Date:19/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/19/stories/2008071960802100.htm

Sport - Racing : Motor

Hamilton dominates practice sessions

HOCKENHEIM: Lewis Hamilton dominated Friday’s practice sessions for the German Grand Prix, putting McLaren on course for its first Formula One win in Germany in a decade.

Hamilton set the day’s fastest lap at 1 minute, 15.025 seconds in the dry afternoon session at the Hockenheim circuit after having already led the soggy morning session. Teammate Heikki Kovalainen trailed only Hamilton at 1:15.666.

Hamilton was nearly seven-tenths of a second quicker than Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, whose 1:15.722 mark led the afternoon session until Hamilton went around fastest with about a minute left.

Kimi Raikkonen, the defending champion, was the only other to get under the 1:16.00 mark finishing with 1:15.760 for Ferrari. Mark Webber rounded out the day’s top-five with 1:16.017 in his Red Bull. — AP