Date:13/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/13/stories/2008091356351700.htm

Sport - Racing : Motor

Kimi Raikkonen runs hot on a rainy day

MONZA: Kimi Raikkonen celebrated his contract extension with Ferrari by leading Friday’s free practice for the Italian Grand Prix after thunderstorms had threatened to wash out the day’s event.

Raikkonen lapped the damp 5.793-km Monza circuit in a fastest time of 1m 23.861s to edge BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica by 0.07 seconds. The other Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld finished third with 1:23.947 while overall leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren was the only other driver to finish under 1:24.00.

After a meaningless morning practice session was wiped out by rain, the teams were able to play with set-ups ahead of Sunday’s race which is also expected to be affected by showers. Cars still wobbled and slid on the damp track even with afternoon sunshine replacing the dark morning clouds. Wet conditions on Sunday would favour Hamilton who has already won two rain-plagued races this season, not counting last weekend’s Belgian GP where a post-race driving penalty cost the 23-year-old Briton victory.

Hamilton leads Ferrari’s Felipe Massa 76-74 in the standings. Massa finished sixth in Friday’s session.

Earlier, Force India’s Adrian Sutil led the first session. The German driver’s fastest lap time of 1:32.842 seconds was nearly nine seconds slower than Raikkonen’s. — Agencies