opening session
34:33as Jarno
34:34Trulli
34:35in case
34:36you're wondering
34:36he's still
34:36wearing that
34:37David Beckham
34:38style top
34:38knot
34:39hairdo
34:39we saw
34:40that this
34:41morning as
34:41well
34:42probably better
34:43he leaves
34:43the helmet
34:44on at
34:44this
34:44point
34:46speculation
34:47in the
34:47French press
34:48this weekend
34:48says that
34:49his team
34:49manager
34:50Flavio
34:51Briatore
34:51whose contract
34:52is up
34:53at the end
34:54of December
34:54next year
34:55has been
34:56speaking with
34:57Toyota
35:00to make
35:01for some
35:02interesting
35:02silly season
35:03rumors
35:04looking at
35:05some replays
35:06of Trulli
35:06in the car
35:07being here
35:07and
35:08back
35:09in the car
35:09and
35:10the
35:11and
35:12the
35:12and
35:31the
35:40Trulli remains the fast man in this wet second session at a 116.206.
35:51This is another team that promised so much, especially after Trulli's win in Monaco.
35:56Lately, they've been having problems.
35:58Both cars dropped out in Canada.
36:02Oh, that was Riccardo Zonta and his trip to the gravel trap early in the session.
36:08Boy, he scooped up an awful lot of gravel there, and he did well to keep it going through that
36:13gravel.
36:14You've only just got to lose heart and lift off a little bit, and then you'd be stuck there for
36:18the rest of the day.
36:19But look at this.
36:20Almost dug in there, but he kept it going.
36:22And look at this little moment.
36:23And Hakimi Reikon, he put his right wheel on that green painted surface, which obviously was very slick.
36:30And here we see it again.
36:32See the water splash up out there.
36:34Right there.
36:34Yeah, there.
36:35See Ron Dennis saying, that's brand new.
36:37Don't you break that.
36:39Our only hope.
36:41Hakimi, we've only got two of those.
36:43That's right.
36:45There's Trulli.
36:45He had a great drive at Indianapolis, did Yarno Trulli.
36:48Coming from last and ending up in the points.
36:51And you see there's your problem with the balance right there.
36:53It's doing too much of that.
36:56That's Alan Permain on the left.
36:57You remember the Renault engineer that was so helpful to us in Indianapolis when we were looking around the R24
37:02chassis,
37:02doing the radiator cooling chimneys?
37:07He was very helpful.
37:08He was.
37:08Yeah.
37:08Very good to show that.
37:10Yarno Trulli is Italian.
37:11My old colleague Tommy Kendall says all race drivers are Italian when it comes to explaining what their car is
37:17doing.
37:17They all speak with their hands.
37:19Yes, it is.
37:20It's very, very common.
37:22You see the driver put the hand out of the chassis and they sort of wriggle it left and right
37:25and up and down to try and sort of,
37:27there's forklift in the background there, the refueler from McLaren.
37:31He has been with that team for about a thousand years.
37:33There he is coming to the fore there.
37:35Been refueling the cars at McLaren since refueling was introduced in 1994.
37:40And there's Yarno Trulli going through the same hand movements again.
37:45Talking to Flavio Briatore, of course.
37:47He's probably listening to him and saying, what does all this mean to me?
37:50What am I supposed to do about it?
37:51If you talk about money and where you should be, I know what you're talking about.
37:55Talk to an engineer.
37:57This shot gives a great indication.
37:59In many ways, it's very exposed here, just like Silverstone, isn't it?
38:02So once you start to get that wind blowing around, it's such an exposed.
38:06Silverstone, of course, is an old Second World War airfield very exposed.
38:10And once you get that wind blowing across, it really does pick up pace.
38:13And exactly the same happens here.
38:15A lot of the teams don't like it because there are no large hotels nearby.
38:19But it's a beautiful part of France.
38:21And the neighboring countryside is just dotted with little auberges and mansions and things.
38:27Great places to stay.
38:29There's Jensen Button.
38:31He'll be a factor in qualifying for sure.
38:34But you want to be with us on Sunday morning for live coverage of the French Grand Prix.
38:38It begins at 7.30 a.m. Eastern with the Acker Pre-Race Show.
38:41We'll be live straight through to the post-race interview room where our own Peter Windsor will be asking questions
38:47of the top finishers Sunday morning at 7.30 Eastern, live and only here on Speed Channel.
38:52However, the event is subject to blackout.
38:57Now, we've got to point out that time of Jano Trulis that keeps popping up there on the screen is
39:02number one.
39:03Of course, that's fastest in this session.
39:05But this morning, both Ferraris went quicker.
39:07He's done a 1.16.2.
39:08This morning, the Ferraris did a 15.48 and a 15.71.
39:12So, you hear engines firing.
39:17They have less than 10 minutes to go in the session.
39:19But will someone go out?
39:20It looks like Anthony Davidson will.
39:22Got to get a quick break in and we'll be back to see what happens.
39:25Stay with us.
39:30Welcome back live to Manicur.
39:33Practice for the French Grand Prix.
39:34Marc Genet has just pulled back in.
39:36You wouldn't believe what happened on the lap.
39:38No, just kidding.
39:39Actually, nothing happened.
39:41There's Juan Pablo Montoya.
39:44Joking around with some of the mechanics.
39:47Obviously, not too overstressed by the fact that he crashed heavily in the first practice.
39:53His car is still being worked on.
39:56He did make a few laps in this session as you ride with Anthony Davidson.
40:01Juan Pablo Montoya posted the 11th quickest time in the session at a 1.17.556.
40:08No rain on this onboard, which is a good sign.
40:10It is a good sign, yeah.
40:11Because we had, there you see a nice lot of blue sky coming.
40:14But by the time it gets here, practice will be over for the day.
40:18Well, we are live.
40:20We are not playing any television tricks with you here.
40:22So, you get an idea of just how quickly the weather changes in this part of France.
40:27It does.
40:28And with that wind getting up as well, the wind helps to dry the water off the track very quickly
40:35as well.
40:35So, it's a very odd part of the world.
40:38It's right in the center of France.
40:40If you had to take a pin and a map of France and put it right where you thought the
40:44center of France would be,
40:45the pin would stick in the pit lane at Magna Corp.
40:53David Richards, Anthony Davis' team boss looking on there.
40:57Big interview with David Richards in the current issue of Formula One magazine.
41:01A lot of interesting things to say about himself and the team and his future and future of the team.
41:07And now Davis is pulling into it.
41:09So, maybe he considers it's not really quite dry enough yet.
41:15Just over five minutes to go in this session.
41:18There's no doubt that David Richards has got great experience in motorsport.
41:22His pro-drive operation has done a wonderful thing.
41:24Great success in rallying.
41:27His career certainly didn't take off at Banneton when he came in as team principal to replace Flavio Briatore
41:32and disappeared out of the sport within a year.
41:35But absolutely fantastic change at BAR.
41:38Now, Anthony Davidson did not miss the pit entrance and wind up in a local French drive-in.
41:43That was a television effect placed over the pit lane by our host broadcasters.
41:50Don't walk there on the front wing.
41:53And one of those things that always fascinates me on aeroplanes when it says no step on which
41:57it's imprinted a perfect imprint of a large work boot.
42:03You're looking out the window.
42:04It always gives you a bit of a pause for thought, doesn't it?
42:06It says don't step.
42:07It didn't say anything about stomping.
42:09It says no step.
42:10And it's always covered in footprints.
42:11From dancing or jumping rope.
42:18Hold it.
42:20Well, everybody's going out for a go here, but with only four and a half minutes left,
42:25they're all trying, but obviously considering it's not improved from earlier on.
42:31Team O'Glock and the Sauber next week on Tuesday, to be precise.
42:35Eight of the ten Formula One teams will have cars in a special Formula One parade down Regent
42:42Street in London.
42:43Only Sauber and Renault will not take part.
42:45And driving the Jordan, as you watch a little lock up there for Mr. Glock, doing a Kimi
42:52out there in the same corner, driving the Jordan in that parade will be none other than 1992
42:58Formula One world champion, Nigel Mansell.
43:03He tested the car last week.
43:06And I have to wonder what Jasper Stappen might be thinking.
43:09Now, Verstappen was going to test the Jordan, but decided he didn't fit in the car, so he
43:13didn't want to test it.
43:14Now, Nigel has been out of the sport for ten years.
43:18A great athlete, but not exactly felt when he was in the sport.
43:22How Nigel wedged himself into that car.
43:25I imagine Jasper Stappen is trying to figure out, even as we speak.
43:29So Bjorn Wertheim, the third driver for Jaguar, last year's Formula 3000 champ, decides to
43:36give it a go, and is on a flyer now.
43:39I think what we're saying is the guys coming in and taking the intermediate wets off and
43:43putting it onto the dry weather slick tires.
43:46You just saw that at the Jordan garage there, as the chassis is being wheeled back, the sort
43:50of mechanics desperately trying to get to the wheels of the car to put the dry weather tires
43:54on and get one quick lap in on this dry track before the session ends.
44:01Of course, they also say, let the Friday driver go out there and check the conditions.
44:22Maybe it's worse than it looks, four seconds off on that second intermediate, it's a lot.
44:32Keller and the Sauber being moved back in.
44:36A sense of urgency from the Sauber mechanics, so I guess that's going to be the end of the
44:41session for Fisichella.
44:42We haven't seen anything of Fisichella out on the track, which is very remiss of the French
44:46broadcaster.
44:47He has done 11 laps, standing in 10th position at the moment, just ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya.
45:09Holding the car with one hand, shifting gears with one hand, and finally putting his left hand
45:15on the steering wheel.
45:34This is just a Sunday afternoon cruise, isn't it?
45:44He's going to have a go cranking out one quick one to get up the time sheets before the day
45:49end.
45:49I don't know, obviously not.
45:53He obviously heard you then, David, thought I'll have you right over.
45:55I'll have you right over there, Hobbo.
45:58In for Ralph Schumacher.
46:01Rumor is Schumacher is thinking about legal action against the doctors of Methodist Hospital
46:06in Indianapolis, who failed to notice the two cracks in his vertebra in his back that will
46:14keep Ralph Schumacher out of at least the next three Grand Prix and perhaps end his season.
46:20And with it, probably his career at BMW Williams.
46:25Yeah, and possibly his future career at Toyota, if that's still on the cards.
46:28It was, I hear this rumor of a $100 million contract from Ralph Schumacher and Toyota.
46:34Well, I wonder if Toyota are thinking, I know, maybe that's not such a good move for the future.
46:39Well, I would assume they would have a physical examination clause contingency in the contract.
46:51That was not Vaselina's in that beer, in that beer, by the way, even though the graphic said it was.
47:04Giorgio Pantano has leapt into 19th spot.
47:08Boy, this is a fast corner.
47:10Cristiano D'Amato goes P1, driving for his career at Toyota.
47:14That is a very good time to do that because, as you can see, the flag is out.
47:22The team has said there will be no driver changes for the balance of this season,
47:26but both drivers' contracts are up, and they have not gotten the results they wanted.
47:34So both Olivier Pantano and Cristiano D'Amato
47:40are hoping
47:44for contract renewals.
47:49Kumisato coming off that brilliant podium in Indianapolis,
47:53first for a Japanese driver in 14 years.
48:00I have to say, though, in the defense of the Toyota drivers,
48:04it's well recognized up and down the pit lane that the car has really not been up to the task
48:08either.
48:09It's certainly no challenge, despite the colossal budget and the
48:13reputedly 1,000 members on the Toyota payroll,
48:17trying to get that car fit to race.
48:19The chassis has really just been not up to the job.
48:21You have to bear that in mind when the driver,
48:23you look at the driver's performance and say,
48:25well, he's not been winning any races, guys.
48:26Well, he hasn't had the equipment to do it with.
48:28Well, that's where new technical director Mike Gascoigne
48:31might be Pantano D'Amato's best friend.
48:33And he says, hey, I like the technical feedback from these guys.
48:36I want to keep them around.
48:43Welcome back.
48:43As you can see, the Adelaide hairpin still has not dried out at the Manicourt circuit in France.
48:48Practice, however, is now complete on the opening Friday of the French Grand Prix weekend.
48:53Let's take a look at the combined times over the two sessions.
48:58And there you see Cristiano D'Amato with a 115.5 at the very end of the session
49:03and splits the two dry track times by the Ferraris in the first session.
49:08Yeah, I know, truly, they're just seven tenths behind with his quick lap this afternoon.
49:11Anthony Davidson, the test driver for BAR Honda, right up there, too.
49:14Jenson Button just behind him.
49:15Alonso in the Renault.
49:16Only didn't do many laps.
49:17And Davey Coulthard in the new McLaren in eighth spot there.
49:20And Kimi Rijken in tenth spot there in the other McLaren.
49:23Managed to keep that thing on the road and in one piece.
49:25Olivier Panis in the Toyota in the eleventh spot.
49:28Well, certainly his teammate doing a far better job than Panis there.
49:32And there's a look at the remainder of the field.
49:35The Friday drivers are now done.
49:37We'll be down to 20 when qualifying rolls around tomorrow.
49:41And given the wet-dry conditions today, qualifying should be interesting.
49:45But that'll do it for Friday in our live speed channel coverage of the 2004 French Grand Prix.
49:50Don't forget to join us tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. Eastern for coverage of qualifying.
49:54Then tune in tomorrow night at 11 p.m. Eastern for Formula One Decade.
49:58This time featuring the 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix from the Hungaro Ring.
50:03And finally, Sunday morning, live coverage of the French Grand Prix begins at 7.30 a.m. Eastern.
50:08Starting with the Acura pre-race show.
50:10Then at 8 o'clock sharp, the cars will roll off for round nine of the 2004 Formula One World
50:15Championship.
50:16The French Grand Prix.
50:18So for now, for David Hobbs and Steve Matchett, I'm Bob Barsha.
50:21We'll see you tomorrow for qualifying from Manicourt.
50:24Au revoir, everyone.
50:28I'm Bob Barsha.
50:29I'm Bob Barsha.
50:30I'm Bob Barsha.
50:30I'm Bob Barsha.
50:30I'm Bob Barsha.
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