London, Apr 26 : Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is set to get off scot free this week over his role in Liargate scandal.

Britain's world champion is likely to escape a personal punishment, even though Red Bull boss Christian Horner insists Hamilton's McLaren team should have the book thrown at them.

McLaren have to answer five charges that they lied to race stewards at the Australian Grand Prix when they face the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday.

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 - 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.

Beijing, Apr. 18 : Lewis Hamilton has expressed surprise over the exit of Ron Davis from Formula One, but was not disappointed.

"I wasn't disappointed," said Hamilton. "I was surprised as I hadn't heard about it. I was just as surprised as the rest of my team. Of course, Ron has been a huge force in supporting my life and he still plays a key role in that," the Daily Express quoted hamilton as saying after he had set the fastest time during first practice in China.

London, Apr. 17 : Formula One racing champion Lewis Hamilton will stay on at McLaren.

The world champion pledged his support for the under-fire team's new regime as manager Ron Dennis stepped down from all grand prix activities.

Dennis, 61, insisted his decision to go had nothing to do with McLaren's appearance before motor sport chiefs over the Aussie Liargate scandal.

He said the timing was "purely coincidental" and all about becoming chief executive of their new sports car business.

Shanghai  - Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton Friday topped the timesheets in the first practice for the Chinese Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver completed the fastest round of the 5.451-kilometre Shanghai circuit in 1:37.334 minutes, 0.116 seconds ahead of GP Brawn driver Jenson Button.

Button's Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello came third, followed by McLaren's Heikki Kovaleinen, indicating a closing gap between the two teams.