The Englishman lost control of his McLaren on the exit to Turn Seven, the fast chicane, with 10 minutes left to run, and though he caught the ensuing slide and held it, he ran out of room and his MP4-23 struck a barrier heavily enough to loosen two wheels and cause considerable damage. He was unhurt.
As if to rub salt in the wound, Raikkonen then banged in a new fastest lap of the session moments later, at 1m 32.327s. Massa, who had been quickest since deposing Hamilton early on, looked like dropping to second but then made a low-fuel run for the best lap of the day in 1m 31.420s.
Heikki Kovalainen vaulted up to third with 1m 32.752s just before team mate Hamilton crashed, the latters once-quickest time of 1m 32.847s leaving him fourth.
Behind them, Robert Kubica kept BMW Sauber close to McLaren with 1m 32.915s, and Nico Rosberg maintained his form with sixth place and 1m 33.022s for Williams. With Kazuki Nakajima in eighth with 1m 33.098s, there was an air of quiet satisfaction in the English team.
David Coulthard gave Red Bull continued cheer with seventh place on 1m 33.048s, but Mark Webber was on a different programme and was 13th on 1m 33.782s.
Between them, Toro Rossos Sebastien Bourdais (1m 33.197s), Renaults Nelson Piquet (1m 33.247s), Hondas Jenson Button (1m 33.710s) and Renaults Fernando Alonso (1m 33.755s) chased Nakajima. Alonso created some further excitement in the dying moments as he and Adrian Sutil came together in Turn One as Alonso dived down the inside, almost losing it in the process, and the Force India driver didnt see the Renault as he turned in.
Toyota focused on race work, as Jarno Trulli headed Timo Glock in 14th and 15th places (1m 33.822s and 1m 33.856s respectively). Then came Hondas Rubens Barrichello (1m 33.966s), BMW Saubers Nick Heidfeld (1m 34.023s), Force Indias Giancarlo Fisichella (1m 34.388s), Toro Rossos Sebastian Vettel, Sutil (1m 34.405s) and the Super Aguris of Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson (1m 35.288s and 1m 35.712s respectively).
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