Jacques Villeneuve quickest at Monza

[Farc]

Pos Driver Nat Constructor Time Gap To 1st
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1. Jacques Villeneuve CDN BAR-Honda 1:26.296
2. David Coulthard GB McLaren-Mercedes 1:26.905 0.609 0.609
3. Heinz-Harald Frentzen D Jordan-Honda 1:26.992 0.087 0.696
4. Mika Hakkinen FIN McLaren-Mercedes 1:27.172 0.180 0.876
5. Ricardo Zonta BR BAR-Honda 1:27.318 0.146 1.022
6. Michael Schumacher D Ferrari 1:27.411 0.093 1.115
7. Rubens Barrichello BR Ferrari 1:27.560 0.149 1.264
8. Pedro de la Rosa E Arrows-Supertec 1:27.598 0.038 1.302
9. Marc Gene E Minardi-Ford 1:27.628 0.030 1.332
10. Mika Salo FIN Sauber-Petronas 1:27.722 0.094 1.426
11. Ralf Schumacher D Williams-BMW 1:27.800 0.078 1.504
12. Pedro Diniz BR Sauber-Petronas 1:27.935 0.135 1.639
13. Jarno Trulli I Jordan-Honda 1:28.001 0.066 1.705
14. Jean Alesi F Prost-Peugeot 1:28.277 0.276 1.981
15. Alexander Wurz A Benetton-Playlife 1:28.303 0.026 2.007
16. Eddie Irvine GB Jaguar 1:29.259 0.956 2.963
17. Gaston Mazzacane RA Minardi-Ford 1:29.364 0.105 3.068
18. Jenson Button GB Williams-BMW 1:39.806 10.442 13.510

107% of fastest time: 1:32.337

[Valve Bounce]

If someone can tell us what the fastest race lap was last year, we can then put these times into perspective. Until then, this is just TESTING!!! Still, it's nice to see Marc Gene in ninth position. This will bring a big smile to SOMEONE's face, won't it, MF????

[Minardi fan]

Geez, if only people would read the 'It's moment like these' topic I put up earlier...

[Handle]

Though unlikely, I would be ecstatic if the final race classification looked like that.

[Jay]

Although the track was damp at best for todays test session, these times are quite impressive.

2 seconds were supposed to be added to lap times with the changes made to the circuit. The fastest lap during the race last year was a 125.579. JV's time was a 126.2. It would appear that times have gotten faster.

However, a few things to consider it should be noted that sometimes teams practice flying laps in testing that can be as fast (and sometimes faster) than an actual qualifying lap.

[Liz]

I'd like to see somebody in front that isn't McLaren or Ferrari. But I guess we can just enjoy testing times and pretend they are the race ...

I've heard a couple of the pilots very unhappy with the changes to the Variente (so am I as it was the best place to watch from!) and predictions that a lot of people will crash or short cut that corner. Has this been happening?

[Unknown Soldier]

Even though this was just testing it's good news for BAR. When was the last time they were first in anything other then DNF's. Monza, should suit the car and Jacques because of the low downforce needed for this circuit.

[Jay]

Liz, I checked out the changes in a computer sim, and they are a big improvement. The first chicane is a bit like the first turn at Montreal inverted. It has a fast entry, but gets very tight. However, unlike the first turn at Montreal there is an escape road, so we will not be seeing as many crashes. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a big pile up at the start.

[Liz]

I hear Alesi likes the new configuration. DC and Frenzy have turned thumbs down.

When we were there we saw four big crashes during practice, and some people short-cut the chicane almost more often than they actually took it. You had to ride hard over the kerbs to get through and that was hard on the suspension of the cars. But it was great fun to watch as they braked at the outer and came zipping toward us at a nice speed for filming, and then (in most cases) turned right in front of our grandstand and got back up to speed again.

Since Trulli was two of the wrecks we saw, undoubtedly he will like the new configuration.

[Jay]

You can't really compare anything that has ever happened in the past to the new configuration, as it has absolutely nothing in common with the old one. The old one was essentially 2 little chicanes where the cars had to go over the curbs hard. The new configuration is like one big chicane with a fast entry and a tight exit. Unlike the old configuration, you do not have to run the curbs. I am not sure what DC and Frenzt have against it, except for the possible first corner pile up.

[Bononi]

And here's Friday results :

1 Schumacher, Williams 1:25.495 - 61 laps
2 Barrichello, Ferrari 1:25.581 - 87
3 Trulli, Jordan 1:26.067 - 80
4 de la Rosa, Arrows 1:26.149 - 77
5 Frentzen, Jordan 1:26.327 - 72
6 Panis, McLaren 1:26.335 - 90
7 Button, Williams 1:26.720 - 68
8 Schumacher, Ferrari 1:26.801 - 78
9 Diniz, Sauber 1:27.077 - 37
10 Irvine, Jaguar 1:27.147 - 84
11 Wurz, Benetton 1:27.352 - 66
12 Salo, Sauber 1:27.560 - 31
13 Alesi, Prost 1:28.052 - 42

Surprising ?

[Mr.S]

Not at all, he has a BMW v10 behind him after all! But Button was in race trim and he was still not to bad.