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McLaren set practice pace in China
 McLaren test driver de la Rosa proved the fastest in Chinese practice SHANHAI, China -- McLaren limbered up for their title showdown with Renault by setting the pace in Friday practice for the season-ending Chinese Grand Prix. McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa, who will not race on Sunday, lapped 1.8 seconds faster than anybody else in the first session and was also the quickest in the second. Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello, without a win since last year's inaugural Chinese race, returned as the fastest race driver in the morning but McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen filled that slot in the afternoon. "A good start to the weekend and let's hope it continues this way," said Raikkonen, who suffered an engine failure in practice at the last race. "The car feels really strong. I can't wait for tomorrow and Sunday where hopefully we will be able to achieve our goal of winning the 2005 constructors' title." Mercedes-powered McLaren need to score two points more than Renault in the season-ending race to take the title for the first time since 1998. Renault, who have already clinched the drivers' championship with 24-year-old Spaniard Fernando Alonso, are two points ahead. However, McLaren, winners of the last six races, will take the title if they end up level on points because they have won 10 grands prix this year to their rivals' seven. Alonso, who has a new engine specially prepared for the final race, lapped seventh and fourth quickest in the two sessions run in smoggy conditions. "The car was quite hard to drive today, but I think that is normal on the first day at this circuit, when track conditions are so dirty," said the Spaniard. "It was also very windy out there." McLaren's Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, who crashed out of the previous Japanese Grand Prix on the first lap and will have the disadvantage of having to run early in Saturday's qualifying, was sixth and fifth. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, the seven-times world champion, was fifth fastest in an encouraging first session for the Italian team whose six-year reign as constructors' champions has come to an end. "With these last few races all coming in quick succession, there was no reason to expect a big change in our performance level," said Schumacher, whose only win this year was the six-car fiasco in Indianapolis. "But I have to say that, after today, I think we look in slightly better shape than we did at the last race. Maybe we are at a similar level to the one we had in Brazil." Austrian Christian Klien, driving a Red Bull, suffered a tyre failure in the second session and limped back to the pits on three wheels and a rim. Michelin said there was a significant hole in the tread surface, indicating that he had run over something sharp and quite large. 
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