Formula One rookie Hamilton on verge of breaking record

Lewis Hamilton looked primed to set Formula One history this weekend after leading the field in the final practice yesterday before qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hamilton timed 1 minute 32.543 seconds in his McLaren-Mercedes ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen with 1:32.549, on a hazy morning on the 5.412km Bahrain International Circuit.

BMW-Sauber drivers Nick Heidfeld at 1:32.652 and Robert Kubica with 1:32.755 were third and fourth respectively.

Felipe Massa of Ferrari was sixth in 1:32.950, ahead of Hamilton's McLaren teammate, double world champion Fernando Alonso at 1:33.235.

Raikkonen was the fastest in his Ferrari in the first two practices on Friday. However the teams may have been experimenting with race car settings before yesterday afternoon's qualifying ahead of today's 57-lap race.

Britain's Hamilton, a 22-year-old rookie and F1's first black driver, is looking to make more F1 history this weekend. No driver has started his F1 career with three consecutive finishes in the top three -- Hamilton finished third in Australia and second in Malaysia.

Ferrari drivers have split the pole positions in the first two races of the season. Raikkonen led at the Australian GP and went on to win. Massa had pole at the Malaysian GP but came fifth.