HOCKENHEIM, Germany, July 19, 2008 (AFP) - Finn Heikki Kovalainen delighted home fans on Saturday when he topped the times in his McLaren-Mercedes in final practice for Sunday´s German Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old driver outpaced Brazilian Felipe Massa, in a Ferrari, by just 0.072 seconds at the end of the morning session.

Briton Lewis Hamilton, in the second McLaren, was third ahead of Spaniard Fernando Alsono in a Renault with young German tyro Sebastian Vettel fifth for Toro Rosso.

Vettel, who was 21 earlier this month and who will move to Red Bull next year, was the early pace-setter before Kovalainen took command.

Massa made the most of the softer tyres on his final run to jump ahead of the field, but he was overhauled again by the Finn in the final minutes.

Italian Jarno Trulli was sixth for Toyota and Brazilian Nelson Piquet seventh in the second Renault.

Pole Robert Kubica, whose promising form for most of this season had attracted many BMW fans to the Hockenheimring, struggled in his car and wound up slowest of the runners.