Pit-lane fire can’t stop Nico

CHAMPIONSHIP l eader Nico Rosberg finished fastest i n an opening practice session for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix which was marked by Kevin Magnussen scrambling out of his car following an astonishing pit-lane fire.

Rosberg, who is eight points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the title race, finished nearly half-asecond clear of his Mercedes team-mate at a sweltering Sepang International Circuit this morning.

But Magnussen and his Renault team were the talk of the paddock after the Danish driver’s car caught fire following an apparent fuel leak in the opening moments of the 90-minute session.

As Magnussen was being wheeled back into his garage, fuel started spilling out of his Renault before it dramatically set alight. Magnussen, the former McLaren driver, managed to leap out of his car to safety.

His Renault mechanics acted quickly to extinguish the flames and nobody was injured in the incident.

Rosberg, who is bidding to secure his four th consecutive victory, who posted the fastest lap of the session ahead of Hamilton, with the Ferrari duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel third and fourth.

Fernando Alonso, who was testing an updated Honda engine here, was an impressive fifth although the Spaniard will serve a 30-place grid drop following a number of changes to his power unit.

Jenson Button, set to start his 300th grand prix, finished 10th in the order while Jolyon Palmer, the British rookie in the sister Renault, was 19th.

Nico Rosberg