The Formula One regulars were also joined by Citroen’s world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, taking part in a full test session for the first time after winning his fifth title in succession.

The Frenchman, appearing for Red Bull who also sponsor his rally team, was a highly impressive eighth fastest and ahead of Renault’s regular Formula One race driver Nelson Piquet and Force India’s Adrian Sutil.

Brazilian Bruno Senna, nephew of the late triple world champion Ayrton, made his test debut for Honda in a new-look Formula One at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday.

With cars running on slick tyres and using very different-looking rear wings in preparation for next year’s rule changes, teams began their first official test since the championship ended in Brazil on Nov. 2.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, the 23-year-old Briton who became Formula One’s youngest champion at Interlagos, was absent as the attention turned to those hoping to join him on the starting grid next season.

Senna, the 25-year-old who finished runner-up in the GP2 support series this year, completed 39 laps and was only 15th fastest of the 17 drivers in action on a cold but dry day.

Japan’s Takuma Sato, who last raced for now-defunct Honda-backed Super Aguri at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona last April, did his comeback hopes no harm by topping the timesheets for Toro Rosso in an unofficial one minute 20.763 seconds.

Switzerland’s Sebastien Buemi, the Red Bull test driver who is also hoping to fill the Toro Rosso seat vacated by Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, was second fastest for the Ferrari-powered team in 1:21.071 with Honda test driver Alexander Wurz third.

Sato’s time was a second quicker than Kimi Raikkonen’s pole position of 1:21.813 at this year’s Spanish Grand Prix, and only marginally slower than the quickest practice lap for that race, but Toro Rosso played down the significance.

“Testing times are always hard to evaluate, but today there was probably a bigger discrepancy between the car configurations used by the teams,” the team said in a post-session report.

“For our part, the only concession to the new 2009 aerodynamic rules was to run with less downforce.”

McLaren had Spanish test driver Pedro de la Rosa and Britain’s Gary Paffett in action while champions Ferrari, running an engine and gearbox reliability programme, were present with testers Luca Badoer and Spaniard Marc Gene.

Piquet was joined at Renault by 23-year-old Dutchman Giedo van der Garde, earning a test for winning this year’s World Series by Renault title.

Thousands of racist messages have been left on a Spanish Web site targeting Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton is preparing for his title showdown with Felipe Massa at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton is preparing for his title showdown with Felipe Massa at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

Other entries contained obscenities and called for Hamilton to die in his car.

It is the not first time Spanish fans have targeted the Englishman with racist taunts.

During a test at Barcelona earlier in the year some local fans, upset about Hamilton’s relationship at McLaren with Spanish hero Fernando Alonso during the 2007 season, expressed their anger in ugly scenes.

The hate campaign against him has re-emerged on a voodoo-style Web site, with a title which translates as “burst Hamilton’s tires.”

Visitors are asked to place images of pins, nails and porcupines on the Interlagos circuit to prevent F1’s first black competitor from finishing the race.

The Web site was launched during last year’s supposed fall-out between Hamilton and Alonso, but new messages have been added in recent days as the 23-year-old looks to steal Alonso’s record as F1’s youngest champion.

Hamilton and Felipe Massa are battling to become this season’s world champion at the final race in Brazil on Sunday.

The FIA, motorsport’s governing body, had launched an anti-racism initiative on the back of the scenes in Barcelona in February.

An FIA spokesman said: “The FIA’s position is very clear: discrimination and prejudice have no place in sport and society. Everybody in our sport will join us in condemning these abusive, hateful comments.”

Michael Schumacher believes his record of seven world titles can be beaten - and that Lewis Hamilton could do it.

Hamilton could clinch his first title in Brazil on Sunday - the McLaren driver has a seven-point lead over rival Felipe Massa of Ferrari. Schumacher told the BBC’s Inside Sport programme: “I would say, absolutely, yes [Hamilton could win seven titles]. “Nobody thought, even me, that I could beat [Juan Manuel] Fangio. Then I did. Records are there to be beaten”. The 39-year-old said losing the record would not bother him. “I’m quite relaxed that one day it will happen - whether it’s Lewis, whether it’s Massa, or whoever. “It might be someone of the current or of the future that could or will do it. But I’ve got no problem about it.” Schumacher said he rated Hamilton “really highly” but was reluctant to say whether he thought he was the best active driver in F1.

Despite a dismal economic outlook for U.S. automakers, the Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday extended its support of Roush Fenway Racing’s NASCAR program.

The extension, believed to be a five-year deal, comes a day after billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s investment firm sold part of its stake in Ford, prompting other investors to follow.

Ford, the No. 2 automaker in the United States, has shuttered plants and downsized its work force in an attempt to return to profitability as high gas prices and a slumping economy have taken their toll on automotive industry.

“Everybody knows that the auto industry in this country is facing some difficult times, but the loyalty and commitment Jack (Roush) and his entire organization have shown us throughout these past few months has been inspiring,” said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford Racing Technology. “We’re grateful to have long-term relationships like this and look forward to continued success winning races and championships together.”

On Oct. 10, Ford shares hit $1.88, marking their lowest level since April 19, 1983, according to the Center for Research in Security Prices at the University of Chicago.

Despite the troubles, Ford remains committed to a NASCAR relationship that has tallied 589 Cup wins dating back Jimmy Florian’s 1950 victory at Dayton Speedway. Ford has been involved in racing since Henry Ford won his first and only race Oct. 10, 1901 and used the notoriety from that event to attract financial investors to help establish Ford Motor Co. in 1903.

“The main reason that we are involved in NASCAR is to use it as a marketing platform to help us sell cars and trucks,” Wolfe said. “That’s the key to our continued involvement. But make no mistake, the plan to achieve that kind of return requires us to beat Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota on the race track.”

Roush has been Ford’s most successful partner, winning 110 races and back-to-back Cup championships with Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch in 2003 and 2004.

Roush also has 95 Nationwide Series wins and championships with Greg Biffle (2002) and Carl Edwards (2007), and a series-best 49 wins in the Truck Series, including a series title in 2000 with Biffle.

“It’s great to see Ford’s continued commitment to not just Roush Fenway, but the great sport of racing,” said Roush, whose first job out of college was as a Ford engineer in 1964.

An upbeat Felipe Massa is not prepared to throw in the towel on his Formula One title bid despite going to his home race as a clear underdog.

Felipe Massa is determined to deny Lewis Hamilton a first F1 championship.

Felipe Massa is determined to deny Lewis Hamilton a first F1 championship.

After a little help from Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, Massa finished second at the Chinese Grand Prix to trail race winner Lewis Hamilton by seven points ahead of the season-closer in Brazil on November 2.

But Massa has finished first and second at the last two races at Interlagos and he remains confident of causing an upset.

“I’m very optimistic, for sure, and we need to be — everybody in the team,” said the buoyant Brazilian. Read more about F1 at The Circuit.

“Always when you play at home you usually play better. I have had very good experiences in Brazil for the last two years, so hopefully we can repeat that and have a great experience again.

“For sure we are in a difficult position but we know many things can happen in one race. Until it is finished, we know that in sport many things can happen. We just need to concentrate on our job and try to win the race.”

A year ago Hamilton held a seven-point lead over Raikkonen with one round to go, only to suffer a troubled race that cost him the title in his rookie season.

World champion Valentino Rossi claimed his ninth success of the season at the Malaysian MotoGP on Sunday, edging past Dani Pedrosa to secure victory.

Rossi continues to be dominant this season, winning his ninth MotoGP race of 2008 in Malaysia.

Rossi continues to be dominant this season, winning his ninth MotoGP race of 2008 in Malaysia.

Rossi started from second on the grid on his Yamaha and stuck close to Spaniard Pedrosa, who rode his Honda from pole position.

The Italian rider took the lead on lap 10 before cruising to a comfortable victory in steaming hot track conditions in 43 minutes, 6.007 seconds.

Rossi extended his streak to eight consecutive podium finishes, with a shot at one more during next weekend’s season finale in Valencia.

The 29-year-old attributed his fifth win in Sepang to a combination of good strategy and teamwork. “It was a very tough and long race. After five to six laps I started to feel the heat. I am very happy I won. We worked very hard for this victory,” he said.

Nearing the end of his maiden MotoGP season, Andrea Dovizioso of Italy came in third after a close battle with American Nicky Hayden.

Rossi tops the standings after 17 races with an unassailable 357 points. Casey Stoner stands on 255 points in second place with Pedrosa third on 229 points.

Earlier, Alvaro Bautista won the 250cc race, but a third place finish for fellow- Italian Marco Simoncelli ensured that the latter emerged victorious in the season-long battle for the tile.

Meanwhile, last year’s 125cc world champion Gabor Talmacsi of Hungary defended his Malaysian GP title, breaking away from a string of rivals who sought to chase him down as he stepped up his quest for the runner-up slot in the 2008 standings.

Guyana News Today-Lewis Hamilton has refuted allegations of arrogance as the pressure grows on the championship leader heading into the penultimate race of the 2008 Formula One season this weekend.

World F1 title leader Hamilton says he is only human and that every now and then people make mistakes.

World F1 title leader Hamilton says he is only human and that every now and then people make mistakes.

Hamilton leads Ferrari’s Felipe Massa by five points going into the Chinese Grand Prix, yet the McLaren driver on Tuesday felt moved to answer a growing number of critics who attacked his driving in Japan, where a non-points finish extended his non-winning streak to six races.

BMW’s Robert Kubica — just 12-points behind Hamilton — retains an outside chance of the title and was the most prominent of the critics last weekend, saying most other F1 drivers believed Hamilton was a danger on the track due to overaggressive passing maneuvers.

Hamilton denied suggestions he was pushing other drivers around.

“I would never say I was better than anyone else,” Hamilton said on his personal Web site. “But I am a Formula One driver and all of us have to believe in ourselves to get to where we are.”

“I look at the other drivers and I want to beat them. I would never say, ‘I’m better than you’, I just think that all these guys are the best and to be the best I have to beat them. That’s how every racing driver sees things.”

Hamilton raised eyebrows with his comments after the Japanese Grand Prix in which he accused title rival Massa of deliberately colliding with him on the second lap of the race. He attempted to mitigate that accusation via his Web site.

“Recently, there have been lots of different quotes attributed to me,” Hamilton said. “And sometimes I’ve said things that have either come out the wrong way or been taken out of context so people get a different feeling of what I’ve said when I haven’t expressed myself correctly.

“I’m only human and every now and then people make mistakes. Communication is so important in life and some of the things I’ve said were not meant to harm anyone.”

The Briton finished out of the points at Fuji Speedway after the collision with Massa and the imposition of a pit drive-through penalty for forcing Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen off the track at the first corner of the race.

Hamilton’s over-exuberance at the first corner, when he left his braking far too late in an effort to deny Raikkonen the race lead, was the latest in a catalog of mistakes that have compromised his efforts to win the world title in 2007 and this year, while not being out of keeping with a driver just 23 years old.

Former world champions Niki Lauda and Damon Hill both urged Hamilton to rein in his natural aggressiveness and adopt a more prudent approach in the final two races of this season.

“I am disappointed with Lewis,” three-time world champion Lauda said to n-tv.de. “He threw away the championship last year in the same way, with absolutely unnecessary risks.”

Fellow Briton Hill said Hamilton needs to “stay cool and let it happen”.

“Lewis is impatient to win that first title, but you can’t force it,” Hill said to the BBC.

“It’s a mark of Lewis’ career - he’s always been very keen to get the job done and move on, and you need that impatience, but it can sometimes trip you up if you’re not wary.”

Guyana News-Renault’s Fernando Alonso won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday for a second successive victory, while championship rivals Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa collided on the second lap. Both leading drivers received pit drive-through penalties, and while Ferrari’s Massa recovered near the end of the race to finish seventh — elevated by one place after a post-race stewards’ enquiry - and earn two points, McLaren’s Hamilton went home empty-handed in 12th. Hamilton’s championship lead was cut from seven to five points with two races remaining this season, while Ferrari moved seven points ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ standings. “What can I say, it was a bad day, I’ll move on to next week,” Hamilton said before Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Bourdais was docked 25 seconds for colliding with Massa on the 51st lap, relegating the Frenchman to 10th and moving the four drivers below him up one place. “I went wide at turn one, it was a mistake, and then Felipe hit me off, I went on the inside and he broke left and hit me pretty hard.” Alonso completed back-to-back wins after his victory in Singapore, taking advantage of an incident between Hamilton and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen to move up to second on the opening lap, and then passing early leader Robert Kubica of BMW via the first set of pit stops. Poland’s Kubica finished second and world champion Raikkonen third. Kubica has now emerged as an outside contender for the title, 12 points behind Hamilton. “Twelve points behind the leader with two races to go — anything can happen,” Kubica said.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso produced a sparkling performance under the floodlights to top the timesheets in the second session of free practice ahead of the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix. The Renault driver left it late to produce a scintillating lap and clock a time of one minute 45.654 seconds to edge F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton by 0.098 seconds. Read the full story

When Sebastian Vettel crossed the finish line at Monza, the Formula One history books had to be rewritten. Not only did the 21-year-old take his first win, he also became the sport’s youngest winner. But it was hugely significant for the German’s team too. Toro Rosso had taken not so much as a podium before since joining the grid in 2006 and operate on a fraction of the budget of F1’s biggest names. Toro Rosso’s forerunners were Minardi — F1’s perennial backmarkers and everyone’s favorite Read the full story