BMW-Sauber’s Robert Kubica clocked the quickest time in a slippery final practice before Saturday’s Japanese Grand Prix qualifying.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa outpaced world championship leader Lewis Hamilton, posting the seventh fastest time with Hamilton’s McLaren 11th after running only eight laps in the wet.
Kubica recorded a fastest lap of one minute 25.087 seconds with the Fuji track drying out at the end of the one-hour session ahead of Toyota’s Timo Glock and Renault’s Nelson Piquet.
Kubica’s teammate Nick Heidfeld and Williams’ local hope Kazuki Nakajima rounded out the top five.
Massa’s teammate, reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen, languished back in 16th place after a lurid spin at the last corner with eight minutes remaining.
While the wet surface caught out many drivers, particularly at the end of the 1.4-kilometre straight where eight different cars ran off, just three men—Raikkonen, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso for Renault and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli—spun.
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