By Ian Lockwood
March 31 2006

Whereas in the last couple of years summerlike temperatures were always measured at the Albert Park circuit, today the air temperature did not exceed the level of 22 degrees Celsius.

Whereas in the last couple of years summerlike temperatures were always measured at the Albert Park circuit, today the air temperature did not exceed the level of 22 degrees Celsius. With the track not offering much grip therefore and because of the newly introduced engine regulations this year, most of the drivers only came into action in the closing stages of Free Practise 01. Doornbos however drove 19 laps in total during this one-hour lasting session in which he shared P1 with Anthony Davidson (Honda) for most of the time. At the end of the session Doornbos found himself back at a respectable second position with a best lap time of 1:28.559.

The second session ‘Down Under’ was used by Red Bull Racing to evaluate the two types of tyres Michelin brought with them for this weekend in order to make the right choice for the 58 lap race next Sunday. Divided over two long runs, Doornbos drove 32 laps in full race-trim this afternoon in which he set a fastest time of 1:29.876, handing him 20th position.

David Coulthard (Car 14):

1st Practice Position: 11; Best Time: 1:29.676; Laps: 9
2nd Practice Position: 13; Best Time: 1:28.531; Laps: 18
Chassis Number: 3
 
 “We had a productive day, as we were able to take advantage of the fact that we’d only done ten laps in Malaysia. As a result, my engine is 50 laps in credit, which means we could do more than normal today and get up to speed in case the weather’s wet tomorrow. I wasn’t evaluating tyres today, as we’re saving our allocation for tomorrow. Other than that – not much else to report, until we get into the tyre evaluation omorrow.”

Christian Klien (Car 15):

1st Practice Position: 10; Best Time: 1:29.601; Laps: 7
2nd Practice Position: 21; Best Time: 1:29.879; Laps: 9
Chassis Number: 2
 
 “I had a new engine for the race weekend, so I was limited on distance today. I went out just for one run in the first session. The track was very dirty and there wasn’t much grip, you could see a lot of cars spinning off the circuit. In the second session, I did two runs on a heavier fuel load to enable us to get a decent set up for Sunday. It’s good fun to drive here, as it’s almost like a road circuit.”

Robert Doornbos (Car 37):

1st Practice Position: 2; Best Time: 1:28.559; Laps: 19
2nd Practice Position: 20; Best Time: 1:29.876; Laps: 32
Chassis Number: 1
 
 “I really, really enjoy this circuit, and it’s a lot of fun in a Formula One car here. This morning we started off really well. Everyone’s very positive after last year’s Australian result, and to start in the top two this morning, trading places with Anthony (Davidson) for first place, was really cool. In the afternoon, we were doing longer runs and my times were pretty consistent. That will help the guys make a judgement regarding the tyres and I wish them good luck for the weekend – I’ll be cheering them on.”

“Already this morning we felt a positive results was on the cards as I always really feel comfortable at this track and the team enjoyed a strong weekend here last year as well. Over one single lap, the car is pretty competitive and ofcourse it just feels great to be on top of the lists. After our two racestint simulations this afternoon, we also know now what choice we have to make regarding our tyres. I hope we can continue this level of performance also for tomorrow and Sunday!”