Hamilton fastest in testing
Saturday, March 31, 2007
ROOKIE Englishman Lewis Hamilton drove the fastest lap last Thursday in wet conditions on the third day of testing for the Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who struggled Wednesday on the wide Sepang circuit, completed 57 laps, setting the best time of 1:35.918 towards the end of the cloudy afternoon session.
The 22-year-old, who finished third in his debut race this month, blew the engine of his Mercedes-powered McLaren in the morning session before upstaging more experienced rivals including Ferrari's Felipe Massa, Honda's Jenson Button and Toyota's Ralf Schumacher in the afternoon.
However, Hamilton was seven-tenths of a second off the pace recorded Wednesday by Kimi Raikkonen in his Ferrari.
Hamilton played out his dreams to finish behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and team-mate Fernando Alonso in his first Formula One drive at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
It was the best debut by an Englishman since Mike Parkes at the 1966 French Grand Prix.
Coupled with Alonso's second place, Hamilton helped McLaren, without a constructors' title since 1998, to lead Ferrari by one point as the 17-race season got underway.
Second Ferrari driver Massa, who tested his F1 car for the first time here, was only fifth fastest but said he was satisfied with his performance.
Ralf Schumacher set the third best time for Toyota in 1:36.700, while Tonio Liuzzi clocked an impressive fourth for Scuderia Toro Rosso.
The Malaysian Grand Prix is on April 8 and the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 15. AFP
Hamilton, who struggled Wednesday on the wide Sepang circuit, completed 57 laps, setting the best time of 1:35.918 towards the end of the cloudy afternoon session.
The 22-year-old, who finished third in his debut race this month, blew the engine of his Mercedes-powered McLaren in the morning session before upstaging more experienced rivals including Ferrari's Felipe Massa, Honda's Jenson Button and Toyota's Ralf Schumacher in the afternoon.
However, Hamilton was seven-tenths of a second off the pace recorded Wednesday by Kimi Raikkonen in his Ferrari.
Hamilton played out his dreams to finish behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and team-mate Fernando Alonso in his first Formula One drive at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
It was the best debut by an Englishman since Mike Parkes at the 1966 French Grand Prix.
Coupled with Alonso's second place, Hamilton helped McLaren, without a constructors' title since 1998, to lead Ferrari by one point as the 17-race season got underway.
Second Ferrari driver Massa, who tested his F1 car for the first time here, was only fifth fastest but said he was satisfied with his performance.
Ralf Schumacher set the third best time for Toyota in 1:36.700, while Tonio Liuzzi clocked an impressive fourth for Scuderia Toro Rosso.
The Malaysian Grand Prix is on April 8 and the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 15. AFP
Business Besides Oil
