MAGNY-COURS, France, June 20, 2008 (AFP) - Brazilian Felipe Massa clocked the fastest time in Friday morning´s opening practice session for Sunday´s French Grand Prix.

The 27-year-old Ferrari driver wound up a comfortable seven-tenths of a second clear of nearest rival, Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes.

Hamilton´s McLaren team-mate, Finn Heikki Kovalianen, was third fastest in a quiet and uneventful session at the Magny-Cours circuit in central France.

Under grey skies and in a brisk breeze, defending drivers world champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen was fourth quickest in the second Ferrari, a clear signal that this weekend is likely to create the familiar scenario of a Ferrari-McLaren duel.

Pole Robert Kubica was fifth fastest for BMW ahead of Spain´s two-time world champion Fernando Alonso in a Renault.

The session started slowly with little action in the opening half hour before German-born Nico Rosberg in a Williams set the first fast flying lap time.

He was succeeded by 20-year-old German Sebastian Vettel in a Toro Rosso and then Kovalainen, Massa and Hamilton before Massa took final control.

There were only a handful of spectators in the circuit as the session unfolded and it looked like a forlorn finale for the French Grand Prix at this circuit in Burgundy, the Magny-Cours track hosting the event for what is expected to be the final time.