Felipe Massa headed a Ferrari 1-2 in Friday’s first practice at Sepang – but a mechanical failure for team-mate Kimi Raikkonen highlighted the Italian team’s current vulnerability.


Massa dominated the latter stages and finished more than a full second clear of Raikkonen, with the McLarens trailing in third and fifth places.

Heikki Kovalainen was marginally the faster of the Mercedes-powered drivers but neither had any answer for Ferrari’s early pace around the sinuous 3.4-mile track.

Nico Rosberg used the soft-compound Bridgestone tyres to set the fourth fastest time for Williams, vaulting up the timing charts near the end of the session after struggling with braking issues for much of the morning.

The Toro Rossos and Toyotas were the first to set timed laps, but it was McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton who set the first real benchmark with a 1m37.265s shortly after the half-hour mark.

The Ferraris soon responded, Massa breaking into the 1m36s to take over the top spot before Raikkonen raised the bar to 1m36.459s.

A few minutes later, however – having completed only eight laps – the world champion was hitching a lift on a marshal’s scooter after pulling his Ferrari off the circuit with a technical problem.

By that time the session had been red-flagged following a big accident for David Coulthard, which comprehensively destroyed the Red Bull RB4's front suspension.

The Scot ran wide across the asphalt run-off on the exit of the 160mph turn 12, but the real damage was done as he attempted to rejoin the circuit proper and was launched into the air by a lethal kerb on the inside of turn 13.

When the session resumed after a 10-minute stoppage, Massa took advantage of his team-mate’s absence to assume control.

He initially contented himself with a 1m36.283s lap before steadily upping the ante until he signed off with a stunning 1m35.392s.

Such was Ferrari’s superiority that Raikkonen remained second fastest despite missing the second half of the session.

That’s potentially an ominous sign for McLaren, although the Woking squad started in similarly low-key fashion in Australia before turning the tables on Ferrari in the afternoon.

Rest of the article here : Fragile Ferrari seizes early advantage - F1 | ITV Sport

Malaysian GP free practice session 1 times

1. MASSA Ferrari 1m35.392s
2. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m36.459s
3. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m36.556s
4. ROSBERG Williams 1m36.578s
5. HAMILTON McLaren 1m36.626s
6. ALONSO Renault 1m37.022s
7. PIQUET Renault 1m37.034s
8. KUBICA BMW 1m37.218s
9. BUTTON Honda 1m37.282s
10.TRULLI Toyota 1m37.540s