Promising start in Malaysia

In the first free practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix, BMW Sauber F1 Team test driver, Robert Kubica, was able to set competitive times whenever he went out on track. His team mates, Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve, did without completing a timed lap.

Session one at the 'Sepang International Circuit' took place in extreme heat (33 degrees Celsius) as predicted. While the BMW Sauber F1 Team Grand Prix drivers, Nick and Jacques, completed just an installation lap each and did without setting a lap time. Robert, however, was the second busiest man of the session, covering a total of 22 laps, while Honda's Anthony Davidson lapped the 5.543 kilometre circuit 25 times.

Kubica, who focused on set-up work and tyre evaluations, completed an installation lap and four stints, securing a top-three position whenever he went out. At the end of the session, he set a personal fastest lap time of 1:35:733 to finish second overall, with Williams' Alexander Wurz holding the top position on the time sheets.

In the first stint, an eight-lap-long-run, Robert improved lap by lap and set his fastest time at the end of the stint, thus proving that the Michelin tyres cope well with the extreme Malaysian conditions and deliver on a consisitent level.