Free practice – Second session
Rubens Barrichello: 7th 1.35.949 7 laps chassis 240
Michael Schumacher: 16th 1.37.270 22 laps chassis 241
Temperatures: air 36/37 °C, track 53/55 °C

Jean Todt: “As expected, it has been a very hot Friday. We worked mainly on a comparison test of the two types of Bridgestone tyre available to us. Here in Malaysia, tyres will play an even more key role than usual. We need to find the right compromise between qualifying and race performance, given that we have to stick with the same set of tyres from Saturday afternoon onwards. It will be important to evaluate potential engine performance as, for almost competitors, it is a case of using the same power unit as in Melbourne. Today’s results make it difficult to assess the true pecking order among the teams.”

Michael Schumacher: “I am pleased with the amount of work we got through today, which has provided us with plenty of data to analyse overnight. I think we look competitive compared with our main rivals and my times in the second session do not mean much, as I was running on old tyres. My times in first practice and Ruben’s performance this afternoon are a better indication of our true level. The car and engine worked well all day. A lot of us spun this afternoon and I think it is due to two factors: the very high temperatures are affecting tyre grip and, at some points on the track, the wind is quite strong, which adds to the difficulty of keeping the car on track.”

Rubens Barrichello: “I made a mistake on my first run out of the pits this afternoon and spun the car. I was lucky that they were able to get the car back to the garage, so I was able to go out again and do three more laps. Michael did a lot of running, so we will have plenty of data to work with. Even with just those three laps, I could tell that the car feels very competitive.”

Ross Brawn: “Michael had some “spare” mileage as he did not put so many miles on his engine in Australia, so he was able to do a good long comparison run on both types of tyre. It was lucky therefore that we have this data, as Rubens spun off and had a short session. Tyre performance will be crucial here and it will be the inevitable balance between a tyre that gives you a fastest first lap and one that will last for the entire race. The heat does not seem to be an issue for the tyres: it’s just a case of degradation and wear.”

2005 Malaysian Grand Prix - Main Page
2005 Malaysian Grand Prix - Team and Driver Friday Practice Reports Page

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