Both Ferraris have topped the timing sheets at Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps circuit, set in the Ardennes Forest. It was Felipe Massa who got the upper-hand and led his team mate Kimi Raikkonen for most of the session. Sliding in to third and fourth were both McLarens, Lewis Hamilton edging out Heikki Kovalainen, but lapping some 0.6s off Massa’s pace. Of the top four, it was Hamilton who made the most noticeable error, taking to the gravel at Les Combes as well as losing time at La Source on what was meant to be an improved lap.

Renault powered Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber (in the Renault and Red Bull respectively) were the top four’s closest challengers, Alonso taking fifth and Webber sixth. Just behind the Australian were both Scuderia Toro Rossos, with Sebastien Bourdais ahead of his team mate Sebastian Vettel. Although both Rossos are showing good pace at the moment, Vettel had some sideways moments and Bourdais’s car ground to a halt at the end of the 90-minute session after the teams had practiced some starts.

BMW are once again holding their cards closely and both drivers finished just outside the top-ten. However, as with most grand prix weekends this season, they will likely improve this afternoon and tomorrow. Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil displaced the Williams of Kazuki Nakajima and all three lapped the challenging circuit quicker than the Hondas. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello rest in nineteenth and twentieth.

Belgium 2008: Friday Free Practice One