Sato, Honda Leads Limited Runnng In Wet Detroit P1

Less than a dozen drivers ventured out for the opening practice session at Detroit this afternoon, as most waited until the rain slowed to a drizzle in the last 30 minutes before posting a time.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan's Takuma Sato used his Honda-powered No. 15 car to turn a lap of 1:28.4 seconds around the 14-turn, 2.1-mile street circuit, leading KV Racing's Rubens Barrichello.

Barrichello followed Sato with a 1:28.8-second lap in his Chevy-powered machine, and Justin Wilson made it three former F1 drivers at the top of the charts with a lap of 1:29.5 seconds, which he set before crashing nose-first after aquaplaning.

"I wish we had a dry practice session," said Sato. "At least I enjoy the wet conditions and it’s challenging. I like it."

Wilson did damage to the nose of his No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing, but the most recent winner at Belle Isle (in 2008) will be back on track when the second practice session gets under way later this afternoon.

"I just locked the right front going into Turn 7 and went straight into the wall," he said. "I didn't think I was that close to the limit, but obviously I was…"

Rank, Driver, Diff., Best Lap
1 Takuma Sato 0 1:28.4739
2 Rubens Barrichello 0.3692 1:28.8431
3 Justin Wilson 1.1015 1:29.5754
4 James Hinchcliffe 1.1490 1:29.6229
5 Simona de Silvestro 2.4706 1:30.9445
6 Simon Pagenaud 3.0116 1:31.4855
7 Sebastien Bourdais 4.0905 1:32.5644
8 Charlie Kimball 9.0141 1:37.4880
9 Josef Newgarden 12.7271 1:41.2010