Raikkonen sets the pace

Kimi Raikkonen gave McLaren hope of a change in fortunes by setting the fastest lap in practice for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone today.

McLaren’s season so far has been a difficult one, with the British team sliding from title challengers last year to midfield strugglers this.

They have just 22 points from 10 races this season but a new car in France last week performed well and Raikkonen gave a taste of its potential today in second practice.

His lap of one minute 18.655 seconds was the quickest of the day, beating the Sauber of Giancarlo Fisichella by just 0.005secs.

Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher was over half a second slower than Raikkonen in third.

Scotsman David Coulthard backed up Raikkonen’s performance by claiming fourth while Jenson Button was fifth in his BAR, with both Britons within a second of the fastest time.

Rubens Barrichello clocked a late lap to take sixth with stand-in Williams driver Marc Gene seventh.