MELBOURNE — Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher set the pace in a damp second practice at the Australian Grand Prix yesterday morning after McLaren topped the first.
The seven-time champion, whose team are tipped to challenge in 2012, pipped fellow German Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India right at the end of the session.
Earlier in the day, in a drier session, Jenson Button beat McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton by 0,245 seconds.
After a day of torrential rain and sunshine, the weekend forecast is dry.
In the afternoon session, which had only 15 minutes of dry running right at the end, Sauber’s Sergio Perez was third fastest, ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who set his time on the medium tyre, which is harder and theoretically slower than the softs used by the drivers ahead of him.
The Spaniard was also fourth in the morning session, behind Button, Hamilton and Schumacher. —BBC Sport
