Raikkonen leads McLarens in Spa practice

BELGIUM: Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen set the pace ahead of McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in Friday's first practice ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.   

After Thursday's courtroom drama in Paris it was back to the track for Formula One with Raikkonen topping the times at the race which is making its return after being dropped last season due to poor facilities.   

Despite their team being heavily punished after being found guilty of spying on rivals Ferrari, Hamilton and Alonso are free to race in Spa this weekend and for the remainder of the season.    

McLaren have been removed from the 2007 season constructors' championship race also means that there is no reason Alonso and Hamilton cannot fight directly against each other for the drivers' title.   

This should lead to a thrilling conclusion to the season with British rookie Hamilton, second quickest on Friday morning, currently leading Spaniard Alonso, who was third quickest, by three points.   

But it was their closest rival Raikkonen, who looked most impressive, setting a rapid one-lap pace time of 1:47.339 over half a second faster than anyone else.  

 It was not such a happy morning for Raikkonen's teammate Felipe Massa. The Brazilian slid into the gravel on his first, and only, attempt at a timed lap.   

Massa has been plagued by a series of technical problems this season, most recently in Monza last week when he was forced to retire with a damper problem, and this appeared to be another.   

As is often the case in practice sessions the Dutch Spyker team was the first to take to the track, their highly rated German driver Adrian Sutil consistently outpacing his Japanese teammate Sakon Yamamoto.    

Spyker has recently introduced an improved 'b-spec' car but they remain amongst the slowest teams on the grid and they suffered a predictably quick slide down to the bottom of the timesheet.   

Aside from McLaren and Ferrari, others to enjoy a strong session included the BMW pair Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica, fourth and sixth quickest respectively, and Nico Rosberg who was fifth fastest in a Williams.