As many teams had tested on the high-speed Monza circuit last week, most of the F1 drivers opted to stay in the garage and conserve their car�s engines during today�s first practice, meaning there wasn�t much action on the track. But, the fans didn�t miss out too much. In the afternoon, World Champion Michael Schumacher suffered a 180� spin in his Ferrari at Turn 11, went backwards through a gravel trap and came to rest when the rear of his car slammed into a tyre wall. The incident bought his second practice session to a premature end.

David Coulthard (Car 14):
1st Practice Position: 9; Best Time: 1:24.001; Laps: 4
2nd Practice Position: 19; Best Time: 1:23.506; Laps: 10
Chassis Number: 3

�There was some oversteer with the car during the second practice session, so we made some balance changes, which improved things a little. The car�s not still quite where I want it though and we�ve got some work to do tomorrow before qualifying.�

Christian Klien (Car 15):
1st Practice Position: 21; Best Time: No time; Laps: 1
2nd Practice Position: 11; Best Time: 1:22.600; Laps: 11
Chassis Number: 1

�We were testing here last week and so there wasn�t much work to do with the car set-up, balance and in getting to know the track. We just did an installation lap during the first session to check that the car was running okay. In the second practice, I did two sessions of four laps to compare the different tyres. The car had good balance during both runs, I felt pretty confident and got up to speed quickly.�

Tonio Liuzzi (Third Driver):
1st Practice Position: 10; Best Time: 1:24.166; Laps: 21
2nd Practice Position: 7; Best Time: 1:22.253; Laps: 26
Chassis Number: 5

�We struggled in the first session as it seemed like we had some sort of problem with the engine. We were 10kph slower than David on the straight, so we didn�t have the same top-speed, which is crucial in Monza as it�s such a high-speed track. We�re still looking at what the problem is but, as we had two short sessions and not much time in between, we were pushed for time.�

�Despite that, Parabolica was still amazing to drive, it�s one of the best corners of the track. It�s low downforce here, so you�re on the edge all the time, it�s like driving a boat on the waves, which is a pretty cool feeling. It�s a special circuit for me. It�s Italy and my home grand prix, so it�s great to be able to drive here.�

G�nther Steiner: �Tonio�s engine seemed to lose a bit of power during both practice sessions, we tried to rectify the problem, but didn�t want to change the engine. We�ll have to look into it and analyse the data before we can make a definite conclusion so we�ll be checking things, including a few mechanical parts.�

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

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