Sport

Alonso pips Hamilton in final practice

SAO PAULO: Fernando Alonso was fastest in the final practice session before qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday, edging championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso clocked 1 minute, 12.141 seconds in his Renault at the 4.3-km Interlagos track, .071s ahead of Hamilton.

Hamilton’s McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen was third with a time of 1:12.225, and home-crowd favourite Felipe Massa of Ferrari, trailing Hamilton by seven points in the title race, was fourth with 1:12.312.

Alonso, who won both his drivers’ title at Interlagos in 2005 and 2006, had already been the fastest in the first day of practices on Friday, clocking 1:12.296.

Hamilton led most of the session on Saturday before Alonso posted his quick lap in the final seconds. Hamilton arrives at the decisive Brazilian GP with a chance to become F-1’s youngest champion. He needs to finish fifth or better on Sunday to clinch the title.

Nearly 70,000 fans were expected to pack Interlagos on Sunday to try to see the first Brazilian to win an F-1 title since Ayrton Senna in 1991.

Several banners posted by fans around the track had messages supporting Massa and wishing bad luck to Hamilton. One of them read, in English, “Hamilton: The lake’s curve waits for you,” referring to a turn at the Interlagos track just in front of a small lake.

The only other driver with multiple pole positions this year is Massa’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen, with two. Hamilton won from the pole three times this season, while Massa only once.

Warm weather was expected for Sunday, and rain showers during the decisive race also were a possibility. —AP

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