F1: Webber Makes A Statement In First Practice

Formula 1

F1: Webber Makes A Statement In First Practice

Out of contention for the world title, Mark Webber said he came to win in Brazil and backed those claims up Friday morning…

SPEED Staff | Posted October 16, 2009 Sao Paulo (BRA)

Mark Webber led the first practice session in Brazil Friday. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Mark Webber, who is out of contention for the 2009 title said this week that he had nothing to lose and came to Brazil looking for victory. He backed those claims up as he led the first practice session at Interlagos Friday morning putting down a lap of 1:12.436 under overcast skies and damp conditions.

Webber’s time was four tenths of a second ahead of title contenders Rubens Barrichello who was second and Webber’s Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel in third.

The big story of the first session was the struggle of championship points leader Jenson Button who managed only a seventh place time 1:13.141, nearly a second off the pace of the top four.

The session was interrupted twice, first for a brief but heavy rain shower that forced everyone in for a few moments, then later a red flag was displayed for nearly 25 minutes when Romain Grosjean ran wide at turn 12 and hit a polystyrene advertising board which exploded sending debris on the racing surface. Grosjean’s machine suffered no damage.

The McLaren team of Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five.

Behind Button in seventh, Nico Rosberg was eighth, Adrian Sutil was ninth and Kimi Raikkonen was tenth.

FIRST PRACTICE INTERLAGOS

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps

1 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:12.463 29
2 Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes 1:12.874 0.411 32
3 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 1:12.932 0.469 27
4 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 1:12.989 0.526 25
5 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:13.048 0.585 25
6 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:13.067 0.604 21
7 Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes 1:13.141 0.678 29
8 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:13.147 0.684 23
9 Adrian Sutil Force India-Merc. 1:13.232 0.769 23
10 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:13.321 0.858 24
11 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:13.326 0.863 26
12 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:13.464 1.001 28
13 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 1:13.503 1.040 24
14 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1:13.563 1.100 24
15 Giancarlo Fisichella Ferrari 1:13.619 1.156 23
16 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:13.787 1.324 28
17 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Merc. 1:13.829 1.366 26
18 Kamui Kobayashi Toyota 1:14.029 1.566 27
19 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari 1:14.040 1.577 38
20 Romain Grosjean Renault 1:14.173 1.710 23

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