Second free practice Shanghai: France fastest, Jos 12th

Published on 31 March 2006 by Thorsten Hendriks

During the second free practice Team Netherlands set a 12th fastest time. The whole practice they were hovering between 9th and 11th. France was fastest, followed by Great Britain.

Jos Verstappen: "We have to try hard to find the right balance, which we were not able to do today. We know where to look though. Especially in the slower corners I was suffering from understeer. there was no real speed. I love the circuit. A couple of corners which are not that good, like the first one after start/finish, but there are some fast corners and long straights. This circuit has all that makes motor racing fun."

At the end of the free practice there was an absolute first. A1GP President and founder Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum, infected by the orange virus, borrowed a pair of orange A1 Team Netherlands clogs to pose with them for a photo session underneath the banner which announces that next season A1GP will start with a race on Circuit Zandvoort in The Netherlands. It is good to see that the opening race of new season gets this much attention.

A1 Team Netherlands is also known as the 'cloggies' and this time it can be taken literally as all the mechanics are wearing bright orange clogs which make a very typical sound in the paddock.

1    	FRANCE	   	1'51.972  
2    	GREAT BRITAIN	1'52.079  
3    	MEXICO	   	1'52.321  
4    	AUSTRALIA7   	1'52.355 
5    	MALAYSIA   	1'52.371 
6    	IRELAND	   	1'52.376 
7    	CANADA	   	1'52.388 
8    	CHINA	   	1'52.436 
9    	SOUTH AFRICA   	1'52.477 
10    	INDONESIA   	1'52.701 
11    	NEW ZEALAND   	1'52.703 
12    	NETHERLANDS   	1'52.858 
13    	CZECH REPUBLIC 	1'52.960 
14    	ITALY	   	1'53.052 
15    	SWITZERLAND  	1'53.066 
16    	PAKISTAN   	1'53.200 
17    	PORTUGAL   	1'53.423 
18    	USA	   	1'53.564 
19    	AUSTRIA	   	1'53.918  
20    	LEBANON	   	1'53.951  
21    	BRAZIL	   	1'54.073  
22    	GERMANY	   	1'56.172  

Thorsten Hendriks