Ferrari have rejuventated their season by topping the time sheets with a one-two in second Friday practice for what is to be the last French GP at Magny Cours.
Under performing Kimi Rakkonen was fastest in the morning session but his teammate Felipe Massa led the way in the final session by the smallest of margins. Just 0.035s seperated the pair and the heated battle will almost certainly set to continue throughout the weekend. Pushing each other all the way, Rakkonen had a slip up searching for that extra tenth.
Double race winner Lewis Hamilton, had a rough start to the day with some engine difficultes. It didnt effect him in the second session and put in a 4th fastest time, three tenths behind the Scarlet Ferraris. Fernando Alonso was lagging behind his teammate being three tenths off the Rookie and languishing down in 8th. Stress from the US GP has maybe still lingered with the Spaniard and showed with a ragged attempt in the first corner that led to an off track excursion.
The story of the session has been the perfromance from the Red Bull squad and their sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso. David Coulthard broke through the 1:15 minute barrier to record the 6th fastest time. The STR boys stole the limelight though with an eye-catching 3rd and 5th from Speed and Liuzzi respectfully, with both teams using the Adrian Newey design to full effect. Mark Webber can’t catch a break, with his car halting on the side of the track with a problem, and was all the way back in 16th position.
Williams driver Nico Rosberg performed nicely with a solid 7th, proving that the test at Silverstone in midweek has giving them an upper hand this weekend over the midfield teams. Anthony Davidson gave Super Aguri 9th spot while an under pressure Ralf Schumacher rounded off the top ten.
Suprisingly the Renault team have gone backwards from their encouraging performances in North America with Fischella 11th and Kovalainen 17th. The returning Robert Kubica got a feel once again with the BMW car with 12th spot ahead of the second Williams of Alex Wurz and the Toyota of Jarno Trulli.
The eagrly anticpated new Honda RA107 was rather dissaponting leaving a disheartened Jenson Button in 15th and his teammate Rubens Barrichello a lowly 16th.
Nick Heidfeld had a niggling back strain and it showed, posting a time to leave him 19th. Takuma Sato was 20th and Adrian Sutil once again outperforming his more experienced teammate Christjian Albers to leave the Dutchman at the back of the pack.
