Kimi fastest as Bahrain sand subsides

by Kally - 2/14/2009 01:55:00 a.m.

Kimi Raikkonen topped the timesheet for Ferrari in Bahrain on Friday, as the sand storms that have caused havoc at this week’s test finally subsided and the three teams present were able to complete a full day’s running.

A combination of high winds and the desert location of Sakhir had sent clouds of sand swirling around the 3.4-mile track earlier in the week, limiting the teams’ running to just 90 minutes on Wednesday and forcing Thursday’s session to be cancelled altogether.

Although there was some early morning fog on Friday and the wind remained strong, testing went ahead without interruptions and track conditions progressively improved.

Raikkonen set the day’s best time of 1m33.350s in what was his first run in the Ferrari F60 in dry conditions, having previously tested it in the rain at Mugello.

The Finn completed 105 laps, his only minor setback being a hydraulic problem that struck shortly after 3pm and was swiftly fixed by the Ferrari mechanics.