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Sutil quick in wet Japan practice

German Formula One driver Adrian Sutil of Force India steers his car in the rain during yesterday’s second practice session in Suzuka, Japan. PHOTO: EPA

Force India’s Adrian Sutil set the fastest time in yesterday’s rain-shortened second practice session for tomorrow’s Japanese Formula One Grand Prix.

Persistent rain throughout the day made the track dangerous and with a limited number of wet-weather tires and forecasts of fine weather for tomorrow’s race, all teams stayed off the track until the closing minutes.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was second quickest to open a weekend in which he hopes to keep his slim title chances alive, while Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi was third fastest.

Championship leader Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello — his Brawn GP teammate and closest challenger for the world drivers’ championship — took no part in the second session. In the opening session, the pair were off the pace, with Barrichello ninth and Button 18th.

Button leads Barrichello by 15 points and can clinch the title here if he scores five points more than his teammate. Brawn, too, are poised to seal the constructors’ championship at this race. Red Bull must score at least seven points more than Brawn this weekend to retain a mathematical possibility of catching the leaders.

McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen also sat out the second session, having recorded the best time in the quicker opening session, which saw two to three times the number of laps recorded.

His teammate Lewis Hamilton — winner of last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix — was fourth fastest in the second session, ahead of Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima in front of his home fans, and Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi.

Renault’s Fernando Alonso and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli rounded out the top eight.

Yesterday’s practice could prove to be of little more than academic interest, as wet weather settings will likely not be required when it matters. While some morning rain is forecast ahead of today’s qualifying, dry weather was expected for tomorrow.

Toyota elected to use reserve driver Kamui Kobayashi yesterday, saying Timo Glock was ill but should recover for today’s qualifying.
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