Ferrari set the pace in first Monza practice

MONZA, Italy, Sep 7 (Reuters) Kimi Raikkonen led Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa in a one-two at the top of the timesheets in first practice for the team's home Italian Grand Prix today.

The Finn, preparing for his first race in Italy as a Ferrari driver after replacing now-retired seven-times champion Michael Schumacher, lapped the oldest and fastest circuit on the calendar in one minute, 22.446 seconds.

Massa was 0.144 seconds slower, with the Brazilian followed in close succession by his McLaren rivals.

Briton Lewis Hamilton, five points clear of double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso at the top of the standings, was third and 0.172 off Raikkonen's pace with the Spaniard fourth after an early spin.

Massa, who led Raikkonen in a one-two in Turkey two weeks ago to revive his title hopes, is 10 points adrift of Alonso with five races remaining. Raikkonen is fourth and a point further back.

Williams's Nico Rosberg raised the Toyota-powered team's hopes with the fifth best lap, ahead of Briton Jenson Button's Honda on a bright morning at Monza.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, hoping for a new contract with outgoing champions Renault, was seventh quickest ahead of the BMW Saubers of Poland's Robert Kubica and Germany's Nick Heidfeld.

Kubica finished third last year in a race won by Schumacher, with Raikkonen second for McLaren, and BMW are hoping to close the performance gap on the leaders this weekend.

REUTERS SSC KN1905