Raikkonen sets storming pace

Kimi Raikkonen appeared as ominous as the dark clouds that gathered over Hockenheim at the end of the first day’s practice for the German Grand Prix.

The championship-chasing Finn came through the first two hour-long sessions without a hint of the engine problems that have damaged his title charge at the last two races.

McLaren star Raikkonen was comfortably the fastest race driver on the circuit, with only the Woking team’s tester Alexander Wurz setting a quicker time, suggesting the marque have plenty in reserve for the weekend ahead.

Raikkonen, who trails Fernando Alonso in the drivers’ standings by 26 points, will be hoping for another trouble-free morning tomorrow in the final two practice runs ahead of qualifying.

In practice at the recent French and British Grands Prix, Raikkonen suffered agonising engine problems and ultimately required a replacement, resulting in a 10-place demotion down the grid following qualifying.

Providing the car remains in one piece, there appears little to stop Raikkonen from charging to victory as he finished the day almost a second quicker than the Renault of Alonso, and with rain threatening. illustrious

Raikkonen clocked a time of one minute 14.576 seconds for the 4.574km circuit, with Alonso and team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya left trailing in his wake.

Remarkably, and suggesting just what McLaren and Raikkonen are capable of, Wurz was six tenths of a second faster than his more illustrious team-mate.

Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, a previous three-times winner of this race, has made it clear he has no chance of a fourth victory on home soil on Sunday.

It is apparent the Ferrari is still struggling for pace, with the 36-year-old down in 10th place and two seconds down on Raikkonen, with the BAR of Jenson Button a lowly 13th.

David Coulthard was left propping up the standings as the Red Bull Racing driver lost control of his car entering the final turn on the track.

The Scot proceeded to slide backwards into a cushioned tyre wall, and with the incident occurring on his first flying lap, it meant the 34-year-old failed to post a time.

Coulthard then spent the remaining 35 minutes of the session signing autographs, before being seen late on picking up the bits of rear wing that had fallen off his car onto the gravel.