Practice 1: Sutil and Force India strike first

Mar.12 (YF1) Adrian Sutil, driving the Force India VJM03, surprised everyone with a strong performance to set the fastest time of the first Formula 1 free practice session at the Sakhir circuit in preparation for Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

Shortly after the hour Sutil put in the fastest lap of the session with a time of 1 minute 56.583 seconds.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso showed his hand early setting the second quickest time, fractionally slower than Sutil, with his team mate Felipe Massa fourth quickest.

Robert Kubica, making his debut for the Renault team, surprised the pundits with a strong showing and setting the third quickest time of the session.

The McLaren Mercedes duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were next on the timing sheets, with the reigning world champion slightly quicker than the 2008 world champion. The two spent most of the session trading fastest laps at the top of the timing screens.

Vitantonio Liuzzi was seventh quickest just over a half second slower than his Force India team mate Sutil.

Fastest of the Mercedes GP pair was Nico Rosberg who ended the session eighth quickest while his team mate, comeback champion, Michael Schumacher could only manage the tenth fastest time in the first official practice session of his much anticipated return to F1.

Mark Webber in the Red Bull split the two Silver Arrows with the ninth quickest time, while his team mate and one of the pre-season favourites  Sebastian Vettel was 13 th fastest in the car he has dubbed Luscious Liz.

Fastest of the rookies was Nico Hulkenberg in 12th in the Cosworth powered Williams, the highly touted young German also got the better of Rubens Barrichello who was almost a second slower and over two seconds down on Sutil’s best time.

Seven seconds down on the fastest lap was Timo Glock in the Lotus, quickest of the six drivers in the three new teams, but nevertheless down in 19th. Team mate Heikki Kovalainen was next up albeit a quarter of a second shy of his team mate.

Down in 21st was veteran Jarno Trulli in the new Virgin Racing VR01, while his team mate, rookie, Lucas di Grassi failed to set a timed lap.

Also not figuring on the timing sheets were the Hispania Racing duo of Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok. The rookies faced a torrid entry into the “big league” as the team is simply not ready. Nevertheless the new dallar built chassis did turn a wheel for the first time.

This report is in ther process of being updated…

Free Practice 1 best lap times