Formula One
Massa sets early pace in Turkey
By DPA
May 9, 2008, 11:44 GMT

Istanbul - Felipe Massa started his bid for a third straight victory at the Turkish Formula One Grand Prix in style on Friday when the Ferrari driver edged the McLaren-Mercedes duo of Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton in the first free practice session.

However, team-mate and overall leader Kim Raikkonen completed just three laps at Istanbul Park and finished 20th.

Brazilian Massa's best lap of one minute 27.323 seconds at the 5.339-kilometre Istanbul Park circuit was just 0.133 seconds up on Kovalainen.

The Finnish driver, who was returning to the track for the first time since suffering concussion in a crash at the Spanish Grand Prix, clocked 1:27.456 with Britain's Hamilton on 1:27.752.

Renault's Fernando Alonso of Spain was fourth fastest in 1:28.284, 0.961 seconds off Massa's pace, ahead of Jenson Button of Britain in a Honda (1:28.919) and Kazuki Nakajima of Japan in a Williams (1:29.002).

BMW's Robert Kubica, who is third overall behind defending champion Raikkonen, had to make do with 12th place (1:29.330), with team-mate Nick Heidfeld of Germany seventh (1:29.024).

A second session will be held in the afternoon, before qualifying Saturday determines grid positions.

Ahead of the fifth race of the season, Raikkonen, who won in Spain two weeks ago, leads the drivers' standings on 29 points, with Hamilton on 20 and Kubica on 19.

Ferrari lead the constructors' standings with 47 points, 12 more than BMW-Sauber and 13 more than McLaren.