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FUJI, Japan: Toyota's Timo Glock stole the limelight from championship leader Lewis Hamilton on Friday with the quickest time in free practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who takes a seven-point lead over rival Felipe Massa into the weekend with only three races left, was third fastest overall behind Renault's Fernando Alonso, with Ferrari's Massa fourth.
Formula One 2008
Glock delighted Toyota's flag-waving fans at the Japanese manufacturer's Fuji Speedway circuit, the German clocking a best lap of one minute 18.383 seconds in the afternoon session.
Alonso, the surprise winner in Singapore two weeks ago, had a fastest lap of 1:18.426 while McLaren's Hamilton, quickest in the morning sunshine, timed 1:18.463 under cloudy skies in the afternoon.
Massa, who finished 13th and out of the points in Singapore following a bungled pitstop, recorded a best time of 1:18.491 over the picturesque 4.563km layout.
The Brazilian's Ferrari teammate, reigning Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen, was fifth fastest.
The Finn, 27 points adrift of Hamilton and only mathematically still alive in the drivers' championship, has failed to score a point in his last four races.
Two-times world champion Alonso, yet to decide if he will stay with Renault in 2009, again showed good speed and was fifth fastest in the morning before dazzling in the second session.
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Hamilton, who finished third in the Singapore night race, won last year's wet Fuji race only to allow Raikkonen to claw back a 17 point deficit in the final two races in China and Brazil and win by a single point.
BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica, 20 points behind Hamilton and needing a bizarre turn of events to win the title, was 11th fastest.
Hamilton can become Formula One's youngest world champion at 23, while Massa needs a slice of luck to become the first Brazilian to take the title since the late Ayrton Senna in 1991.
Rain is threatened for Saturday's qualifying, although dry conditions are forecast for race day.
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