Hamilton fastest at the Nuerburgring

NUERBURGRING, Germany, July 20 (Reuters) McLaren's Lewis Hamilton showed no signs of being slowed by a weekend bout of flu when he set the pace in today's free practice for the European Grand Prix.

The 22-year-old championship leader, 12 points clear of double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso after nine races, led the first session with a lap of one minute 32.515 seconds.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, chasing his third win in a row on Sunday, was 0.236 seconds slower. The positions were reversed in the afternoon, with Raikkonen lapping in 1:33.339 ahead of Hamilton in 1:33.478.

Alonso was third in the morning and fourth in the afternoon, when Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa went faster than the Spaniard on a drying track after midday rain.

McLaren lead Ferrari by 25 points in the constructors' standings.

The times left no doubt that Sunday's race, a home grand prix for McLaren's engine partners Mercedes, would be another battle between the two teams who have won everything so far this season.

Hamilton was clearly on the mend after a feverish weekend following his home British Grand Prix.

''I am a bit under weather and I've been ill since Sunday,'' he had said on Thursday. ''But it's much better than it was at the weekend when I had a vicious throat, chesty cough and a bad cold.'' The British rookie, whose debut season has produced a string of extraordinary results, can become only the third driver to notch up 10 podium finishes in a row on Sunday.

Germany's Markus Winkelhock struggled in his first weekend as a full Formula One race driver and was slowest in both sessions for Ferrari-powered Spyker.

Winkelhock, son of late Formula One driver Manfred, is taking over from Christijan Albers for Sunday's race after the team ended the Dutchman's contract over non-payment of sponsorship money.

Reuters BJR GC1936