Heidfeld's team-mate this weekend will be reserve driver, SEBASTIAN VETTEL of Germany. He is replacing recovering ROBERT KUBICA of Poland this weekend, after Kubica's spectacular crash during the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend. He suffered a mild concussion and sprained ankle. In American open-wheel racing, it is often mandatory that a driver not race again for another seven days after a concussion. While that is not a hard and fast rule in
F1, Kubica is taking the medical advice and sitting out the USGP. Vettel, 19 years old, was fourth overall in the first practice and eleventh in the second. This is his first
Formula One race, although he has had some Friday F1 practice sessions, which are open to reserve and test drivers.
BMW Sauber test driver, TIMO GLOCK, will become the reserve driver for the weekend.
American SCOTT SPEED ran as high as eleventh, then was 14th fastest for a long period, only to fall in the last few minutes to 18th - 1m 13.712s after 34 laps. He was 15th fastest in the morning session - 1m 13.990s after 24 laps. Reportedly, Speed has gained more grid positions in a race than any other F1 driver this season. His
Red Bull junior team has the old
Toyota gearbox, while the other Red Bull drivers - DAVID COULTHARD and MARK WEBBER - have a new seamless gearbox. However, the drivers aren't happy with its performance. One failed in Montreal last week and another one for Webber Friday morning in the first practice. He is discouraged. Webber finished twelfth fastest, while Coulthard was sixth fastest.
Speed said: "Unfortunately, we had several problems on the car today, with the steering wheel, with the TV monitor falling on my finger in the garage and at the end the wind speed indicator began to come loose. I also think the fact we are still waiting for our new gearbox will hurt us more at this circuit than at others. We are sliding around a lot on the infield, but I think that is the same for everyone and I don't think our balance is so far off what we want. Because of the various problems I had, I will be relying on Tonio's [team-mate TONIO LIUZZI] data to help with tyre choice. It toppled over from the vibration while the crew was changing the tyres.
