Massa on track for more Turkish delight

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

In fact, the top 15 in the final hour-long practice session around the Otodrom set 25 miles away from the heart of the Imperial City were all quicker than Friday's best lap from Heikki Kovalainen.

Ironically, it was the Finn in his McLaren who completed that top 15 with a time 0.755 seconds slower than Massa.

The 27-year-old loves this track as he has won the last three races from pole to put him in with a chance of joining an exclusive club. Only four F1 legends in Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher have won four successive races at the same venue.

Yet Saturday afternoon's qualifying session threatens to be one of the most hotly contested of the season given the close nature of the competition.

The Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, after their wretched weekend in Monaco a fortnight ago when they qualified at the back of the grid, were in very close attendance.

Veteran Trulli finished within 0.039secs of Massa, with Glock just 0.111secs adrift, followed by Williams' Kazuki Nakajima, who has so far performed superbly in all three practice sessions.

BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica is also threatening to score his first points of an abysmal season to date as the Pole was fifth overall.

After conceding to a tough day on Friday, Brawn GP's championship-chasing duo of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button rediscovered the pace that has made them the class act of the field. The Brazilian and title-leading Briton were separated by 0.028secs, with both just under four tenths of a second behind Massa.

Williams' Nico Rosberg, Kimi Raikkonen in his Ferrari and the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel completed the top 10, all within half a second of Massa. World champion Lewis Hamilton was down in 12th, yet only 0.580secs adrift.