The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Massa fastest in first practice

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Sport - Racing : Motor

Massa fastest in first practice

Hamilton has a 7-point lead over Massa in the title race
80 per cent chance of rain during the race

SAO PAULO: Felipe Massa was faster than title-rival Lewis Hamilton on Friday in the first practice session for Sunday’s decisive Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver was the quickest among all drivers at the 4.3-km anti-clockwise Interlagos track with a time of 1 minute, 12.305 seconds in South America’s biggest city.

Championship leader Hamilton of McLaren finished in 1:12.495 in the 90-minute session, .190 behind Massa.

Massa’s Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who spun in turn two but was able to quickly get back on track, was third in 1:12.507 and BMW’s Robert Kubica fourth in 1:12.874.

The temperature was lower than usual for this time of the year in Sao Paulo at 17 degrees Celsius. Forecasters said it should get warmer in the rest of the weekend, but there is an 80 percent chance of rain during the race on Sunday.

Hamilton enters the Brazilian GP with a seven-point lead over favourite Massa and needs to finish fifth or better on Sunday to become F1’s youngest champion at 23. Renault’s Fernando Alonso was 24 when he won the title in 2005.

No fears

Meanwhile, Hamilton has dismissed fears that his bid to become Formula One’s youngest World champion could be wrecked by underhand tactics in Sunday’s season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

“We’re here to race, I believe every driver that’s here is a great sportsman and we’re all very competitive,” the 23-year-old McLaren driver told a news conference at the Interlagos circuit on Thursday.

Hamilton and Massa collided in Japan this month, with Hamilton failing to score points after being penalised for a wild start and then having to fight back from last position following the Massa incident.

Massa denied deliberately colliding with his rival and said at Fuji: “I have a good relationship with Lewis and would not do anything to destroy someone on purpose.”

However, F-1 has been plunged into controversy in title-deciding races in the past, notably between Michael Schumacher and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 and Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1989 and 1990.

No assistance

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, whose Honda team has been so far off the pace this season that he is unlikely to be in any position to assist his compatriot, predicted a straight fight and urged local fans to show their sense of fair play. — AP

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