Raikkonen is fastest with late run

SHANGHAI, China -- Kimi Raikkonen was fastest in Friday's practice for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai

The Finn returned the best time in the morning session but stood at fifth for most of the second before displacing McLaren's Fernando Alonso by just 0.006 seconds. Raikkonen's team-mate Felipe Massa was third fastest, and within 0.023 seconds of the one minute, 36.607 seconds clocked by his fellow Ferrari driver.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton was fourth quickest in the other McLaren, though he was almost three-tenths-of-a-second down on Raikkonen's best time of the day. Hamilton drove while waiting on the results of an inquriy into his driving behind the safety car on his way to victory in last Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

The McLaren star was later cleared and still leads Alonso by 12 points, with Raikkonen five points further behind in the drivers' standings.

Alonso dominated the afternoon session until the last few minutes, when Raikkonen took control. Massa, whose title ambitions faded out in Japan, went off the track twice during the 90-minute session, as he had in first practice.

Hamilton also went onto the gravel at turn two after the rear of his Mercedes-powered car briefly snapped out of control, though he managed to continue