Briton Jenson Button topped the times for McLaren in Friday’s second free practice session for Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix.
The defending world cha-mpion proved his prowess at the Istanbul Park track, which he has said is one of his favourite circuits, with a best lap in one minute and 28.280 seconds to wind up fastest ahead of championship leader Mark Webber of Red Bull.
Button, who won last year’s race, was second quickest in the morning’s opening free session behind his McLaren teammate and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 champion.
Webber was nearly one-tenth of a second slower than Button as he clocked the second best time ahead of his Red Bull teammate German Sebastian Vettel.
But Webber’s satisfaction in a job well done in preparation for his bid to claim a hat-trick of successive victories soon turned to anger when he pulled up following an engine failure in the closing minutes, his Renault power-unit billowing smoke from the rear of the car.
Hamilton was fourth fastest for McLaren ahead of two-time world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari with German Nico Rosberg sixth ahead of compatriot and Mercedes team-mate Michael Schumacher.
Pole Robert Kubica was eighth for Renault, slipped down the order from the spot he grabbed in practice for the Monaco Grand Prix two weeks ago, ahead of his teammate Russian Vitaly Petrov with Brazilian Felipe Massa completing the top ten in the second Ferrari.
— AFP