Hakkinen takes early advantage

(30-Oct-98) - Practice began under cloudless skies with an ambient
temperature of 20 rising to 21 degrees and a track temperature starting at
28 and rising to 34 degrees. However, the track was generally judged to be
fairly dirty. As ever, there was a good crowd in the grandstands - there
has been for the last two days, even though nothing has been happening!

Although Shinji Nakano did as many as 20 laps, Michael Schumacher, for
instance, only did five, for no other reason than, as usual, he was late
out onto the circuit. While Luca di Montezemolo is noticeable for being in
the Ferrari pit, notable by their absence are both Bernie Ecclestone and
Frank Williams, the latter suffering a foot problem.

Mika Hakkinen took control of the session just after half distance with a
succession of quick laps, culminating in 1m 40.693s, which is 4.6s slower
than last year's pole. He did 11 laps, but second to him, just 0.074s
slower in half the number of laps was Michael Schumacher, followed by
Irvine, Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher and Coulthard.

Jacques Villeneuve suffered a puncture early in the session, while late in
the session there were several basically non-damaging incidents: Tuero slid
off at the chicane while Coulthard went off at the corner before Degner.
Fisichella then had a spin in the first part of the Esses and then Diniz
went off into the dirt on the outside of the second part of the first
corner. All cars continued.

--- Msged/386 4.20 beta 4