Hamilton dominates Canadian GP practice

By Steve Keating

MONTREAL (Reuters) - McLaren's Lewis Hamilton returned to the scene of his first Formula One victory on Friday and put down an immediate marker with the quickest laps in Canadian Grand Prix practice.

The 2008 world champion, a winner in Montreal in 2007 and 2010 but strangely without a triumph in this most unpredictable of seasons, was fastest in both sessions at an overcast Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The Briton set a best time of one minute 15.564 seconds in the morning and improved on that slightly with a 1:15.259 in the afternoon session that concluded just before torrential rain and thunder swept across the city.

Hamilton is a strong favorite to become the seventh different winner in seven races on Sunday and also has his eyes on McLaren's 150th pole.

He said he could have gone faster.

"I was out there pushing for quite some time on the option tyre, it was very difficult to put all sectors together," Hamilton told reporters before the storm broke. "Sometimes I went a little bit quicker in one sector and then lost it in the second.

"I think qualifying looks like it could be very close...you've got the Ferraris who are very quick as well and their tyre degradation seems to be better. So I'm keeping an eye out for them."

The Briton was followed by the two Ferraris in the second session, championship leading Spaniard Fernando Alonso lapping 0.054 off Hamilton's pace and Brazilian Felipe Massa third best and 0.151 slower.