De la Rosa Fastest in Practice 1 - Japan
McLaren experienced mixed fortunes in opening practice for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday when Pedro de la Rosa topped the times but Kimi Raikkonen parked up with flames licking the back of his car yet again
After a season beset by car failures Raikkonen's patience was tested once again when his car suffered an apparent engine problem that forced him out of the session with 25 minutes to go.
The team could not confirm whether it was an engine problem but it is understood that they will be forced to replace the unit and hand Raikkonen his fourth ten grid position penalty of the season.
De la Rosa finished with a time of 1:30.532 with test driver Ricardo Zonta second for Toyota, 0.543 seconds back, despite stopping at the side of the track with a problem himself.
Briton Jenson Button was third fastest for BAR-Honda with compatriot David Coulthard fourth for Red Bull Racing and Juan Pablo Montoya, in the second McLaren, finishing fifth.
Renault pair Fernando Alonso, the new World Champion, and Giancarlo Fisichella finished sixth and seventh with Takuma Sato eighth in front of his home fans in the second BAR-Honda.
Mark Webber finished ninth fastest for Williams and Christian Klien completed the top ten finishers in the second Red Bull machine with all 24 cars completing a timed lap during the session.
With half the session gone de la Rosa was on top ahead of the BAR duo of Button and Sato but disaster hit McLaren just minutes later when Raikkonen parked on the grass with an apparent blown engine.
The two Renaults of Alonso and Fisichella then went faster to slot into second and third respectively and push the two BARs down to fourth and fifth but de la Rosa stayed firm at the top.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:30.532 23 2. Zonta Toyota (M) 1:31.075 + 0.543 16 3. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:32.043 + 1.511 18 4. Coulthard Red Bull-Cosworth (M) 1:32.229 + 1.697 23 5. Montoya McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:32.321 + 1.789 9 6. Alonso Renault (M) 1:32.370 + 1.838 22 7. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:32.470 + 1.938 19 8. Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:32.791 + 2.259 20 9. Webber Williams-BMW (M) 1:33.098 + 2.566 13 10. Klien Red Bull-Cosworth (M) 1:33.139 + 2.607 19 11. Massa Sauber-Petronas (M) 1:33.257 + 2.725 16 12. Liuzzi Red Bull-Cosworth (M) 1:33.441 + 2.909 22 13. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:33.486 + 2.954 8 14. Pizzonia Williams-BMW (M) 1:33.528 + 2.996 22 15. Villeneuve Sauber-Petronas (M) 1:33.645 + 3.113 15 16. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:33.700 + 3.168 9 17. R.Schumacher Toyota (M) 1:33.735 + 3.203 10 18. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:33.886 + 3.354 9 19. Trulli Toyota (M) 1:34.535 + 4.003 11 20. Yamamoto Jordan-Toyota (B) 1:36.295 + 5.763 23 21. Albers Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:37.153 + 6.621 16 22. Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota (B) 1:37.154 + 6.622 13 23. Doornbos Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:37.816 + 7.284 17 24. Monteiro Jordan-Toyota (B) 1:38.250 + 7.718 17 All timing unofficial
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