Raikkonen hits early problem for McLaren

Kimi Raikkonen re-lived past nightmares yesterday when a suspected electrical problem halted his McLaren on the first day of practice for the new Formula One season.

The 2005 world championship runner-up, dogged by engine failure in the past, slowed and stopped at turn four of Bahrain's desert Sakhir circuit during the afternoon's second hour-long session.

The Finn helped marshals push the stricken car off the track before getting a ride back to the garages on a motorcycle.

Raikkonen had been the fastest race driver in a soporific first session, with Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso and other race favourites making only fleeting appearances.

The afternoon was busier.

All 22 drivers lapped and Briton Anthony Davidson, Honda's test and reserve driver, was quickest with a lap of 1:31.353 after being sidelined in the morning with a gearbox problem.

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher emerged as the fastest race driver, 0.398 seconds off the pace in a boost for the former champion after a dismal 2005 season.

His new Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa was fourth.

Alonso, the youngest champion in Formula One history at the age of 24, did no timed laps in the morning but was fifth quickest in the afternoon.

Italian Jarno Trulli, in a Toyota, parked up during the afternoon session.

With a new three-part qualifying format forcing drivers to do more mileage on Saturday, while engines must still last for two successive races, the big names had no incentive to spend much time on track.

Tomorrow's race in Bahrain and steamy Malaysia the following weekend are two of the hottest and most demanding on engines.

Austrian Alexander Wurz, now the Williams test and reserve driver after years at McLaren, was first out of the pitlane at the start of the day but BMW Sauber's Polish reserve, Robert Kubica, was quickest in 1:32.170.

Newcomers

While the top teams stayed away, newcomers enjoyed their moment in the sunshine.

Japan's Super Aguri, the 11th team on the grid after winning late approval to compete, made a first appearance with Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide.

Ide, whose only Formula One experience before arriving in Bahrain amounted to 44 laps of the Barcelona circuit in a car derived from a four-year-old Arrows chassis, was the slowest as expected.

The day also saw the debut at a grand prix weekend of the new Midland and Scuderia Toro Rosso teams that have replaced Jordan and Minardi respectively.

For the first time since 2002, there will be 11 teams jostling for position on the grid with a return to tyre pitstops during the race.

Previous races In Bahrain

(in 2005 and 2004 the race was the third round of the season)

2005 (Alonso, Renault). Fernando Alonso started on pole and won his second race in a row and Renault's third. Michael Schumacher retired with hydraulic failure after struggling Ferrari took a gamble and rushed their new car into service two races ahead of schedule. Trulli was second for Toyota with Raikkonen following for McLaren's first podium of the season. Pedro de la Rosa stood in for McLaren's injured Juan Pablo Montoya and was fifth.

2004 (Schumacher, Ferrari). Michael Schumacher started on pole for the third race in a row and won for the third time in a row as well, with Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello following in second place. McLaren had a miserable weekend with both cars retiring.

Race lap record: Michael Schumacher, 1:30.252 (2004).