Button Fastest In Rain-Hit Australian Grand Prix Practice

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – McLaren driver Jenson Button set the fastest time in Friday’s practice for Formula One’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with a wet track in the second session preventing teams showing their true pace.

Button set the best time in opening practice, just ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, and an afternoon downpour meant the second-session times were a couple of seconds off those set earlier.

In the second practice session, Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher was fastest, 0.10 seconds ahead of Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg.

Rain also affected the opening session, and dry-tire running was only possible in the final half hour. Button’s best time of 1 minute, 27.560 seconds was 4 seconds off Sebastian Vettel’s pole time in 2011.