Japan 1999: Friday Practice 1
Times
P. No Driver Team - Car Time/Laps
1. 1 Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes 1:41.746 207.481 km/h
2. 2 Coulthard McLaren Mercedes 1:41.894 + 0:00.148
3. 3 M Schumacher Ferrari 1:42.215 + 0:00.469
4. 8 Frentzen Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:43.235 + 0:01.489
5. 4 Irvine Ferrari 1:43.375 + 0:01.629
6. 6 R Schumcher Williams Supertec 1:43.399 + 0:01.653
7. 19 Trulli Prost Peugeot 1:43.916 + 0:02.170
8. 9 Fisichella Benetton Playlife 1:43.948 + 0:02.202
9. 11 Alesi Sauber Petronas 1:44.034 + 0:02.288
10. 16 Barrichello Stewart Ford 1:44.126 + 0:02.380
11. 22 Villeneuve BAR Supertec 1:44.154 + 0:02.408
12. 17 Herbert Stewart Ford 1:44.179 + 0:02.433
13. 18 Panis Prost Peugeot 1:44.259 + 0:02.513
14. 10 Wurz Benetton Playlife 1:44.882 + 0:03.136
15. 23 Zonta BAR Supertec 1:45.364 + 0:03.618
16. 5 Zanardi Williams Supertec 1:45.519 + 0:03.773
17. 12 Diniz Sauber Petronas 1:45.839 + 0:04.093
18. 14 de la Rosa Arrows TWR 1:45.924 + 0:04.178
19. 15 Takagi Arrows TWR 1:46.535 + 0:04.789
20. 21 Gene Minardi Ford 1:46.943 + 0:05.197
21. 20 Badoer Minardi Ford 1:47.033 + 0:05.287
22. 7 Hill Jordan Mugen-Honda 17:30.100 + 15:48.354
107% time : 1:48.868
FIA Press Release
Free practice, 11.00 to 12.00
Weather conditions: sunny and bright
Hakkinen sets the pace for McLaren
Mika Hakkinen(1m 41.746s) and David Coulthard(1m 41.894s) set the initial pace here at Suzuka this morning in their McLaren-Mercedes, the team concentrating on routine set-up work during this first hour. The team has a slightly revised front aerodynamic set-up for its MP4/14s which has been developed especially for this race. Hakkinen survived a quick spin at the pits chicane, keeping the engine running and spin-turning his way back into the traffic.
Ferraris third and fifth
The Ferrari F399s of Michael Schumacher (1m 42.215s) and Eddie Irvine (1m 43.375s) set third and fifth fastest time. "The car is sliding a lot and we're working on set-up," said a team spokesperson. The Ferraris are equipped with the type 048B V10 engine for this race and have revised shadow plates on their bargeboards to give an extra margin of dimensional safety.
Frentzen a strong fourth
Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Jordan 199 set fourth fastest time on 1m 43.235s. "I'm happy with the car and we have been working on the aero balance this morning," he said. Damon Hill spun off into the gravel at the first corner on his first flying lap. The team is using its Malaysian GP spec Mugen-Honda V10 engine today and will have an uprated specification engine for qualifying tomorrow.
Ralf Schumacher sixth for Williams
Ralf Schumacher's Williams FW21 (1m 43.399s) wound up sixth fastest, although the German driver was not totally satisfied with the feel of his car, complaining of poor traction and high speed nervousness. Alex Zanardi (16th/1m 45.519s) also reported a lot of oversteer, the grip being particularly poor in medium and low speed corners.
Trulli's Prost takes seventh
Jarno Trulli set seventh fastest time on 1m 43.916s, both he and team-mate Olivier Panis (13th/1m 44.259s) reporting that their Prost-Peugeots felt unstable and "pointy."
Briefly
Giancarlo Fisichella's Benetton (8th/1m 43.948s) stopped just before the end of the session with hydraulic problems while team-mate Alexander Wurz (14th/1m 44.882s) complained of excessive understeer. Jean Alesi's Sauber-Petronas (9th/1m 44.034s) suffered deteriorating handling through the session while Pedro Diniz (17th/1m 45.839s) complained of oversteer on the dusty circuit. Rubens Barrichello's Stewart-Ford (10th/1m 44.126s) slid off the road briefly on lap eight, but the Brazilian managed to recover control. Jacques Villeneuve's BAR (11th/1m 44.154s) stopped with a broken oil pipe.
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