SHANGHAI, China -- Mercedes set the fastest practice times again at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday, though rivals Ferrari and Red Bull may have closed the gap somewhat on Formula Ones runaway leader. Obi Melifonwu Womens Jersey . Mercedes Lewis Hamilton, winner of the past two F1 races, was quickest around the Shanghai International Circuit in the afternoon session after a suspension problem limited him to only nine laps in the morning session. Ferraris Fernando Alonso, however, was just 0.141 seconds behind Hamilton under the watch of new team principal Marco Mattiacci, who arrived in Shanghai to take charge following Stefano Domenicalis abrupt departure this week. Alonso also set the quickest time during the morning practice. Hamilton was delayed in the garage for a half hour in the afternoon session while his crew tried to resolve the suspension trouble. "Its great to be still up front even though we have those issues," he said. "But, still, you want to get the car ready, you want to get the long runs feeling a little better, so theres some work to do." Teammate Nico Rosberg had the third-fastest practice time, about 0.4 seconds behind Hamilton. He said Mercedes still expects to win the race on Sunday, even if its rivals performed well in practice. "Were still looking pretty decent at the moment," he said. "The competitors are pushing -- today, Ferrari was very close." Mercedes has dominated the season, with Hamilton winning in Bahrain and Malaysia and Rosberg in Australia. Only an engine problem on Hamiltons car in the opening race in Melbourne prevented three successive one-two finishes. But Alonso, the defending Chinese GP champion, kept pace with them in the cool conditions of Shanghai, indicating his struggling team may just emerge as a challenger on Sunday. Ferrari has lagged behind Mercedes following the series switch to V6 turbo hybrid engines, and new fuel-saving regulations. The slow start prompted Ferrari to part ways with Domenicali after six years, replacing him with Mattiacci, formerly president of Ferrari North America. Red Bull also kept up the pace on Friday, with Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Ricciardo said, however, he believes Mercedes may have been holding back during practice. "We have to see where they are tomorrow. The gap seems a bit too close for now," he said. "I would like to say weve caught up but theyve got a bit more in there." He was pleased with Red Bulls improvement since Bahrain, where both drivers finished off the podium. "Were making small improvements," Ricciardo said. "I mean, the gap is a big one so its not going to come over one race, but weve crept up a little bit more." Felipe Massa of Williams was sixth fastest in afternoon practice, followed by Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen, who missed the morning session due to a mechanical problem. McLarens Jenson Button, Lotus Romain Grosjean and Toro Rossos Daniil Kvyat rounded out the top 10. Smog hampered visibility at the circuit on Thursday, but conditions were relatively clear for Fridays practice. Rain and cool temperatures were forecast for Saturdays qualifying session. David Sharpe Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014.Obi Melifonwu Raiders Jersey . -- Ryan Gropp scored in overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds shut out the Spokane Chiefs 1-0 in Western Hockey League play Tuesday.New York, NY (Sports Network) - Alabama remained the top team in college football and not much changed in the latest Associated Press poll following a Saturday of blowout victories. The only newcomer to this weeks poll is Fresno State, which jumped in at No. 25 after a 41-40 win over Boise State on Friday. The Bulldogs replaced Arizona State, which fell out from No. 23 after a 42-28 loss to Stanford on Saturday. Alabama improved to 3-0 with a matter-of-fact 31-6 victory over Colorado State in its home opener. The Crimson Tide received 56 first-place votes -- three fewer than last week -- and a total of 1,496 points from a nationwide media panel. Oregon, which was idle this past weekend, picked up the three additional No. 1 tallies for a total of four and again sits second, followed by Clemson, Ohio State, Stanford, LSU, Louisville, Florida State, Georgia and Texas A&M. The enttire top 10 remained intact from last week. Eddie Vanderdoes Youth Jersey. . The second 10 consists of Oklahoma State, South Carolina, UCLA, Oklahoma, Miami-Florida, Washington, Northwestern, Michigan, Baylor and Florida. Michigan tumbled three places from 15th after rallying for a 24-21 win at Connecticut. The Wolverines were 11th two weeks ago after a thrilling win over Notre Dame, but narrowly beat Akron last week before Saturdays close call. Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Texas Tech and Fresno State are the last five teams ranked this week. After a weekend with just one ranked matchup, next Saturdays slate features four such games. Two come from the powerhouse SEC, as LSU and Georgia meet between the hedges in Athens and Ole Miss travels to Tuscaloosa for a battle with fellow unbeaten Alabama. Also, Ohio State welcomes Wisconsin to the Horseshoe and Oklahoma visits Notre Dame. Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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