INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, 18 June 2005 — Juan Pablo Montoya, still smarting from a disqualification in the Canadian Grand Prix, set the early pace in opening practice for the US Grand Prix here yesterday.
The Colombian posted a time of 1min 12.027sec, .058sec ahead of Toyota test driver Ricardo Zonta of Brazil.
Montoya has struggled since joining McLaren this season from Williams, having won his last race for his former team in Brazil.
He missed two races in Bahrain and San Marino after injuring his shoulder in a sporting accident and has yet to find his form since.
However, Montoya is on familiar ground at Indy, where he captured the Indianapolis 500 in 2000.
His McLaren-Mercedes teammate Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, who won the Canadian Grand Prix last Sunday, failed to post a time after a spin.
Raikkonen’s victory in Montreal saw him narrow the gap on world championship leader Fernando Alonso of Spain, who now owns a 22-point lead, while Alonso’s Renault team hold a 76-63 lead over McLaren atop the constructors’ championship.
Alonso, who crashed out in Canada, showed he was ready to defend his points lead at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he posted the third-fastest time in the first practice session of 1:12.666.
Germany Nick Heidfeld piloted his Williams-BMW to the fourth-quickest time of the morning 1:12.804.
He was followed by Briton Jenson Button, who started from pole in Canada for BAR-Honda but crashed out of a potential podium place.
McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa of Spain was sixth-fastest, followed by Japan’s Takuma Sato in a BAR-Honda, Italy’s Giancarlo Fisichella in a Renault and Australian Mark Webber in a Williams-BMW.
World champion Michael Schumacher of Germany rounded out the top 10, with Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil right behind him.
