Schumacher paces opening practice in Japan

   Copyright c 1998 Nando Media
   Copyright c 1998 Reuters

SUZUKA, Japan (Oct 30, 1998 - 1:20 EST) - Two-time world champion Michael
Schumacher made a positive start to his bid for a third crown on Friday
when he topped the times in the opening practice for Sunday's decisive
Japanese Grand Prix.

Schumacher, of Germany, clocked a best time of one minute 39.823 seconds in
his Ferrari midway through the final hour to overhaul title rival Mika
Hakkinen of Finland by half a second.

Hakkinen, in a McLaren, leads Schumacher by four points in the championship
after 15 of this year's 16 events and needs only to finish second to clinch
the title, whatever Schumacher does.

Hakkinen finished fifth fastest. Unlike Schumacher and several other
drivers, he was unable to improve his time in the final minutes of practice
in the perfect warm, dry conditions.

Germans dominated Friday's practice. Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, 23,
in a Jordan, was second fastest with a time of one minute 40.336 seconds,
ahead of Heinz-Harald Frentzen -- also a German -- in a Williams.

Briton Eddie Irvine, in the second Ferrari, was fourth fastest, ahead of
Hakkinen and another Briton, David Coulthard, in the second McLaren. Former
world champions Damon Hill of Britain (1996), in a Jordan, and Canadian
Jacques Villeneuve (1997), in a Williams filled the seventh and eighth
positions after practice.

Irvine, who relishes the unique figure-of-eight Suzuka track about 400
kilometres south of Tokyo in central Japan, spun off the circuit seven
minutes from the end of the afternoon session in his Ferrari.

This was a blow to Schumacher and Ferrari as the 29-year-old German hopes
that his teammate can follow him home in second position to record a 1-2
finish to secure his third championship triumph.

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