Portimao: Robert Doornbos Friday notes

Doornbos fastest in Algarve practice

By Andrew van de Burgt

Robert Doornbos topped the A1GP free practice times for Team Netherlands as the series ran at the Algarve circuit for the first time.

The versatile IndyCar, Superleague and A1GP racer lapped just over four seconds slower than the top Formula 1 winter test time set on the slightly shorter version of the track that is being used this weekend. The layout misses out the full track's first chicane.

Behind the Netherlands car was the impressive New Zealand teenager Earl Bamber, who was just 0.058s shy of the fastest time.

A great late effort moved Team Monaco and Clivio Piccione into third, denying series newcomer Vitantonio Liuzzi a top-three slot on his Team Italy debut.

Filipe Albuquerque was fifth fastest for Team Portugal, despite bringing out the red flags with an early spin, while championship leader Team Switzerland was sixth with Neel Jani.

Another A1 newcomer, Team Germany's Andre Lotterer, slotted in seventh, just ahead of Team France's Nicolas Prost, who had earlier topped the rookie session times.

Team Brazil was forced to miss the session after Bia Figueiredo suffered a massive shunt in the rookie session when she crashed head on into the tyres at Turn 1, in an accident similar to the one suffered by Heikki Kovalainen in last year's Spanish Grand Prix. She was fortunately unhurt in the high-speed impact.

-credit: nhlr