Sakhir, Bahrain - Germany's Timo Glock was fastest in final practice for Sunday's Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix but then developed a problem with his Toyota ahead of qualifying later in the day. Ferrari's Felipe Massa of Brazil was second fastest, ahead of Williams driver Nico Rosberg, who had been quickest in the previous day's second practice.

World champion Lewis Hamilton of Braitain in a McLaren-Mercedes was fourth, with former world champiom Kimi Raikkonen of Finland in a Ferrari fifth.

Sakhir, Bahrain - Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali Friday backed record Formula One champion Michael Schumacher as "part of our team" following criticism of the German's advisory role.

Schumacher, who retired in 2006 after winning seven championship titles, had come under fire from former world champion Niki Lauda and others for the team's failed strategies in the opening two races of the season.

Schumacher did not attend last week's Chinese Grand Prix when Ferrari was again out of the points, and was not planning to be at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

Sakhir, Bahrain - Lewis Hamilton led from Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica as McLaren-Mercedes and BMW Sauber got a much-needed boost on Friday in the first practice session for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.

The world champion Hamilton posted 1 minute 33.647 points for the 5.451-kilometres lap on the Bahrain International Circuit in his McLaren.

Germany's Heidfeld and Kubica of Poland drove their BMWs to 1:33.907 and 1:33.938, seconds, respectively.

Stuttgart - Doubt was raised about Mercedes' future in Formula One racing by a supervisory board member said ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.

"Formula One is not accepted among the employees. One has to take notice of that," Helmut Lense, a works council chairman and board member of Mercedes' parent Daimler, told Thursday's edition of the Stuttgarter Zeitung daily.

Lense said that recent workforce meetings at Daimler plants revealed the negative attitude towards the expensive sport and added that Mercedes should pull out of F1.

Givrins, Switzerland - Former Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher has called off a planned start this weekend in the German superbike series, saying he was still feeling the effects of a crash two months ago.

The record seven-time F1 champion was due to compete in the first race of the German IDM series at the Lausitzring in eastern Germany.

"Unfortunately I have had to call it off because I am not yet ready," he told German Press Agency dpa in Givrins, Switzerland.

Shanghai  - Germany's Sebastian Vettel clinched a rain-soaked Chines