Vasiliauskas fastest in first Monza practice

Date published : 21 May 2010 - 11:03:00

Formula 2 news Vasiliauskas fastest in first Monza practice21 May 2010 / Results / PhotosKazim Vasiliauskas stopped the clocks quickest as the race weekend action began with first free practice at Monza on Friday. However, the Lithuanian driver - who leads the way from Mihai Marinescu and Sergey Afanasiev - spun out of the session at the Rettifilo Chicane in the last five minutes. Kaišiadorys-born Vasiliauskas lies sixth in the championship standings heading into the Italian rounds of the championship although the 19-year-old was three tenths quicker than anybody in the half-hour session on Friday morning, which ran between 9:30 and 10am local time. Outside the top three, championship leader Philipp Eng finished fourth fastest as Johan Jokinen made the top five. Jolyon Palmer was the leading British driver in sixth position, half a second off the leading pace. Fellow Briton Jack Clarke experienced a more trying time though as he, like several others, overshot a chicane. Opening practice was a particularly difficult period for Ajith Kumar as he lost control and suffered a crash halfway through the session; having run out wide on the exit of the Ascari Chicane, the car spun back across the circuit to collect the Armco barriers on the opposite side. The session's final victim was Plamen Kralev, who spun to a standstill in the final minute. The second of the two half-hour practices begins at 12 noon local time (BST +1)