Formula One News

Ferrari drivers the fastest in Australian Grand Prix practice

Mar 16, 2007, 7:11 GMT

Melbourne - Ferrari got a leg up Friday on the first race of the Formula One season as two of its drivers, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, drove the fastest laps in the day's free practice sessions.

Brazilian Massa drove his lap at 1 minute, 27.353 seconds, 0.397 seconds faster than his Finish teammate in the second practice session of the day ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

In third in the afternoon session was Briton Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes at 0.476 seconds behind Massa's pace.

World champion Fernando Alonso was seventh at 1:28.04 in his first official practice with his new team, McClaren, after winning in Melbourne last year in a Renault.

The Spaniard, however, did better in the morning practice session, which was plagued by rain. He came in first on the 5.303-kilometre track at Albert Park in Melbourne at 1:29.214.

Massa was second, 1.493 seconds behind Alonso, and third was BMW driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany at 1:30.857.