Championship leader Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes registered the day’s fastest time in free practice Friday for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Ferrari dominated the first practice session in the morning on the new Fuji Speedway but Hamilton turned the tables in the afternoon, as he clocked a time of one minute 18.734 seconds for the 4.563- kilometre circuit.
Hamilton’s McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso was second fastest with a time of 1:18.948, followed by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Jarno Trulli in a Toyota. BangkokPost
The McLaren duo, who were fourth and third respectively in the morning session, were the only drivers to dip under the one minute, 19 seconds barrier on the modernised track in the foothills of Mount Fuji.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, who had been second quickest in opening practice behind team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, was third fastest in the afternoon session, but almost 0.8 seconds down on Hamilton.
Raikkonen finished fifth, with the Ferraris separated by Toyota’s Jarno Trulli on the track owned by the Japanese car giant. Heikki Kovalainen was sixth fastest for Renault. AFP
Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa dominated the first session, but Hamilton blew them out of the water in the afternoon.
He was two-tenths of a second faster than McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso, with Massa third fastest and Raikkonen fifth behind Jarno Trulli.
Hamilton currently leads Alonso by two points in the Drivers Championship with three races left in the season. BelfastTelegraph
The Ferrari pair of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa had been quickest during Friday’s first session but found themselves down the field in the second practice.
Raikkonen (1:19.714) had been over half a second quicker than the fastest McLaren in the first session, but found himself behind team-mate Massa (1:19.483) and the Toyota of Jarno Trulli (1:19.711) in fifth place.
The Renault pair of Heikki Kovalainen (1:19.789) and Giancarlo Fisichella (1:19.926) were sixth and seventh respectively after improving on their opening showing. SportBox
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