Alonso Fastest in Practice 3 - Malaysia
Renault continued their impressive season-opening form on Saturday, when Fernando Alonso topped the times in the morning's opening practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix
Alonso set a time of 1:34.715 to finish 0.168 ahead of World Champion Michael Schumacher's Ferrari, with Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella third.
McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth fastest, with Toyota putting in a good showing as Jarno Trulli finished fifth, just ahead of his teammate Ralf Schumacher.
Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya finished seventh fastest in the second McLaren but he was more than one second off the lead pace while Jenson Button finished eighth in the lead BAR-Honda.
German Nick Heidfeld led his Australian teammate Mark Webber as the Williams duo completed the top ten in ninth and tenth respectively, while Anthony Davidson, brought in to replace Takuma Sato at BAR, finished 14th.
The session began with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 60 percent but the rising sun suggested that the breezy conditions would make way for warmer temperatures later in the day.
World Champion Schumacher spun his Ferrari at turn four after 25 minutes of the 45-minute session but he was able to continue as his brother Ralf sat at the top of the timesheets for Toyota.
Alonso moved to the top as the pack shuffled but the Renault driver managed to keep ahead of his rivals to clock the fastest time of the morning in an incident-free session.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Alonso Renault (M) 1:34.715 5 2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:34.883 + 0.168 10 3. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:34.930 + 0.215 6 4. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:35.054 + 0.339 9 5. Trulli Toyota (M) 1:35.573 + 0.858 6 6. R.Schumacher Toyota (M) 1:35.645 + 0.930 10 7. Montoya McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:35.850 + 1.135 8 8. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:36.162 + 1.447 7 9. Heidfeld Williams-BMW (M) 1:36.434 + 1.719 3 10. Webber Williams-BMW (M) 1:36.465 + 1.750 5 11. Coulthard Red Bull-Cosworth (M) 1:36.888 + 2.173 11 12. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:36.903 + 2.188 7 13. Massa Sauber-Petronas (M) 1:36.987 + 2.272 6 14. Davidson BAR-Honda (M) 1:37.049 + 2.334 12 15. Klien Red Bull-Cosworth (M) 1:37.204 + 2.489 10 16. Villeneuve Sauber-Petronas (M) 1:37.850 + 3.135 6 17. Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota (B) 1:38.444 + 3.729 11 18. Monteiro Jordan-Toyota (B) 1:39.349 + 4.634 12 19. Friesacher Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:41.398 + 6.683 15 20. Albers Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:42.023 + 7.308 16 All timing unofficial
Schumacher Apologised to Heidfeld
Trulli Fastest in Practice 4 - Malaysia
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix