www.autosport.com/news as always

World championship contenders Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso were content to stay in the dry on Friday morning and watch as Honda's Anthony Davidson topped the times in opening free practice for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

The Briton was the first man out, fastest most often in the session and finished the hour with a best lap in 1:45.349 ahead of nearest rival Neel Jani of Switzerland in a Toro Rosso and German teenager Sebastian Vettel in his BMW Sauber.

Both Ferrari teammates Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa did not venture out at all on to the rain-hit track while Alonso and his Renault teammate Giancarlo Fisichella did only one installation lap each.

The session began in steady rain on a wet track. The air temperature was 22 degrees Celsius and the track temperature the same. The local Japanese fans, wrapped up in brightly-coloured sheets of plastic in the grandstands, sat it out stoically.

Davidson was the first driver out, his emergence marking the 20th successive Japanese Grand Prix on Honda's home track and also the last before the event moves to Mount Fuji next year.

In the opening minutes, Davidson was the only driver to reel off any successive laps as most of his normal Friday morning rivals were content to wait and see if the rain relented. Gradually, it did.

After 15 minutes, Williams's Alexander Wurz moved to the top of the times and stayed there for nearly 20 minutes before he was overhauled by Franck Montagny in a Super Aguri Honda.

Michael Ammermuller in a Red Bull Ferrari then clocked the best lap after 36 minutes before Davidson responded. By then, it had stopped raining, but there were still high plumes of spray being created by the cars.

Vettel appeared to be content to learn the track and was seen slithering in the rain several times as he found the limits of his BMW Sauber.

With 15 minutes of the session remaining, Montagny lost control at Turn 9 and went off into the gravel trap. He was unable to rejoin the action and Davidson, with his best lap of 1:45.349, continued to top the times.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Davidson Honda (M) 1:45.349 18
2. Jani Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:46.138 + 0.789 21
3. Vettel BMW-Sauber (M) 1:46.585 + 1.236 20
4. Ammermuller Red Bull-Ferrari (M) 1:47.162 + 1.813 21
5. Sutil Spyker MF1-Toyota (B) 1:47.773 + 2.424 21
6. Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:47.814 + 2.465 7
7. Albers Spyker MF1-Toyota (B) 1:47.838 + 2.489 6
8. Montagny Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:47.918 + 2.569 13
9. Wurz Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:47.919 + 2.570 19
10. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:48.042 + 2.693 11
11. Yamamoto Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:50.479 + 5.130 9
12. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) No time 1
13. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) No time 1
14. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) No time 1
15. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) No time 2
16. Doornbos Red Bull-Ferrari (M) No time 1
17. Kubica BMW-Sauber (M) No time 1
18. Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari (M) No time 1
19. Alonso Renault (M) No time 1
20. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) No time 1
21. Fisichella Renault (M) No time 1
22. Monteiro Spyker MF1-Toyota (B) No time 4
23. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) No time 1
24. Barrichello Honda (M) No time 1
25. Trulli Toyota (B) No time 1
26. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) No time 1
27. Button Honda (M) No time 1
28. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) No time
29. Massa Ferrari (B) No time

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella topped the times for Renault ahead of his Ferrari rival Brazilian Felipe Massa at the end of Friday's opening free practice session's for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

On a day of changing weather conditions, with the track drying throughout the second hour, both championship contenders German Michael Schumacher and Spaniard Fernando Alonso left their teammates to do their jobs, but clocked close and competitive times.

Retirement-bound seven-time champion Schumacher was third fastest and defending champion Alonso fourth when the session ended. Fisichella's best time was 1:34.337.

Once again the session began in wet conditions, but unlike the morning's hour, this time the track dried out, it remained dry and the temperature rose. At the start, the track temperature was 21 and the air was 24 degrees Celsius, but 15 minutes from the end, it had risen to 22 and 25 respectively.

There was also much more for the drenched fans to enjoy as the teams sent out more cars and drivers. After only five minutes, Ralf Schumacher topped the times in his Toyota, ahead of Briton Anthony Davidson for Honda, but within minutes this was changed.

Davidson, as he had done earlier, topped the times frequently, with Fisichella also clocking a fastest time 20 minutes into the session. Davidson responded in the closing stages with a lap in 1:40.986 to top Fisichella and German teenager Sebastian Vettel of BMW Sauber.

With 10 minutes remaining German Michael Ammermuller in his Red Bull Ferrari went top of the times, but his lap was immediately surpassed by Michael Schumacher on his first flying run as Ferrari went out on dry tyres in the closing minutes.

This signalled that the final part of the session was virtually a new contest on its own as the field responded to the welcome dry conditions at last, Fisichella, Alonso and Briton Jenson Button for Honda all clocking faster times than Schumacher as the leaders finally treated the session as serious business.

When the flag dropped to end the hour, the session ended with Schumacher on track but unable to improve on the leading times set by Fisichella or Massa as the sun at last came out.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:34.337 8
2. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:34.408 + 0.071 10
3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:34.565 + 0.228 10
4. Alonso Renault (M) 1:34.863 + 0.526 5
5. Davidson Honda (M) 1:34.906 + 0.569 23
6. Vettel BMW-Sauber (M) 1:34.912 + 0.575 30
7. Button Honda (M) 1:35.002 + 0.665 6
8. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:35.064 + 0.727 6
9. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:35.343 + 1.006 12
10. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:35.367 + 1.030 5
11. R.Schumacher Toyota (B) 1:35.375 + 1.038 12
12. Ammermuller Red Bull-Ferrari (M) 1:35.433 + 1.096 25
13. Barrichello Honda (M) 1:35.528 + 1.191 10
14. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:35.866 + 1.529 5
15. Rosberg Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:36.176 + 1.839 10
16. Albers Spyker MF1-Toyota (B) 1:36.180 + 1.843 4
17. Wurz Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:36.234 + 1.897 25
18. Kubica BMW-Sauber (M) 1:36.299 + 1.962 5
19. Montagny Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:37.354 + 3.017 20
20. Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:37.441 + 3.104 15
21. Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:37.501 + 3.164 16
22. Coulthard Red Bull-Ferrari (M) 1:37.596 + 3.259 6
23. Monteiro Spyker MF1-Toyota (B) 1:37.702 + 3.365 9
24. Jani Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M) 1:37.741 + 3.404 26
25. Doornbos Red Bull-Ferrari (M) 1:37.788 + 3.451 9
26. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:38.533 + 4.196 18
27. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:38.779 + 4.442 5
28. Yamamoto Super Aguri-Honda (B) 1:38.955 + 4.618 14
29. Sutil Spyker MF1-Toyota (B) 1:43.914 + 9.577 14



I will make sure I get sleep tonight so I can stay up the whole of Saturday to watch the F1 race at 5am Sunday

Youll still be here at midnight tonight

Probably

Well yes

I got up at 5am last year to watch it, and it was a great race. But I don't know if I will this year, just to watch Schumacher be a smug *beep*.

I will as usual and join the live commentary.

OK James!

Ugh must stop stop saying that

All 3 of us up too early on Sunday morning

What fun

Yeah but you 2 go to bed

Don't you just love the randomness of the F1 threads

Thank You

DOND might clash with the last F1 race of the season.

Ach well F1 it is

Video Recorder or for the rich people out there *cough*David*cough* SKY +

Must watch F1 live and record it too.

What about DOND?

Buy another telly

Good idea.

Turn off the F1 Sound.

No more James Allen

Good Idea

Who does the Five Live commentary?

Good idea TOM!

You genius!

Are they (FIVE LIVE) doing Qualifying at 5am in the morning

David Croft is the commentator for uninterupted commentary from 6am to 8am Sunday


6am to 7am Qualifying coverage

Yes thought it was him!

What about qualifying?

Edited up there

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^