Davidson lifts gloom as Honda go up a gear

ANTHONY DAVIDSON lifted the gloom at Honda by setting the fastest lap in both practice sessions for the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

A year after tyre safety worries forced 14 cars to pull out before the race start, Formula One cars once again roared around the Brickyard, with test driver Davidson setting the pace.

Honda have been blighted by poor form and a backroom reshuffle in recent weeks but the Englishman’s form yesterday finally gave them reason for hope.

Davidson marginally improved his first-practice time with a lap of one minute 12.013 seconds to edge out BMW-Sauber counterpart Robert Kubica, who ran across the grass earlier in the session.

Giancarlo Fisichella gave an indication of Renault’s ominous pace by going third, while world champion team-mate Fernando Alonso was ninth after running wide across the grass.

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was fourth with team-mate Michael Schumacher sixth, sandwiching Midland tester Giorgio Mondini.

Jenson Button’s hope of a return to the points remains on course after his eighth place for Honda but Red Bull’s David Coulthard was less successful, ending up 25th.

Ralf Schumacher finished 27th after completing his first laps at Indianapolis since a heavy accident last year confined him to hospital.

The Toyota driver was ordered not to race last season after slamming into the concrete wall at the final turn, a reminder of an even heavier shunt he suffered there in 2004.

Franck Montagny did his claims for an extended race deal at Super Aguri little good with an early spin.

The Frenchman has been a temporary replacement for Yuji Ide but looks likely to lose his race seat to Sakon Yamamoto before the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours in two weeks.

Yamamoto himself had a brief off in first practice, when Davidson again set the pace for Honda.

The Englishman’s time of 1min 12.083secs was the best of the one-hour session but few drivers spent long on track, many preferring to watch Germany take on Argentina in the quarter-finals.

Indianapolis chief Tony George met with Bernie Ecclestone yesterday but will wait to discuss the future of Formula One in the United States.

George’s deal with Ecclestone to host the United States Grand Prix expires this year and, after the six-car parade in 2005, he is likely to drive a hard bargain.

Formula One commercial rights holder Ecclestone arrived in Indiana yesterday but talks over the race’s future are on hold until after this weekend.

Practice times: 1, Anthony Davidson (GB) Honda 1:12.083; 2, Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1:12.458; 3, Robert Kubica* (Pol) BMW Sauber 1:13.008; 4, Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda 1:13.090; 5, Jenson Button (GB) Honda 1:13.189; 6, Neel Jani (Swi) Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1:13.710; 7, Giorgio Mondini (Ita) MF1-Toyota 1:14.654; 8, Alexander Wurz (Aut) Williams-Cosworth 1:14.745; 9, Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1:14.791; 10, Robert Doornbos (Ned) RedBull-Ferrari 1:15.018; 11, Tiago Monteiro (Por) MF1-Toyota 1:15.091; 12, Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1:15.532; 13, Christijan Albers (Ned) MF1-Toyota 1:15.647; 14, Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda 1:15.971; 15, Sakon Yamamoto (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda 1:16.116; 16, Franck Montagny (Fra) Super Aguri-Honda 1:16.489; 17, Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota no time; 18, Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota no time