MOTOR SPORT/Turkish Grand Prix:Lewis Hamilton put in the fastest lap of the day in torrid conditions in second free practice for tomorrow's Turkish Grand Prix, the 12th round of this season's 17-race title chase, in which he now holds what could be a crucial seven-point lead over his McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso.

The significance of quick times in such sessions tends to be dismissed by many team managers, who rightly point out they spend much of these sessions experimenting with differing fuel loads. But if the personal boost it offers to a driver's morale is difficult to quantify, its significance is no less real for all that.

Despite losing more than half an hour's track time with a slipping clutch during the morning session, Hamilton performed with his customary composure to edge out Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari F2007 by 0.293 seconds in the second session, improving from fourth fastest in the first.

For his part, Alonso may have arrived in Turkey weighed down by the intensity of his rivalry with Hamilton, but the reigning world champion was confident about his race prospects after finishing second for Renault in the two Turkish grands prix staged here so far.

"The track is great fun to drive," said Alonso, "Some sections are really on the limit and what you want to race on as a driver, turn eight in particular. It tends to be very hot at this race (air 35, track 49 during yesterday afternoon's free practice) and this can have an effect on tyre wear."

This is exaggerated by the fact it is one of just two circuits on the championship schedule raced in an anti-clockwise direction, the other being Interlagos. This imposes extra strain on the drivers' neck muscles, which are usually built up to cope with G-forces pulling in the opposite direction.

The second session was also red-flagged to a halt for more than half an hour to allow repairs to a broken trackside drain cover. The session resumed with the Toyotas of Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli setting fourth and fifth fastest times, with last year's winner, Felipe Massa, in a Ferrari, Alonso's McLaren and Nico Rosberg's Williams FW29 next up.

Hamilton said he felt recharged and ready to win the Formula One title after making peace with Alonso. "After having all these discussions I just feel relaxed and that the team are moving forward," he told reporters at the Istanbul Park circuit yesterday.

"I have no doubt I have a great opportunity to win the championship. I'm in the best spot, I've got a great team and a great car and I'm very competitive. As long as I don't make any mistakes, I don't see why I can't win it."

The two men were not on speaking terms after the previous round in Hungary, where Alonso and McLaren were penalised following a controversial qualifying session in which the Spaniard impeded his team-mate. While Hamilton won, Alonso finished fourth and McLaren were denied all their constructors' points from the Hungaroring.

The team called a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday and both drivers met face to face to bury the hatchet for the first time since the summer break.

"After the last race I called Fernando and said 'look, we can't go through the next three weeks without talking, or relying on what the media are saying, saying we're at war'," Hamilton said.

Alonso agreed with his team-mate's version of events. "Everything is okay now and the past is the past," said the Spaniard. "I talked with Lewis and we had to laugh . . . I put my hands up and apologised for everything that went on at the last race, and he said 'yeah, me too'."

Second Session Times From First Free Practice

1 - Lewis Hamilton (Brit) McLaren1 min 28.469 secs

2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari1:28.762

3 - Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota1:28.773

4 - Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota1:28.874

5 - Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari1:28.884

6 - Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren1:28.947

7 - Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota1:28.995

8 - Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Renault1:29.025

9 - Alexander Wurz (Aut) Williams-Toyota1:29.093

10 - Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber1:29.368

11 - David Coulthard (Brit) RedBull-Renault1:29.435

12 - Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault1:29.456

13 - Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber1:29.792

14 - Jenson Button (Brit) Honda1:29.945

15 - Rubens Barrichello (Bral) Honda1:30.055

16 - Takuma Sato (Jap) Super Aguri-Honda1:30.104

17 - Mark Webber (Aus) RedBull-Renault1:30.315

18 - Anthony Davidson (Brit) Super Aguri-Honda1:30.530

19 - Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso-Ferrari1:30.702

20 - Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari1:30.801

21 - Adrian Sutil (Ger) Spyker-Ferrari1:31.153

22 - Sakon Yamamoto (Jap) Spyker-Ferrari1:31.175