Practice One - Hamilton sets the early pace in Japan

Lewis Hamilton led the field after Friday morning’s first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, and only 1.995 seconds covered the first 19 cars.

The Englishman lapped his McLaren in 1m 18.910s to head title rival Felipe Massa by 0.153s. The Brazilian lapped his Ferrari in 1m 19.063s to lead McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen (1m 19.279s), Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen (1m 19.399s) and the Renaults of Fernando Alonso (1m 19.473s) and Nelson Piquet (1m 19.743s).

The next 13 cars all lapped in the 1m 20s bracket, led by Sebastian Vettel’s Toro Rosso. The Italian Grand Prix winner recorded 1m 20.121s, chased by BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica (1m 20.160s), Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Bourdais (1m 20.182s), Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima (1m 20.217s), Force India’s Adrian Sutil (1m 20.288s), Williams’ Nico Rosberg (1m 20.350s), Red Bull’s Mark Webber (1m 20.620s), BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld (1m 20.628s), Toyota’s Jarno Trulli (1m 20.657s), Honda’s Rubens Barrichello (1m 20.753s) and Jenson Button (1m 20.769s), Toyota’s Timo Glock (1m 20.823s) and Red Bull’s David Coulthard (1m 20.905s).

Left out of the group was Giancarlo Fisichella, at the back in his Force India in 1m 21.014s.

The hour and a half-long session took place in warm sun and totally dry conditions, but nevertheless saw many drivers running off-road as they pushed the limit. Hamilton, Raikkonen, Massa, Sutil, Glock, Piquet, Heidfeld and Bourdais all had moments, but Heidfeld was the only one to spin.

Practice Two - Glock and Alonso overshadow title rivals

Timo Glock stole the limelight for Toyota in Friday afternoon’s second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix. Glock, with a fresh V8 after opting to take his 'joker' engine change, lapped the Fuji Speedway in 1m 18.383s to head Singapore winner Fernando Alonso on 1m 18.426s for Renault.

Their pace relegated title rivals Lewis Hamilton (1m 18.463s) and Felipe Massa (1m 18.491s) to third and fourth for McLaren and Ferrari respectively, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen (1m 18.725s) in the second F2008, Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima (1m 18.734s apiece).

Monza winner Sebastian Vettel was eighth for Toro Rosso (1m 18.761s), followed by McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen (1m 18.803s), Toyota’s Jarno Trulli (1m 18.863s), BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica (1m 18.865s), Renault’s Nelson Piquet (1m 18.888s) and Williams’ Nico Rosberg (1m 18.981s).

You can’t say that the times in F1 are not extremely close right now.

It was a similar story behind the top 13. Sebastien Bourdais lapped his Toro Rosso in 1m 19.040s, chased by Honda’s Rubens Barrichello (1m 19.258s), Force India’s Adrian Sutil (1m 19.287s), Red Bull’s David Coulthard (1m 19.327s), Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella (1m 19.482s), BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld (1m 19.894s) and Honda’s Jenson Button (1m 19.999s).

This time only 1.616 seconds covered the whole 20-car field, as most of the front runners focused on distance running as they made their tyre comparisons.

Once again, there were several minor incidents, as Webber, Bourdais, Vettel, Glock, Alonso, Fisichella and Barrichello all ventured briefly off course.