F1 Spa-Francorchamps - FRI - Free Practice

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, Sep 05, 2008

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton finished Friday�s second Free Practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in third and fourth positions respectively. In a session which was disrupted by light rain and a red flag half an hour before the end, Heikki completed 19 laps and set a time of 1m48.740. Lewis did 17 laps and was on a 1m48.805. In the morning session, Lewis was third fastest with a 1m47.878 (27 laps), whilst Heikki was fourth with a 1m47.932 (24 laps).


This Grand Prix also marks the 40th anniversary of the McLaren team�s first-ever Formula 1 victory, achieved by Bruce McLaren driving a McLaren M7A at Spa-Francorchamps on 9th June 1968.

Comments

Heikki Kovalainen
�In mixed conditions like this afternoon, there�s not a lot you can learn about the set-up � but there�s a lot at risk if you lose the car. In the damp, the kerbs were extremely slippery � like ice, almost � so we weren�t in a great hurry to go out this afternoon until the track dried out. It�s hard to know where everybody stands because of the rain, but our times in both sessions show we�re looking competitive.�

Lewis Hamilton
�This morning, the temperatures were quite low so the track lacked a bit of grip and made warming the tyres more difficult than normal. The wet-dry conditions we encountered are typical of Spa, but they make if difficult to change your set-up because you�re always attacking a moving target. Still, we got some good data this morning before the rain came, so we feel we�re in good shape for tomorrow.�

Ron Dennis
�The changeability of the weather, both this morning and this afternoon, influenced our decision to concentrate on race set-up and tyre selection procedures. The result was a smooth and uneventful pair of practice sessions for us today. We're now looking forward to what we believe will be improving weather conditions throughout the remainder of the weekend.�

Norbert Haug
�Typical Spa � a partly wet and partly dry practice. Nevertheless we learned a lot and found a good basis. Today�s times don�t mean a lot, but I think we should be in good shape.�


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