Davidson fastest in practice 1 - US
Honda test driver Anthony Davidson topped the opening free practice session for the United States Grand Prix, as Michael Schumacher buried his car in the gravel late in the hour
Davidson set the pace in 1:12.083, beating Schumacher by just under four tenths of a second.
The seven-time world champion was pushing to depose Davidson of the top spot with four minutes remaining when he put the outside of his Ferrari onto the slippery white line at turn four and spun off backwards.
With his car deep in the gravel, he was forced to abandon the machine and head back to the pits.
Behind them, BMW Sauber test driver Robert Kubica was third, with Honda completing a strong session with their race drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button next up.
Toro Rosso test driver Neel Jani completed the top six.
Scott Speed got his maiden home race weekend off to the worst possible start as his Toro Rosso car ground to a halt at the end of the pitlane with just six minutes of the session gone.
After waiting in his car for around five minutes, expecting a push from the marshals, he sprinted back to his garage, but was left to rue some lost practice mileage.
Christijan Albers spun in his Midland - but did so on two consecutive laps - first, in the middle of the long turn six and then when he put two wheels on the grass at turn 11, pitching him into a 360-degree spin.
His compatriot Robert Doornbos made it a Dutch double at turn 11 as the Red Bull test driver ran wide on the exit of the corner late in the session, driving through the gravel trap and back onto the circuit.
And Super Aguri test driver Sakon Yamamoto also suffered, locking his right-front tyre and running across the grass on the exit of turn one - without damage.
Ralf Schumacher seemed more interested in watching Germany's World Cup quarter final match against Argentina on a screen in the Toyota garage.
Schumacher, who celebrates his 31st birthday today, failed to complete a flying lap, just like world champion Fernando Alonso and his Renault teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Davidson Honda (M) 1:12.083 27 2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:12.458 + 0.375 3 3. Kubica BMW-Sauber (M) 1:13.008 + 0.925 31 4. Barrichello Honda (M) 1:13.090 + 1.007 5 5. Button Honda (M) 1:13.189 + 1.106 6 6. Jani Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:13.710 + 1.627 24 7. Mondini MF1-Toyota (B) 1:14.654 + 2.571 33 8. Wurz Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:14.745 + 2.662 38 9. Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:14.791 + 2.708 8 10. Doornbos Red Bull-Ferrari (M) 1:15.018 + 2.935 22 11. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:15.091 + 3.008 8 12. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:15.532 + 3.449 8 13. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:15.647 + 3.564 10 14. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:15.971 + 3.888 17 15. Yamamoto Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:16.116 + 4.033 31 16. Montagny Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:16.489 + 4.406 17 17. Trulli Toyota (B) No time 2 18. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) No time 2 19. Fisichella Renault (M) No time 3 20. Alonso Renault (M) No time 1 21. Klien Red Bull-Ferrari (M) No time 1 22. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) No time 1 23. Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari (M) No time 1 24. Montoya McLaren-Mercedes (M) No time 1 25. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) No time 1 26. Villeneuve BMW-Sauber (M) No time 2 27. Massa Ferrari (B) 28. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 29. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) All Timing Unofficial
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