Vincent Thian/Associated Press The McLaren Mercedes drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, set the fastest times of the day in Friday’s practice sessions in Melbourne in preparation for the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. Hamilton, above, was second fastest.
The season’s first day of practice sessions took place in Melbourne on Friday, and despite a lot of rain in recent days, they were held mostly on a dry track — until the end of the second session, when there were what Mark Webber of the Red Bull team referred to as “some Melbourne showers.” While it is difficult to see in Friday practice sessions who are the powers that be, if we take the time sheets at face value there are a few surprises.
First, after lots of speculation about the McLaren Mercedes not being quite there this year, it was Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton who set the top two fastest times of the day in the afternoon session. Fernando Alonso was third fastest in his Ferrari and then came the two Red Bull drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
That shakes up the presumed order a little. But then in sixth position was Michael Schumacher in his Mercedes. In the morning session Schumacher was slower than his teammate, Nico Rosberg, as he was most of last season. But this time Rosberg was nearly a second slower than Schumacher, finishing 10th fastest.
Another surprise of the day was Sergio Perez, the Mexican rookie, who was eighth in his Sauber, while his teammate Kamui Kobayashi was 15th, a second behind him. And then there is Rubens Barrichello in ninth in his Williams, at 1.5 seconds faster than Pastor Maldonado, his rookie teammate.
Two other surprises have to do with two of last year’s new teams. HRT did not turn any laps at all Friday, as its new car still was not ready for the road. But the mechanics worked late on it Thursday night, breaking the cost-cutting work curfew in one of the four such exceptions that a team is allowed.
Speaking of cost cutting, the final surprise came from Team Lotus and its use in the morning of Karun Chandhok, a reserve driver. Chandhok drove Jarno Trulli’s car in the morning session, as Trulli sat out the session to allow Chandhok to get a little mileage. Testing during the season has been cut to save money and reserve drivers are now allowed to drive one of the cars on Friday. But as Trulli sat back to watch, Chandhok failed to finish even a single lap. Barely out of the pit lane, he ran into the wall and smashed. Still, the team was able to fix the car in time for Trulli to drive it in the afternoon session.
The real first measure of team strength will come during Saturday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s race.
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