Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen showed Ferrari’s determination not relinquish their domination in the Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix when he led the team to one-two finish at the end of the second practice at the Sepang Circuit yesterday.
The Finn, world champion in 2007, had a trouble-free run in the second session in the afternoon to post the quickest lap of 1:35.707.
His Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa posted the second fastest time of 1:35.832 to send out a chilling warning that Ferrari have regained their form after the disappointing outing in Melbourne last week.
Ferrari had their worst start to a season in more than 15 years when neither driver finished in the points in the season-opening race in Melbourne.
“We had felt that the situation here could be different to Melbourne, but it is still too early to say where we are up against the opposition,” Raikkonen said.
“What we can be sure of is that when the car runs trouble-free, we are competitive.”
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, Williams’ Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber of Red Bull followed the Ferrari pair.
Brawn drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, who finished 1-2 in last weekend’s season-opening Australian GP, were sixth and seventh on the time sheets, ahead of Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima.
However, Lewis Hamilton could only manage the 11th fastest time having been fined in the morning for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane.
Heikki Kovalainen was ninth in the other McLaren.
Second session was not without drama - Giancarlo Fisichella damaging the front wing of his car when he went into a tyre wall after running wide at turn 11.
Timo Glock somehow escaped unscathed despite having a spin on turn seven and then going across the gravel at turn six a couple of laps later.
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