Sato Goes Quickest at Mugello
Japanese Takuma Sato edged his BAR teammate Anthony Davidson to top the times in today's testing session at Mugello

Sato, whose team joined the test today, finished just one hundred of a second in front of test driver Davidson as both worked on their preparations for the Spanish Grand Prix next week.
World Champion Michael Schumacher and teammate Rubens Barrichello took over from Ferrari test drivers Marc Gene and Luca Badoer on the team's second day of testing.
Both men worked with the F2005 car, continuing with the programme of tyre and aerodynamics testing. Barrichello was the quickest of the two after 111 laps.
The Minardi team suffered an embarrassing setback to one of their rare Formula One tests when their cars collided.
Christijan Albers, a regular racer, was in the team's new PS05 car while Chanoch Nissany, a test driver who has never competed in a Grand Prix, drove the old PS04B.
The accident caused slight damage to both cars, sidelining them for the afternoon. Austrian Patrick Friesacher was able to continue testing.
"It's difficult to hide the fact that we're disappointed by the crash between our two drivers, as it has put us behind with the scheduled test programme," said team manager Massimo Rivola. "On the positive side, Patrick was able to do some useful running and, as a result, we have made progress on improving reliability.
"In addition, we are grateful to Bridgestone for making available a number of different tyre compounds for evaluation at this test.
"Finally, I would like to make it clear that Minardi is fully respecting the testing arrangement that is in place with other teams, and although we have three chassis present here at Mugello, we have only allowed two cars on track at the same time. We will now hope fervently for a better day tomorrow."
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time Laps 1. Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:20.647 64 2. Davidson BAR-Honda (M) 1:20.657 55 3. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:20.764 127 4. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:20.899 111 5. Friesacher Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:25.623 38 6. Albers Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:27.401 15 7. Nissany Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:39.519 26 All Timing Unofficial
About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Sato Goes Quickest at Mugello
Trending
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Why Russell was right to be wrong about Bottas after Imola F1 clash
George Russell and Valtteri Bottas' collision at Imola on Sunday prompted fury in the Formula 1 paddock. But Russell's carefully-worded heartfelt statement later, acknowledging that his initial response was wrong, proved the right move
How Verstappen and Hamilton’s Imola clash sets the tone for F1’s 2021 title fight
In Max Verstappen's Formula 1 career to date, he has been cast as the 'pretender', an acknowledged top-line performer without the car to regularly challenge Lewis Hamilton. But that no longer applies in 2021, and the start to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the most telling signal yet of what we can expect from their duel this year
How “overwhelming” McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
Daniel Ricciardo has found a new lease of life at McLaren – a move that’s been years in the making, as he explains to STUART CODLING…
The German legend who raced and beat Nuvolari
Ninety years ago, Rudolf Caracciola became the first non-Italian to win the epic Mille Miglia. We look at how he stacks up to the most famous pre-war ace Tazio Nuvolari, one of the drivers he beat on that day in 1931
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001