| Alexander Wurz showed early in the morning at the Sepang Circuit that Williams will push towards better results by posting the fastest time of the first practice session.
Wurz toured the 5.5km circuit 19 times and posted the fastest time of 1:34.946 putting the FW28 over seven tenths ahead of BMW Sauber F1’s Friday tester Robert Kubica (1:35.733).
Honda’s tester Anthony Davidson pushed the RA106 to a time of 1:35.997 over a second back from the Cosworth powered Williams.
Juan Pablo Montoya set the tone for the race drivers with a fourth place time of 1:36.709 ahead of David Coulthard’s RB2 (1:37.042) and Michael Schumacher’s F248 (1:37.043).
Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Scott Speed led the rookie class with a 13th time of 1:39.599. Super Aguri drivers Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide were the last of the drivers who set a timed lap, but were 6.126 and 8.503 seconds off Wurz pace.
Kimi Raikkonen led a long list of drivers who did not post a time during the one hour session. Neither Renault drivers, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella, attempted to set a time after doing two reconnaissance laps.
BMW Sauber F1 drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld let team-mate Kubica get information instead of posting a lap after one shakedown tour around the circuit.
The Williams duo of Mark Webber and new sensation Nico Rosberg did not leave their garage as well as the Honda team of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button.
MF1 Racing's Tiago Monteiro was the first casualty of the weekend after his Toyota powered car stopped on the circuit after the 40 minute mark. |