Friday May 19th, 2000
Briton Jenson Button topped the times in opening practice for Sunday's European Formula One Grand Prix with a late fastest lap on Friday afternoon.
The 20-year-old Williams driver, who had never even seen the Nurburgring circuit before arriving on Thursday, lapped in 1:19.808 to outpace second-placed Austrian Alexander Wurz in a Benetton.
World champion Mika Hakkinen of Finland, in a McLaren, was third ahead of teammate Briton David Coulthard and the Schumacher brothers Michael and Ralf, who were fifth and sixth respectively for the Ferrari and Williams teams.
It was a stunning effort by Button whose best lap came with just a minute remaining after a session run in mixed wet and dry conditions and in a strong and cold wind.
Pos Driver Team Time 1. Button Williams BMW 1:19.808 2. Wurz Benetton Playlife 1:20.248 + 0.440 3. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes 1:20.300 + 0.492 4. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes 1:20.507 + 0.699 5. M.Schumacher Ferrari 1:20.519 + 0.711 6. R.Schumacher Williams BMW 1:20.548 + 0.740 7. Trulli Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:20.609 + 0.801 8. Zonta BAR Honda 1:20.709 + 0.901 9. Heidfeld Prost Peugeot 1:20.751 + 0.943 10. Villeneuve BAR Honda 1:20.786 + 0.978 11. Gene Minardi Fondmetal 1:20.801 + 0.993 12. Diniz Sauber Petronas 1:20.850 + 1.042 13. Fisichella Benetton Playlife 1:20.862 + 1.054 14. Barrichello Ferrari 1:20.891 + 1.083 15. Frentzen Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:20.992 + 1.184 16. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth 1:21.246 + 1.438 17. Herbert Jaguar Cosworth 1:21.323 + 1.515 18. Alesi Prost Peugeot 1:21.442 + 1.634 19. Verstappen Arrows Supertec 1:21.655 + 1.847 20. de la Rosa Arrows Supertec 1:21.659 + 1.851 21. Mazzacane Minardi Fondmetal 1:22.135 + 2.327 22. Salo Sauber Petronas 1:22.161 + 2.353 All timing unofficial