Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen
finished Friday's second free practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix in
Sao Paulo in ninth and 15th positions respectively. Lewis completed 33
laps with a best time of 1m12.827. Heikki did 37 laps and posted a best
lap of 1m13.213. In the morning session, Lewis was second fastest with a
1m12.495 (23 laps) whilst Heikki ended up fifth with a 1m12.925 (20
laps).
Lewis Hamilton
"Our car was blindingly quick this morning despite the cold
weather, which made the track feel quite slippery. This afternoon we
focused on our race pace -- but we were interrupted by the threat of
rain and the changeable wind direction. I flat-spotted my tyres on a
couple of runs, but I'm positive that the changes we've made
will put us in a good position for tomorrow."
Heikki Kovalainen
"A decent Friday practice session, and we now have a good
understanding of tyre performance following our comparison work and
evaluation. We were fine-tuning the balance of the car all the time and
the outcome makes me happy, although this isn't reflected in the
fastest lap times. So we've found a good baseline to work on for
the rest of the weekend."
Ron Dennis
"Today was a slightly tricky day for many of the teams -- with
graining, particularly of the option tyre, a particular problem with the
less-than-optimal track temperatures caused by the inclement weather
conditions. In fact, we suspect that some teams may have dropped their
fuel loads in an effort to nullify that problem, but we didn't. Instead
we adhered to a disciplined programme, all the while assessing our
raceable options. We made steady progress with our understanding of the
available downforce levels, tyre choices and brake materials, and we feel
confident that the lessons we learned today will pay dividends on
Sunday."
Norbert Haug
"This were certainly not one of the better 2008 Friday's rankings
for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. But I doubt whether today's order
represents Sunday's competitive situation. We had a conservative
approach to the afternoon session to simulate extremes that can take
place during the race on Sunday. But of course we still have to optimise
both cars. I am confident we can qualify tomorrow in positions that
enable us to score the necessary points on Sunday."
-credit: mercedes
