MANAMA, April 4, 2008 (AFP) - Brazilian Felipe Massa spearheaded a Ferrari domination of opening practice Friday for the Bahrain Grand Prix as the Italian team continued its impressive return to form.

Massa, backed by the team and former champion Michael Schumacher ahead of Sunday´s race after his disappointing start to the season, finished in front of team-mate and defending world champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen.

Williams driver Nico Rosberg of Germany posted the third fastest time with just seconds left.

The South American is under pressure to launch his championship fightback this weekend after going pointless in the opening two races, retiring in Australia with engine problems and sliding out in Malaysia when lying second.

Massa set the time early as he swept round the 5.412km desert track at Sakhir - where he triumphed last year - in a time of 1min 32.233sec to finish 0.1sec ahead of Raikkonen, who won in Malaysia.

Finland´s reigning champion Raikkonen did have one brief excursion off the track during the 90-minutes morning session when he drifted wide at the final corner.

Raikkonen, 28, returned with just 10 minutes left after mechanics had worked on his car to shave a few fractions off his best time for first practice, eventually clocking 1:32.350.

Championship pace-setter Briton Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest but almost half-a-second down on Massa´s time with fellow McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen close behind in fifth.

Hamilton, who leads the championship by just three points after his problems at the last race, had to wrestle with his McLaren Mercedes at one point, but managed to keep it on the track.

Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima, the fast but unproven Japanese racer, also went quick late on to finish sixth fastest.

BWM´s Robert Kubica followed up his career best second place in Kuala Lumpur almost two weeks ago with the seventh best time, but the Pole was over a second slower than Massa.

Italy´s Jarno Trulli was eighth quickest for an improving Toyota team which saw Timo Glock finish in 11th spot.

Britain´s David Coulthard was ninth in his Renault-powered Red Bull car with Spain´s double world champion Fernando Alonso, who on Thursday insisted he was committed to Renault, completing the top 10.